Outline of the Project

Project Name

The Skills Training for the Reintegration of Demobilised Soldiers with Disabilities

Country

Rwanda

Project Site

Kigali and Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Provinces

Project Duration

3 years from 26th Dec 2005 to 25th Dec 2008

Implementing Organization

Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission(RDRC), Skills Training Centres

Project Background

After the long standing civil wars and the genocide occurred in Rwanda in 1994, the demobilisation of Armed Group (AG) that flowed out to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the promotion of their return as well as downsizing the distended Rwanda Patriotism Army (RPA: it was renamed to Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) after 2002) to the appropriate size were imperious problems in Rwanda.The Rwanda government set up Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), receiving the support from partners e.g. World Bank, and began the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Program (RDRP) in 1997. RDRP conducted the demobilisation from 3 groups namely RDF, Forces Armees Rwandaises (FAR: soldiers of the former government before 1994) and AG, and demobilised 33,945 soldiers by the end of 2004. Support to the demobilised soldiers with disabilities is limited to the medical treatment support and the provision of the rehabilitation orthosis, and the technical training to achieve the reintegration is not included. The organization providing the technical training to persons with disabilities is limited in Rwanda, and demobilised soldiers with disabilities face the social and economic restrictions in their reintegration. Most of them do not have the means of livelihood and moreover, they express the dissatisfaction to the government that doesn't care for wounded ex-combatants.The report from RDRC mentions that although it is not easy for demobilised soldiers with disabilities to find employment as the unemployment rate is high in Rwanda, the acquisition of skills is effective upon their participation into the society, the development of self-confidence and the creation of income generating opportunity other than agriculture. Under such a situation, the Japanese Government that received the request from the Rwandan government dispatched a short-term expert from April to June of 2005, executed a preliminary evaluation study, and started up the technical assistance.

Project Purpose

Project Purpose :Expertise to reintegrate DSwDs into communities through skills trainings is strengthened and shared among RDRC and STCs.

Project Goal

The economic and social self-support of Demobilised Soldiers with Disabilities (DSwDs) is promoted by government institutions concerned with skills training of DSwDs and Skills Training Centres (STCs).

Outputs

1. STC's capacity to accept Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) is strengthened.
2. DSwDs acquire vocational skills.
3. A system to accumulate, analyze and utilize information on STCs and DSwDs is developed for improvement of skills training for DSwDs.

Project Activities

Input Summary by Japanese Side

• Long-term expert: Project Coordinator (one person)
• Short-term experts: ToT trainers from neighbouring countries
• Project expenses
• Equipment: Barrier-free renovations in STCs