Empowering local partners in private sector engagement to create pathways of resilience for OVC and AGYW in Rwanda

A core objective to the USAID Adolescents and Children HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE) project’s implementation is economic strengthening to improve the health and wellbeing of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and their families. Critical to this approach is the engagement of private sector actors, who help ensure that OVC and at-risk AGYW and their families not only gain access to important socio-economic services but fortify their resilience against HIV/AIDS. 

Since 2022, ACHIEVE has supported IGIRE in implementing USAID’s OVC and Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) program in Rwanda. IGIRE is implemented through USAID funding by five local civil society organizations: African Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE) Rwanda, CARITAS Rwanda, DUHAMIC-ADRI, FXB Rwanda, and Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) Rwanda in 13 Districts of Rwanda with technical support and capacity development building from ACHIEVE. 

A core objective of ACHIEVE Rwanda has been to support the IGIRE implementing partners’ (IPs) capacity to link funding and sustainability strategies to diversify funding sources. This has included engaging the private sector to establish partnerships and increase collaboration to develop initiatives aimed at supporting, protecting, and strengthening services and care for OVC, AGYW and their families in Rwanda. One of ACHIEVE’s private sector engagement (PSE) initiatives involved exploring opportunities with the Bank of Kigali (BK) Foundation to increase the reach and impact of OVC and DREAMS programs and ensure sustainability. This has entailed close collaborations between IGIRE IPs and the BK Foundation aimed at establishing a clear understanding of the mandates, strategic direction, and interested activities of parties.

In early 2023, ACHIEVE and the BK Foundation leadership held preliminary engagements that identified potential areas of partnership including support to OVC and AGYW for Vocational and Education Training (TVET) and financial literacy. ACHIEVE hosted a larger meeting with the key personnel and representatives from USAID, IGIRE IPs, and the BK Foundationin June 2023 to share and affirm those potential areas of partnership identified. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BK, Diane Karusisi shared insights on the new BK Ecosystem and how the foreseen partnership aligns with their mission to engage stakeholders beyond the private sector, including socio-development programs like IGIRE.

One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the establishment of a taskforce among the parties, who agreed to develop a technical proposal and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). ACHIEVE supported the activity by developing the collaboration framework, implementation approach, and key priorities between IGIRE and the BK Foundation. Under this partnership, the BK Foundation through the IGIRE IPs will support over 200 OVC and AGYW from five prioritized districts, namely Nyarugenge, Kicukiro, Gasabo, Rwamagana, and Nyamasheke to obtain TVET skills to increase their access to employment opportunities. The support includes TVET scholarships, internship for hands-on skills, and start-up capital for youth who need these services. 

Through continued collaboration, ACHIEVE invited the BK Foundation to join the IGIRE semi-annual stakeholders’ visit and learning event that took place in Nyamasheke and Nyanza Districts in January 2024. In attendance were government institutions such as the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) and Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), as well as governor and district mayors. The goal of the meeting was to highlight IGIRE programming and service delivery, and to engage with community level stakeholders and program participants. 

On August 6, 2024, following joint commitments, efforts, and collaboration between ACHIEVE, IGIRE IPs, and the BK Foundation, an MoU was signed during a special ceremony held at the Ubumwe Grande Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. The MoU defines how the parties will apply the private sector funds to impact the lives of the OVC and AGYW they will serve across the five districts in Rwanda.

In an article published by The News Times, a national newspaper in Rwanda, attendees of the MoU signing expressed the importance of private sector partnerships to scale up services to achieve sustainable development and improve the lives of youth in Rwanda. Marianna Balampama, Pact's Deputy Regional Director for Africa was quoted as saying “The private sector is an instrument for economic growth as stated under Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation.” She added that “The MoU signed today marks a commitment and collaborative effort to create a bigger impact on the most vulnerable young people by building their resilience and creating employment opportunities for them.”

In the article, the IGIRE IPs reflected on the support they received from ACHIEVE that will enable them to implement these services in a well-coordinated way so that vulnerable communities can become more resilient and have access to critical services. Father Oscar, the General Secretary for Caritas Rwanda noted that “The journey is to continue to engage more of the private sector actors to increase local resources and expand our reach to more people in need.”

Moise Mutabazi, Pact's ACHIEVE Rwanda Project Director, commended the IGIRE IPs and the progress they have made in partnering with the BK Foundation to ensure availability of local funding to support OVC and AGYW. He noted that the partnership between the private sector and local development actors will address the critical needs of young people in accessing vocational and technical skills and employment opportunities, which will foster resilience and contribute to sustainable development in Rwanda.