Arriving in Africa is a testament to the abundance of NGO activity throughout the world. Each serves a specific goal to enhance development by providing sustainable aid, but all too often, this goal is not achieved and the organization fails because of it.
The key to sustainability in a metaphorical sense, to teach one how to catch a fish rather than simply to provide the fish. With knowledge, an individual acquires permanent skills to use and pass to others, which initiates development.
A healthy development requires the establishment of diverse, strong income generating activities.
Rwanda provides an abundance of agricultural resources to be used for such activities. The Children Village Kigarama sits on 8 hectacres of land with very high cultivating potential. We have concrete plans to develop organically certified, high quality fruits and vegetables from various plots already underway. Our goal is that these products will become available for both national and international markets.
Another promising income generating activity stems from our prime location above the pristine, untouched Lake Kivu. Our plan is to create an eco-tourism operation in the heart of this beautiful resource. Using canoes, we would offer trips to explore the beauty of the rich land.
Real development does not occur over night. It takes time and significant effort on the part of a team of motivated individuals. Within the next three to four years, our goal for Children Village Kigarama is self-sufficiency.
At present, we are without sufficient fish to consume, but we are steadily developing our catching strategies. Thank you for your interest in helping Children Village Rwanda to reach its goal of sustainable development and a model village. Murakose Cyane!! Thank you very much!!