Empowering Communities: A Journey Through RDIS's Sustainable Development Projects

1. Improved Cook Stoves Project 1: Since 2017, RDIS has distributed 6,397 improved cook stoves to households in Rwanda. These stoves use only 30% of the firewood compared to traditional stoves, saving families on fuel costs and reducing smoke exposure, leading to a decrease in eye and respiratory diseases. As of 2023, an estimated 31,985 people in Rwanda are benefiting from these stoves and have saved emission of more than 36,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide.

Main Sponsor: Bread for the World

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action)

2. Improved Cook Stoves Project 2: RDIS, in partnership with CANOPY ENERGIES SAS, plans to distribute 50,000 Improved Cook Stoves to all eligible households in the Rusizi district in Western Rwanda over the next 2 years. This project should prevent the emission of 700,000 tCO2eq over the next 7 years.

Sponsor: Canopy Energies SAS

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action)

3. Climate-Smart Agriculture Project in Rusizi and Kamonyi Districts (CSA): The project aims to help Rwandans mitigate the impacts of climate change and increase farmers' production. Developed and implemented by the RDIS organization together with two dioceses of the Anglican church of Rwanda, Shyogwe and Cyangugu. The project's success is manifested by the successful introduction of solar-powered irrigation farming and greenhouse technologies, the offering of practical training, and the dissemination of project materials.

Sponsor: United Evangelical Mission (UEM)

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land)

4. Tree nursery project: Environmental conservation in Western and Southern Provinces of Rwanda: For many years RDIS has been collaborating with government leadership especially at the local level in the establishment, running, and managing nursery beds, which reach nearly half of the population of Rwanda from Gitarama (RDIS headquarter) to Cyangugu, i.e., in the Southern and Western Provinces. The overall goal of the project is to have an environmentally friendly, ecologically stable, and economically flourishing Rwanda for the benefit of the people of Rwanda. So far, over 1,350,000 tree seedlings have been distributed and planted with an average survival rate of 98%. Thus, from 2015 to 2022 alone, RDIS has been able to restore about 1,498 hectares of land in Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts.

Main Sponsor: Rwanda Action

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land)

5. House Building Project for Vulnerable Families: For many years RDIS is implementing a project for building homes for vulnerable families in Rwanda in support of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The project targets SDGs on these specific aspects: Adequate and affordable housing leads to benefits in health, education, and economic opportunities.

Sponsors: St Paul’s Anglican Church in Edmonton Alberta –Canada , EAR Churches, Local Governments

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

6. Solar Home Systems Project: RDIS, in collaboration with the Anglican Church of Rwanda (EAR) and Eglise Presbyterienne au Rwanda (EPR), is implementing a project for supplying ‘Solar Home Systems’ in Off-grid areas in their respective Churches.

Sponsors: United Evangelical Mission (UEM), One-for-the-Climate (OFTC)

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action)

7. Waste Management Project: RDIS implemented a pilot phase of “Waste Management Project” in Rwanda to improve waste management practices through a participatory process where all key stakeholders contribute to developing and implementing actions to reduce domestic waste through practical, cost-effective, and sustainable methods. Currently, RDIS is looking for partners to upscale the project.

Sponsor: United Evangelical Mission (UEM)
Technological partner: Hündgen Entsorgungs GmbH & Co. KG

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

8. Church and Community Transformation (CCT) programme: RDIS implemented this project successfully for many years until 2022. This approach is used by some development agents to mobilize church and community members in the fight against poverty using the resources at their disposal. The programme intends to help churches and communities to achieve material, spiritual, social, and economic transformation through mind-set change, change in the way of thinking and doing things.

Sponsor: Tearfund UK through its partners

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

9. Project for Promoting Pineapple Cultivation and Processing in Rwanda:

The "Pineapple Chain Value Department" project by the RDIS is promoting pineapple cultivation and processing in the Shyogwe Diocese for community development. This project, which was initially funded by ICCO Kerk in Actie, includes distributing pineapple seedlings, providing cows for organic fertilizer production, and capacity building in cooperative education and activity planning. Despite challenges like limited land and financial resources, the project has shown promising results, with the community's contribution exceeding expectations and the initiative expanding at the family level.

Sponsors: ICCO Kerk in Actie, Oxfam in Rwanda

Complemented SDGs**: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), DG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)