The reflection session which took place on Friday 18th February 2022 at Kigali Convention Centre, was held under the theme, “Celebrating four decades of Oxfam’s work in Rwanda.”
For the past four decades, Oxfam has been working to support Rwanda’s development efforts through implementing humanitarian response, reconstruction, gender justice, participatory governance and sustainable livelihoods programmes.
Oxfam’s core mission in Rwanda evolved through the years but remained focused on fighting poverty and inequality while ensuring that poor women, men, and youth it served enjoy equal rights and benefit from fair and inclusive development.
The reflection session gathered various stakeholders including public institutions which continue to work with Oxfam closely, local organizations who have been implementing Oxfam’s programmes on the ground, International Organizations, private businesses and enterprises, faith-based organizations, and selected members of the communities that Oxfam has been serving.
The Executive Director of Oxfam International, Ms. Gabriela Bucher who attended the reflection session virtually mentioned: “I believe most of you know that from April 2022, Oxfam’s presence in Rwanda will reduce significantly as we will relocate our offices to be hosted by a local organization while we significantly downsize our staff. Despite this, we have committed to ensure that we honor and follow through our commitments to donors as well as to communities we serve.”
In her speech, the Regional Director of Oxfam for Horn, East and Central Africa region, Ms. Parvin Ngala, said: “You have proved that Oxfam’s vision and values can be shared, and we are indeed not working alone. Together we are stronger, and we can make poverty and inequality stories of the past for the younger generations.”
As requested by Oxfam’s regional director, participants to the reflection session committed to continue supporting the linear team of Oxfam staff which will remain on the ground ensuring continuation of projects’ implementation between 2022 and 2025. This team will be implementing five projects and will be housed in the premises of a local organisation starting April 2022.
Oxfam believes that although it is closing in Rwanda, the fight against poverty and inequality continues as the country recovers from the global pandemic as well as its effects on the economy.
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