To alleviate poverty and support capacity building projects, encouraging self reliance and education.
The Rwanda Development Trust was set up in 1994 after the disastrous events that occurred in Central Africa that year. Although immediate help was given to the refugees massed in Goma (D.R. Congo), and other areas outside Rwanda, little was provided for the 5 million or so left in the country and whose original suffering was never given a high profile. The need to support Rwandese in rebuilding th
eir country is apparent. The Trustees felt that they needed to establish a channel whereby people could contribute towards projects within Rwanda. The trust assists locally initiated projects which are likely to bring lasting benefit to Rwandese communities. Its main aim is to support self-help activities which can overcome problems caused by ethnic tension, poverty and the resulting instability. The assistance given by the Trust ranges from the purchasing of necessary items for the efficient running of Rwandese based ventures, to the lodging of applications for funding these activities by other, larger charities. In 1995, RDT applied to Comic Relief for a grant on behalf of the Widows of Genocide Association, AVEGA-Agahozo. The plan was to support groups of widows in starting income generating schemes. The successful application has now led to a greater willingness by other NGOs to support AVEGA. RDT has since obtained a further grant for AVEGA, this time from the Community Fund.
