Water is cultivating hope and transforming the lives of Rwanda's farmers

I will never forget my first encounter with Damien and Vestine, a warm and welcoming couple from Karongi, a district tucked in the lush, rolling hills of western Rwanda

They graciously invited me into their home, and over a chat, Damien shared the challenges they used to face in farming. Unpredictable rains often left their vegetable field dry, and they barely made enough to get by.

“Some years, it was a struggle just to put food on the table,” Damien said, reflecting on the past. But their lives changed when they discovered an affordable irrigation system through the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP), a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at improving agricultural productivity, market access, and food security.

With a simple hose pipe setup, their onion and tree tomato crops flourished. Vestine's face brightened as she shared, “With the extra profits, we finally bought fertile land and built the house we have dreamed of for so long.”

Damien added proudly, “We can now afford to send all six of our children to school and even pay for health insurance. That used to feel impossible.”

As I took in the sight of their new home, the flourishing vegetable gardens, and the smiles on their children’s faces, I could clearly see how life-changing this irrigation technology had been for them.

Their once modest harvests have transformed into abundance, thanks to the water coming from SAIP’s irrigation system. And they are not alone—more than 45,000 farmers, with over 228,000 direct beneficiaries, have felt the impact of this provision of water in Rwanda.

 Hose irrigation in Nyanza District. Photo: Innocent Nzabamwita, SAIP

Prosperity Taking Root

In Karongi, I also met another inspiring couple, Theoneste and Clotilde. They proudly showed me their small boutique business, which they started by reinvesting profits from their thriving tomato and onion crops.

“With this simple irrigation system, we need less labor, which gives us the time and resources to improve our family’s quality of life in ways we never imagined,” Clotilde shared in her newly built home, funded by their increased income.

Then there was Jean Pierre, an agronomist, and his wife Rehema. They had long wondered how to lift their family out of poverty. Education, they believed, was the key to transforming their children’s future. But with inconsistent yields from rain-fed farming, affording quality schools seemed out of reach—until SAIP provided them with a greenhouse equipped with drip irrigation to bring in water consistently.

Their harvests surged, and with that, they were able to send their kids to good schools. Jean Pierre said it best: “Educating our three kids is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. SAIP’s support has given us—and many others here—the chance to create a better future.”

Fuelling Commercial Growth

What is even more impressive is that SAIP’s impact goes beyond individual farmers and their families. In Nyanza District, I visited SOUK Ltd, a small commercial farming company, and was amazed by what I saw. By partnering with SAIP and using irrigation for steady watering and improved seeds, they have gone from one growing cycle per year to three!

“Growing year-round has tripled our income,” a director at SOUK Ltd shared. But that is not all—they have also created a new revenue stream by offering affordable irrigation maintenance services to local farmers.

Bountiful harvests, new homes, thriving businesses, educational opportunities—this is not just about farming. It is about hope, resilience, and building a brighter future for families and communities, one step at a time. As I left the green hills, I felt inspired by the limitless possibilities that arise when farmers have the tools to unlock their full potential.

What do you think? Are there other climate-smart innovations that could help farmers on this incredible journey toward resilience and prosperity? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Phase I of the $36.3 million worth Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project closed in August 2024. SAIP’s initiatives reached 46,000 farmer households, positively impacting rural communities nationwide and directly benefiting approximately 229,000 people.