Field Trips

In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the Ministry for Youth and ICTs, and Rwanda Telecentre Network a range of field trips allowing delegates to experience ICTs in action in the domain of agriculture are organized. All field trips take place on Thursday November 8. Buses depart from Serena Hotel at 8:00am with a 28-person maximum capacity for each site.

Field Trip 1 (Kigali City): Kigali Commercial Zone and Kigali Genocide Memorial Site

  • rwanda genocide memorialKigali Commercial Zone: ICT is used in grain storage in silos mainly as a step-by-step activity for balancing the produce that enters the silo to the silo management and storage. The entire process is remotely controlled with the use of ICTs.
  • Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre: In 1994, Rwanda experienced genocide against Tutsi where more than one million Rwandan - Tutsi were killed. The Kigali Genocide Memorial centre is a historical centre where 250,000 bodies are buried. A visit to the site enables participants to see and learn about this history.

Field Trip 2 (Kigali City): Hackathon Group/Telecom House – CICA – Kigali Genocide Memorial Site

  • Hackathon Group/Telecom house: The visit will enable the visitors to see how developers are working in the Hackathon competition and offer them the chance to interact, ask questions or provide advice.
  • Agricultural Information and Communication Centre (CICA): The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) has developed an agricultural information centre, including an ICT department, with the objective of collecting, processing, adapting, storing, sharing and disseminating agricultural information. The centre is linked to the Community Innovation Centres (CCI) and Business Development Centres (BDC), therefore the tools are also available in rural/decentralised areas. The visit will show how this works.
  • Kigali Genocide Memorial Site

Field Trip 3 (Eastern Province): RTN Nyamata – Rurambi Irrigation Scheme and Silo – Nyamata Genocide Memorial Site

RTN - Nyamata: Rwanda Telecentre Network (RTN) facilitates capacity building and acquirement of basic ICT skills and access to ICT services through telecentres for farmers’ cooperatives and organizations.

  • Mwogo – Rurambi Marshland Irrigation Scheme and Silo: Mwogo – Rurambi marshland irrigation scheme is 1000ha irrigation system with electric – automatic pumping on both irrigation and drainage. During this visit a silo of 6.000 tones, using ICT step by step, will also be visited. Both are located 50 KM from KigaliNyamata Genocide Memorial Site

Field Trip 4 (Southern Province): Huguka Radio - Rugeramigozi Marshland Plot Mapping – Kinazi Cassava Processing Plant – Kamonyi Genocide Memorial Site

  • Huguka Radio: an agricultural and rural development radio station located 49KM from Kigali.
    • Rugeramigozi Marshland Plot Mapping: A rice plantation in a marshland, located in the southern province, 49 km from Kigali City, where ICT has been used for plot mapping and for distribution of information to farmers.
    • Kinazi Cassava Processing Plant: The factoryis using ICTs for processing cassava produced in a surrounding area.
    • Kamonyi Genocide Memorial Site

Field Trip 5 (Southern Province): Gisagara Business Centre – Smart Village Gisagara – Weather Station – National Muséum (Huye)

  • Gisagara Business Centre: Provides similar services to CICA.
  • Gisagara Weather Station: MINAGRI has put in place an agricultural insurance programme, insuring farmers against dry weather and excess rain. A weather station that captures information related to the weather events is in place, providing insurance companies with accurate weather information.
  • Smart Village Gisagara: A project of the government of Rwanda at village level at the disposal of all citizens located in the rural area. Among the ICT tools offered, many are related to the agricultural sector such as Tunga TV (enabling citizens to own television sets).
  • National Museum (Huye)

Field Trip 6(Eastern Province): Cyunuzi Marshland Irrigation Scheme– CCI Gatore – Nyarubuye Genocide Memorial Site

  • Cyunuzi Marshaland Irrigation Scheme: This is a marshland with a rice intensification irrigation system driven by ICTs. The farmers benefiting from this marshland system increase yields from 4 tons of rice per ha to 7 tons per ha. It is located 133km from Kigali.
    • CCI Gatore: A Community Innovation Centre located in the Eastern province that has enabled farmers to create their own blogs to market their production and communicate their information.
    • Nyarubuye Genocide Memorial Site

Field Trip 7 (Northern Province): Gicumbi – Terracing Gicumbi – Girinka Success Story – Kigali Memorial Site

  • Gicumbi: An individual initiative where university staff (IPB) link with farmers to provide knowledge and farming practical solutions, comprising:
  1. A centre helping farmers, extension workers, cooperatives, young graduates in rural development and agricultural sciences to develop their knowledge in agricultural development process implementation.
  2. Demonstration plots: farmer field schools and demonstration plots using latest technology to increase tree tomato and Irish potato production
  • Terracing Gicumbi: Gicumbi District is a hilly district where terracing has had a positive impact on production of wheat and Irish potatoes.
  • Girinka Success Story: The one cow per poor family programme, known as “GIRINKA”, was initiated by H.E. President Paul Kagame with great impact on economic development. A visit to one of the farmers that benefited from this programme and is now using ICT tools in agriculture.
  • Kigali Genocide Memorial Site

Field Trip 8 (Northern Province): Gakenke (Smart Village) – Gakenke Telecentre – Jean Claude Ruzibiza (Farmer of Rulindo using ICT) – Sina Gerard

  • Gakenke (Smart Village): as described in field visit (5), the village is a project that the government of Rwanda has put at the disposal of all citizens located in the rural area. Among ICT tools available there are those related to agricultural sector such as Tunga TV and other related IT services. It is located 55km from Kigali.
    • Gakenke Telecentre Jean Claude Ruzibiza: A farmer using ICT to keep his records and monitor his activities (agriculture and livestock) vis-à-vis the plan and targets.
    • Etse Urwibitso: Urwibitso is a company owned by SINA Gérard, a farmer, using ICT for the agro-processing of passion fruit, bananas, strawberries, peppers, and for producing juices, banana wine, jam etc.

 

Field Trip 9 (Kigali City): The East Africa Exchange (EAX)

  • Based in Kigali, Rwanda, EAX is the first leg of a regional commodities exchange platform, which was established to provide global market access to local farmers through proven technology. This visit will enable visitors to take of tour of the exchange, get trained on the NASDAQ X-stream OMX platform, participate in a live electronic commodity trade (bidding via Skype), ask questions and network with industry players.
  • Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre: In 1994, Rwanda experienced genocide against Tutsi where more than one million Rwandan - Tutsi were killed. The Kigali Genocide Memorial centre is a historical centre where 250,000 bodies are buried. A visit to the site enables participants to see and learn about this history.