Goat Grants Give Hope In Rwanda

"I will be able to pay my community health insurance fee, have manure for my fields, pay school registration fees for my children, and more," says Madame Philomène Mukantama, one of the beneficiaries of a new initiative supported by the IntraHealth-led Twubakane Decentralization and Health Program.

Rwandan man with goats Through District Incentive Funds designed to help communities proactively address their local health care needs, a total of 1,968 goats have been distributed to families in the Rwamagana district in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. While the goats may not be sold, their products, such as milk and cheese, can be sold or traded to help families pay for health care. As the goats multiply and are shared with other families in need it is anticipated that the entire population of the district will benefit.

Madame Alphonsine Murekatete, vice mayor in charge of social affairs in Rwamagana, expressed her gratitude to Twubakane, a program that she says consistently supports local residents technically and financially. "These goats will be distributed in a rotating fashion, allowing the district population to ensure their health care through mutuelles de santé (community health insurance associations) and improved nutrition." According to the vice mayor, the district will hold an annual redistribution of goats, so that in two years everyone in the district will be able to pay for health care.

Funded by USAID, the Twubakane Program supports the Government of Rwanda in increasing the use of quality family health services and strengthening the capacity of local governments and communities to support improved health service delivery.