The support from Good Gifts through the Charities Advisory Trust continues to be transformative for thousands of genocide survivors and their dependents across Rwanda. The impact of the funding from Good Gifts is enabling SURF and its local partner organisations to respond to the needs of the genocide survivors, and in most cases enabling them and members of their household to generate an income that delivers a sustainable impact far beyond the period of the grants. This is leading our partner organisations and the survivors supported through the programme to become more independent and self-sufficient.

This is one of a series of posts we will be publishing of the impact of the gifts, with a link to the specific gift which enabled us to make this support possible.

Beekeeping

Ufitikirezi Evariste is 52 years old, and a survivor of the genocide. He is married with five children, and he lives in Rwanda’s Southern Province in Muhanga District.

In 2018, Ufitikirezi started a beekeeping (income-generating) project to feed his family. He started this project with 1 beehive.

Through Good Gifts support, Ufitikirezi purchased a honey processing machine. Ufitikirezi said, “I am very thankful to the support you have given me. Before receiving this support, it was very hard to get honey easily, but this machine will help me to get honey on time. Honey is being used by many people and we have market everywhere to the extent [that] we cannot satisfy the demand.”

One kilogram of honey costs £6. Ufitikirezi’s project is helping him to pay school fees for his children and health insurance for his family. Also, Ufitikirezi has built a new home. His main production challenge is having money to buy additional materials for larger-scale, honey harvesting. Presently, he has 80 beehives. Next, he would like to have 200 beehives, which would generate an annual income of over £800.

You can buy 2 bee hives plus tools and training here.