International Organizations and poverty alleviation in Rwanda A case study of United Nations Development programs-Kicukiro District

Abstract

Today, poverty has been recognized as the greatest enemy of mankind in all parts of the World. This study specifically focuses on the contribution of International Organization in Poverty Reduction in Rwanda with reference to UNDP Rwanda in period from 2009-2012. To achieve the study, the research was guided by the following research questions: What is the community support to the poverty alleviation programs initiated and promoted by UNDP? How is the cooperation of UNDP with Government of Rwanda and other NGOs in poverty alleviation? What are the challenges faced by International Organizations in Rwanda and available solutions to them? After carrying out this study it will be of great importance for Policy makers (GoR) to formulate a flexible reasonable system of regulation and decision making in Rwanda towards Poverty Alleviation. For the International Organizations, the research findings will help them to appreciate the role they play in Poverty Alleviation in Rwanda. For Researchers; this study will add to the existing knowledge in this subject matter and other related research that may be carried out stemming or branching from this particular study. The researcher; will gain skill, knowledge and the research will be submitted to school of the Department of International Studies and Diplomacy of Mount Kenya University. To lay a background to the study, relevant literature was reviewed. This was also effective when there is a well-designed and well implemented project plan. The research methodology used includes various aspects such as the research design, the population, sampling techniques, sources of data, data collection instruments, data processing, presentation of research findings and the limitations of this research. Data were collected using questionnaires interviews and documentation analysis. They were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed basing on researchers’ objectives. Primary and secondary data were collected for the analysis. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 60 people out of 578 beneficiaries of UNDP in Kicukiro District and respondents from those selected people. Then research design was both drowned and collected from primary and secondary data gathered from 56 beneficiaries of UNDP Rwanda. The research study examined whether UNDP Projects are effectively and efficiently done and what are their impacts in relation to poverty alleviation in Kicukiro District. The study revealed that if Government, International Organizations and Community cooperates very well, this will improve project performance that will alleviate poverty, since projects are initiated basing on the needs of Community. This is the way it was done in Kicukiro District where community through their representatives, attend the workshops organized by UNDP and contribute in proposing the valuable alternative plans to UNDP for their poverty alleviation. This study showed the importance of the project to individuals where beneficiaries are able to send their children to school, provide for their necessities (food & clothing), and were able to initiate personal investment plan and its implementation and take their family members for private health services. This shows how the International Organizations contributed in poverty alleviation in Rwanda. The recommendation drawn was that, monitoring and evaluation should be the main emphasis and that, it should be done in appropriate manner as far as the project objectives are concerned