ReGenerate Rwanda
ReGenerate Rwanda works to boost incomes, address the unmet demand for essential products and services, and deliver environmental benefits.
The Opportunity
Western and Southern Rwanda represent the regions of the country with the highest rates of poverty, with 49% and 58% of households, respectively, falling into the poor or poorest categories—well above the national average of 40%. These provinces suffer from acute food insecurity, exacerbated by severe land shortages and a heavy reliance on casual agricultural labor. Environmental degradation further threatens local livelihoods; poor agricultural practices have led to soil erosion on 88% of surveyed plots, causing an estimated 3.5% annual loss in agricultural GDP.
Women and youth in these rural areas face systemic barriers that limit their economic autonomy. Female-headed households are significantly more likely to be food-insecure, and rural women often lack access to the collateral required for formal credit. Additionally, Rwandan youth frequently work fewer than 35 hours per week, facing widespread underemployment and a perceived lack of future options. This intersection of poverty, gender inequality, and climate vulnerability presents a critical opportunity to introduce regenerative business models that restore the landscape while creating sustainable income streams.
The Strategy
ReGenerate Rwanda employs a market systems development approach the program focuses on identifying, catalyzing, and scaling systemic solutions. The program collaborates with private-sector partners to develop business solutions that address the unmet demand for essential products and services in the target geographies. It prioritizes inclusivity by integrating women and youth as key drivers of this transformative growth and supports the transition to regenerative economic models. By targeting the needs of the most remote and vulnerable households, the program seeks to foster new local business opportunities and job creation.
The program implementation follows a structured progression:
- A six-month Inception Phase for market scoping
- An 18-month Piloting Phase to test interventions
- A final Scale-up Phase to crowd in additional market players.
To achieve its goals, ReGenerate Rwanda’s strategy is structured around three key verticals: trade, access to finance, and skills development. These verticals were carefully selected for their potential to stimulate the rural agricultural economy and generate scalable off-farm employment opportunities, particularly for women and youth. Recognizing the investment constraints faced by private companies when expanding into rural areas, ReGenerate Rwanda mitigates risk and fosters growth through a co-investment approach. We partner with businesses committed to rural expansion, employing a cost-effective, inclusive agent model.
This model, designed to be replicable and scalable, not only benefits participating companies but also empowers local communities, thereby demonstrating market potential and creating commercially viable opportunities.
Results
ReGenerate Rwanda aims to achieve the following long-term outcomes for 30,000 with a strong focus on empowering women and youth (70% of beneficiaries):
- Improved access to markets and resources: Rural farmers have sustained access to essential products, services, and reliable markets, leading to increased productivity, higher incomes, and greater economic resilience.
- Inclusive and trusted financial systems: Women and youth are fully included in the financial system, with access to appropriate financial products, improved financial literacy, and increased trust in financial service providers.
- Strengthened workforce skills and employment opportunities: A skilled and qualified workforce—particularly in green and future-oriented skills—is developed, expanding off-farm employment opportunities and supporting sustainable economic growth.
As of early 2025, the program has moved into the implementation phase, with more than 15 completed, live, or pipeline partnerships currently active across its prioritized sectors. Ongoing initiatives include collaborative efforts with financial institutions to develop loan products for smallholder farmers and partnerships with exporters to scale organic agricultural inputs.
Environmental Integration in Partnerships
All partnerships incorporate a regenerative approach to minimize environmental risks and leverage opportunities, aiming to increase jobs and incomes for women and youth at scale.
ReGenerate Impact Pathways
- Climate risk awareness and reduction: Enhancing awareness and adaptive actions to mitigate climate risks, improving business performance.
- Circularity and efficiency: Promoting circular practices to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and create jobs while minimizing environmental impact.
- Regenerative goods and services: Supporting green businesses to enhance financial performance, expand green jobs, and increase availability of regenerative products.
- Climate resilience: Strengthening resilience to climate shocks through access to credit, insurance, and diverse income sources, particularly benefiting women and youth.
