Analyzing the contribution of higher learning institutions on rural development in Rwanda: case of the study SPREAD-NUR and Abahuzamugambi Coffee Cooperative Maraba

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1. General introduction

Rural areas are facing major challenges today which arise mainly from globalisation, demographic change and the rural migration of young, well-trained people. Policies for rural areas aim to contribute to recognising and making use of strengths and opportunities. (Taylor P and J Fransman, 2004).

Rural Planning in Rwanda aims to assist local stakeholders to use information for managing their natural resources by providing methods, tools, documented examples, and principles (or insights) that would help bring about successful planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Land-use administrations, institutions, and stakeholder groups can use planning, monitoring, and evaluation as mechanisms for rural development. Scientists and information providers can use them as entry points into development.

More than 79.8% of Rwanda's population are to be found in rural areas where hunger, literacy and low school achievement are common. Education for a large number of people in rural areas is crucial for achieving sustainable development in rural areas of Rwanda. Poverty education strategies are now placing emphasis on rural development that encompasses all those who live in rural areas (World Bank, 2008).

Rapidly changing technologies and increasing globalization also suggest that better education and training have become essential for sustainable livelihoods and rural economy competitiveness (FAO/UNESCO Seminar, 5-7 November 2002)

In 1997, the Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management (KIST) was formed in Rwanda to address the serious loss of professional manpower. In 2005 it was awarded the Ashden Award for sustainable Energy for the large scale innovative implementation and use of Biogas System within the Rwandan Prisons ( http://ivorhartmsnn.blogspot.com/2007/12/human-biogas-solution-whose-time-has.html accessed on 19 September 2010).

Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) is promoting Distance Learning, and the Ministry of Education believes that the promotion of Distance Leaning Policy Statement on teacher training and Management will set a clear road map for professionalizing the teaching profession in Rwanda and help to raise the status of teachers both economically and socially. The Ministry also believes that efforts to improve teachers' capabilities to inculcate the right kind of values attitudes and skills that will enable the children to become productive citizens, will translate into real investment in the national development context (Republic of Rwanda, Ministry of Education, 2007).

Nowadays, the approach followed by policy-makers and education specialists in developing Countries is to focus on practical and occupational agriculture skill training provided mainly at the secondary and tertiary levels. Yet, in an environment increasingly shaped by non-farming activities linked to farming activities, and in policy context dominated by the poverty reduction agenda through the development of commercial farming or cash-crops; education for rural development requires a holistic approach going beyond the narrow boundaries of the traditional agricultural education and training concept (Faustine K.Bee, 2001)

It is in this case that SPREAD in collaboration with National University of Rwanda has created a partnership to monitor ABAHUZAMUGAMBI Cooperative of MARABA coffee producer; The main objectives are to promote MARABA Coffee on international level by providing methods, tools, documented examples, and principles (or insights) to the producer of MARABA coffee that would help bring about successful planning, monitoring, and evaluation while improving the value added of MARABA coffee, promoting social wellbeing of MARABA coffee producer and targeting rural development.