By Rose Mukagahizi
Families in Ngororero District are reporting improvements in nutrition and household livelihoods through interventions supported by the Second Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP II), which combines access to nutritious foods with practical knowledge on healthy diets and income generation.
Implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) through its Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU), SAIP II operates in 20 districts across Rwanda, with the broader objective of improving agricultural productivity, market access and food security.
In Ngororero, one of the districts that has faced high levels of child stunting, the project is supporting vulnerable households through laying hens, kitchen gardens, vegetable seeds, biofortified crops and mushroom production, alongside nutrition education.
Benjamine Mukunduhirwe, the Vice Mayor of Ngororero District in charge of Social Affairs, said the district has registered significant progress in reducing stunting among children under five.
“According to the 2020 Demographic and Health Survey, Ngororero had a stunting rate of 50.5%. In the latest report released in 2025, it had dropped to 35.8%, meaning the district reduced stunting by 14.7 percentage points,” Mukunduhirwe said.
She said SAIP II has contributed to these efforts by equipping families with knowledge and resources that help them improve household nutrition.
For residents such as Anne Marie Mushimiyimana from Kavumu Sector, the intervention has brought changes that can be seen at household level.
“SAIP II gave us chickens, but it also trained us on how to improve our lives, move out of poverty and prepare a balanced diet. Today, we no longer struggle to find eggs for our children,” Mushimiyimana said.
Another resident, Yvonne Uwanyirigira, said the chickens she received have become more than a source of nutritious food. They have also helped her meet other household needs.
“These chickens have helped me pay for my health insurance. Before, paying for it was difficult, but now I can sell some of the chickens and use the money to pay the contribution at once,” Uwanyirigira said.
Beyond poultry farming, SAIP II promotes kitchen gardens and provides households with vegetable seeds, iron-rich beans and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, helping families diversify their diets and gain access to nutritious food close to home.
Mushroom production is another key part of the intervention, particularly targeting households with pregnant and lactating women and children under five. Mushrooms provide important nutrients while giving households an additional opportunity to generate income.
The project has also introduced a community-based approach aimed at making the intervention sustainable. Self-Help Groups in Ngororero, Nyamagabe and Gisagara have been trained in mushroom tube production, entrepreneurship, group management and record-keeping.
Rather than depending entirely on external suppliers, the groups can produce mushroom tubes locally and supply them within their communities, creating income while keeping part of the project investment within local economies.
Evode Imanimurinde, a nutrition specialist under SAIP II, encouraged beneficiary households to make full use of the opportunities provided by the project, saying they can contribute not only to better nutrition but also to improved livelihoods.
As SAIP II approaches its scheduled completion in December 2026, the experience in Ngororero shows how addressing malnutrition at household level can go beyond providing food. By combining nutrition education, food production and income-generating opportunities, the project is helping families build healthier and more sustainable livelihoods.
