Girinka: One Cow per Poor Family
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Programme type
Programme Details
Programme objectives
To reduce child malnutrition and increase incomes of poor farmers.
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. n.d. “One Cow Per Poor Family Program ‘Girinka’.”
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.minagri.gov.rw/index.php?id=28>.
Programme components
Rwandapedia. 2014. “Girinka.” Rwandapedia website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://rwandapedia.rw/explore/girinka>.
Start date
2006
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. n.d. “One Cow Per Poor Family Program ‘Girinka’.”
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.minagri.gov.rw/index.php?id=28>.
Coverage
More than 203,000 families have been reached by the programme.
The target coverage is 350,000 families by 2017.
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. n.d. “One Cow Per Poor Family Program ‘Girinka’.”
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.minagri.gov.rw/index.php?id=28>.
Programme expenditure
This programme had a budget of RWF2.7 billion in 2010.
International Fund for Agricultural Development. 2012. Republic of Rwanda -
Country Programme Evaluation. Rome: IFAD. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/public_html/eksyst/doc/country/pf/rwanda/2012/rwanda.pdf>.
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Community-Based Targeting
Rwandapedia. 2014. “Girinka.” Rwandapedia website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://rwandapedia.rw/explore/girinka>.
Targeted areas
Nationwide
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. n.d. “One Cow Per Poor Family Program ‘Girinka’.”
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.minagri.gov.rw/index.php?id=28>.
Target groups
Poor smallholder farmers
Eligibility criteria
Beneficiaries must not already own a cow, must have constructed a
cow shed, have at least 0.25–0.75 hectares of land (some of which
must be planted with fodder), be considered poor and an Inyangamugayo
(person of integrity) by the community and have no other source of
income. Beneficiaries who do not have enough land individually may join
with others in the community to build a common cow shed (ibikumba)
for their cows. Priority is given to female-headed households.
Rwandapedia. 2014. “Girinka.” Rwandapedia website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://rwandapedia.rw/explore/girinka>.
Coverage and other information
Type of benefits
Cows
Amount of benefits
Beneficiary families receive one cow.
Rwandapedia. 2014. “Girinka.” Rwandapedia website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://rwandapedia.rw/explore/girinka>.
Benefit delivery mechanism
The cows distributed via this programme are purchased locally,
preferably from former Girinka beneficiaries whose originally granted
cows have calved down more than once. The delivery process is
facilitated by the government via the RAB.
Rwandapedia. 2014. “Girinka.” Rwandapedia website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://rwandapedia.rw/explore/girinka>.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
Monitoring is conducted by the government via primary support
such as daily follow-ups performed by veterinary officers.
Ingabire, C. n.d. “Study: Strengthening Stakeholder Ownership through Capacity Development Case
story Rwanda.” Africa Platform for Development Effectiveness website. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.africa-platform.org/sites/default/files/resources/cd_case_story_rwanda_that_has_transformed_
the_lives_of_the_poor_rwandans.pdf>.
