Civics and Governance
Primary 6 · Social and Religious Studies
Civics and Governance
Lesson 2 of 5
15 min
It is the last Saturday of the month. At eight o'clock, Niyonzima looks out of the window and sees his neighbours walking up the road with hoes and spades. His mother, the village teacher and the shopkeeper are all there. "Where is everyone going?" he asks. "To umuganda," says his father. "Today we are repairing the road to the health centre."
A home-grown solution is a way of solving problems that Rwandans built from their own culture, values and history. After 1994, Rwanda had to rebuild almost everything. Instead of only copying ideas from other countries, it brought back and improved good practices from its own past.
| Home-grown solution | What it is | How it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Umuganda | Community work on the last Saturday of every month, from 8:00 to 11:00, for adults aged 18 to 65. | Roads, terraces, trees, classrooms and houses for people in need are built by the community, followed by a community meeting. |
| Girinka ("May you have a cow") | The One Cow per Poor Family programme, started in 2006. | A poor family receives a cow for milk and manure. It gives the first female calf to another poor family, so the gift keeps growing. |
| Ubudehe | The old Rwandan practice of working together and helping one another to solve problems in the community. | Communities plan together and support their poorest members. |
| Abunzi | Committees of trusted, elected volunteers (mediators) in every cell and sector. | They help neighbours settle disputes peacefully, close to home, without an expensive trip to court. |
| Imihigo | Performance contracts, first signed in 2006. | Leaders promise clear targets (for example, a number of new classrooms) and are checked each year. Families can make imihigo too. |
| Umushyikirano | The National Dialogue Council, first held in 2003 and usually held once a year. | Citizens question national leaders face to face, by phone or online, and agree on solutions. |
| Gacaca | Community courts that tried cases of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and closed in 2012. | They brought justice close to communities and helped people tell the truth and rebuild trust. |
The Constitution of Rwanda lists the principles that guide the whole country. In simple words, Rwanda promises to:
Tip
One line for each: Umuganda = hands together. Girinka = a gift passed on. Abunzi = peacemakers next door. Imihigo = promises kept. Umushyikirano = leaders listen.
Answer: On the last Saturday of every month, from 8:00 to 11:00.
Answer: It gives the calf to another poor family.
Answer: Abunzi, the mediation committee.
Answer: 30%.
Answer: Answers vary, for example neighbours carrying stones together during umuganda.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The list of home-grown solutions was checked against the Rwanda Governance Board (https://www.rgb.rw/1/home-grown-solutions, link only, no text copied). The principles are summarised from the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda (2003, revised 2015). The rest of the lesson is written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each home-grown solution to what it does.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
