Putting Children First: Identifying solutions and taking action to tackle poverty and inequality in Africa. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23-25 October 2017 This three-day international conference aimed to engage policy makers, practitioners and researchers in identifying solutions for fighting child poverty and inequality in Africa, and in inspiring action towards change. The conference offered a platform for bridging divides across sectors, disciplines and policy, practice and research.

1. IMPACT OF VISION2020 UMURENGE
PROGRAMME ON CHILD WELL-BEING IN
RWANDA
Francesca MUJAWASE
International Labour Office
Kigali- Rwanda
Addis Ababa, October 23, 2017

2. Starting Points
• Social protection floor and children
• Social protection is a priority for the government
- EDPRS 1& 2 and the current NST 1
• Child sensitive social protection programmes

3. Rwandan Social Protection Framework
Social Protection Programme Programme Components and Benefits
I. Vision2020 Umurenge
Programme (VUP)
 VUP Direct Support
 VUP Public Works
 VUP Financial services
 Nutritional Support Programme for Children under
5
II. Fund for Genocide Survivors
(FARG)
 Education Support
 Health Insurance
 Housing Assistance
 Financial Support
III. Fund for demobilized and
integration of EX-FAR soldiers
(RDRC)
 Health insurance
 Housing
 Monthly allowances
 Training and Start-up kits
IV. Social Insurance Scheme  Social security (Pensions)
 Health insurance for civil servants and the military
 Maternity Leave Benefits
V. Complementary Social
Protection Intervention
 Universal health insurance “Mutuelle de Sante”
 Universal primary education (9 – 12 Years basic
Education)
 One cow per poor family programme
 Support for orphans and vulnerable children
(OVC)
 Support for the physically disabled

4. VISION2020 UMURENGE
PROGRAMME (VUP)
• VUP is a government initiative that seek to instigate
changes in poverty reduction
• It is a flagship under the EDPRS 1 &2 and the current
(NST 1)
• The programme is organized around three components
• The government spend around 45 Bn Rwf per year on
social protection programme

5. Public Spending on VUP by Programme
Component
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Budget in
Millions
Financial
Year
Direct Support Public Works Financial Services

6. Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme
Indicator Matrix
Social
Protection
Category
Benefit
Type
Number of
Beneficiaries
(2008-2015)
Level of Benefit Target Group Budget in
(Millions
Rwf)
(2008-2015)
Vision 2020
Umurenge
Programme
Direct
support
161,867 Cash transfer to the
poorest Households
Extremely poor
(classified as Ubudehe
1) and unable to work
20,336
Public
Works
452,610 Wages (cash for
work) to members of
poor households
Extremely poor
(classified as Ubudehe 1
or 2), but are able to
work
22,736
Financial
services
220,674 Facilitates the
provision of financial
services (savings,
credit) and training
for the poor
Covers various
Ubudehe categories,
but inclusion of lower
Ubudehe categories is
strongly encouraged
11,182

7. Nutrition Support Programme (NSP)
• The NSP is a complementary programme of the three
VUP components
• Every child who is under five years receives half a liter of
milk per day
• The government spends around 3 billion Rwf per annum
• The programme has reached so far to 24,000 children
• The project has been ongoing for the last three years

8. The Problem that needs a solution
• A young population
• High levels of dependency
• High rates of poverty among children
• Scattered child social protection programmes

9. Typical Child Vulnerabilities in Rwanda
• Incidence of child poverty (2014)
- 16.4% Extreme poverty
- 22.8% Relative poverty
- 60.8% Non poor
• Under-five mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)
- 182/1000 in 2000
- 42/1000 in 2016
• Infant mortality rate (probability of dying between birth and age 1 per
1000 live births) (2016)
- 108/1000 in 2000
- 31/1000 in 2016
Food and Nutrition (2007-2014)
• Children under 5 years underweight (%) 11.7%
• Children under 5 years stunted (%) 44.3%
• Children under 5 years wasted (%) 3.0%
• Children under 5 years overweight (%) 7%

10. Typical Child Vulnerabilities in Rwanda
Cont’
• High number of Orphans
- In Rwanda 10% of children less than 18 years lost one
parent while 1% lost both parents
- Majority of single and double orphans are found in wealth
Ubudehe categories
- 0.6% of household head in VUP less than 21 years

11. Demographic Characteristics Of VUP
Household Participants by VUP Component
Rwanda All VUP
Direct
Support
Public
Works
Financial
Services
Mean HH Size 4.6 4.2 3.1 5 5.5
Mean No of HH members by Age
0-4 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.7 0.7
5-21' 1.9 1.8 1.2 2.1 2.5
21-59 1.8 1.4 0.7 1.9 2.1
60+ 0.2 0.5 0.9 0.3 0.2
Mean Proportion of
Dependants per HH
42 53 62.1 43.1 45.1
HH containing
Members with
disability
15.8 32.2 50.2 13.9 17.6

12. Access to Facilities
Time to the nearest Facility in
Minutes – Mean of children 0-4
Use of Amenities for Individuals
aged between 0-4
57.5
13.8
63.1
27.2
52.2
7.6
57.6
25.7
Market
Main road
Health centre
Primary school
2011 2014
10.1
73.4
74.6
19
83.3
83.4
Electricity as main light source
Improved water source
Improved sanitation
2011 2014

13. Percentage of VUP Participating HHs with
Assets by VUP Component
Rwanda VUP
Direct
Support
Public
Works
Financial
Services
Durable Goods
Mobile Phone 63.6 43.3 24.1 49.2 69.3
TV 9.9 1.5 0.2 1 3.9
Radio 59.8 45 31.9 47.5 65.7
LivestockandLand
FarmLand 89.3 96.9 95.6 97.9 98.3
Livestock/Poultry 64.5 74.6 72.7 67.5 82.5

14. Impact of VUP Programme on the lives of
Children
• Consumption of food
- Significant improvements in food intake, i.e. in the number
of meals consumed per day (from 1 to 3 meals)
• Access to Health Insurance
- 78.9% of VUP beneficiaries are enrolled on CHBI
• Access to Education
- 87.2% of children are enrolled in primary school
- While only 21.3% enroll in secondary education

15. Impact of VUP Programme on the lives of
Children Cont’
• Care for Children
- The cash transfers improve carers’ abilities to provide for
children’s basic needs
• Family Reunification
- Return of children in their homes
• Incentive to foster care for children
• Livestock Keeping

16. New Initiatives under VUP
• VUP Household Profiling – identify child vulnerabilities
• Piloting Minimum package – graduation
• Creating synergies between social protection and
agriculture – A new approach from Protecting to
Production
• Gender dimensions under VUP programs

17. Other Child Protection Programs
• Early childhood development programme
• One cup of milk per child in primary schools
• Summary
- VUP plays a vital role in contributing to child well-being in
households that benefit from VUP programmes. The
correlation demonstrated however is highly visible at
household level

18. Recommendations
• Develop a concept case of child multidimensional poverty status in
Rwanda to design child programs based on the existing child
vulnerabilities
• Advocate for households with children under five living in Ubudehe
category 1 to be a consideration for the amount of cash transfer
entitled to the household
• Expansion and rolling out child social protection programmes in particular the
one cup of milk per child in schools
• Assess effectiveness of the nutrition support programme under VUP to justify
programme scale up
• Ensure increased coherence between social protection and agriculture
(Established at policy level, program, integration and implementation)

19. Thanks You
Francisca Mujawase
fmujawase@gmail.com
International Labour Office
Avenue de l’armee
BP 445
Kigali-Rwanda