Rwanda

GIZ local staff

National employees: 157
International employees: 67
Development workers: 18
Integrated experts: 2

_{(as at: 31.12.2022)}  

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Rwanda for more than 40 years and has an office in the capital Kigali.

The impact of the 1994 genocide is still felt today in Rwanda. Nevertheless, the country has achieved considerable progress in recent years. Stability, security, steady economic growth and low levels of corruption are some of the key successes. The country is also regarded as a pioneer in Africa in environmental protection and climate action, digitalisation and gender equality.

Rwanda’s economy is growing, but there is a lack of jobs, so the country has been unable to reduce poverty further since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also severely affected by climate change. Flooding in valleys, landslides on the numerous slopes and droughts are all on the rise. Other challenges include the poor quality of education and inadequate public services, particularly in rural areas. Rwanda thus continues to be heavily dependent on international support.

GIZ works in Rwanda primarily on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Cooperation focuses on the following areas:

• Sustainable economic development
• Good governance
• Climate and energy

Work in the field of sustainable economic development is designed to reduce unemployment and underemployment and to create better paid jobs. To achieve these goals, GIZ is making companies more competitive, for example through product certification, and enhancing the quality of vocational training and its relevance to the labour market. In addition, GIZ provides advice on developing the local pharmaceuticals industry, including the production of vaccines.

In the area of good governance, GIZ is assisting the country in improving its local authorities. The aim is to make local services more efficient, needs-based and transparent. Selected civil society organisations also receive advice and financial support to develop their expertise and organisational skills.

In the field of climate action, GIZ is assisting in implementing Rwanda’s Nationally Determined Contributions; it also advises ministries and the private sector on climate change adaptation and mitigation and on green finance. At the same time, it is supporting companies in using renewable energies and in introducing a climate-sensitive circular economy in the waste sector.

In addition, Rwanda is taking steps to become a digital-based knowledge and service society. In this context, GIZ is supporting digitalisation of the administration, promoting start-ups, cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence and providing training for particularly marginalised population groups using digital knowledge. The Digital Transformation Center Rwanda is a key competence hub in this area.