With CDAT support, Muhongerwa was able to build a modern cowshed , a feed storage facility and a house to keep the milk ( Uruhimbi)

The Commercialization and De-Risking for Agricultural Transformation (CDAT) Project Matching Grant Scheme is transforming livelihoods for many farmers and livestock owners in Rwanda. This program has provided matching grants to 244 farmers mostly women and youth, worth noting that 95% of farmers supported through the scheme are women. 

One beneficiary, Muhongerwa Jeanne, a livestock farmer from Rwimbogo Sector in Gatsibo District and her husband, Munyaburanga Emmanuel, previously practiced traditional cattle farming. With 50 indigenous cows grazing across 30 hectares, the returns were modest—each cow produced only about 2 liters of milk per day.

Everything changed when Muhongerwa Jeanne, through Business Development Fund (BDF), received a CDAT Matching Grant worth 164 million RWF, of which she contributed 50% of the cost. With this support, she built a modern cowshed, established a 100-ton feed storage facility, a house to keep milk (Uruhimbi) and acquired 50 improved dairy cows—an investment that once seemed impossible.

Today, Muhongerwa Jeanne and her husband Emmanuel raise their herd of 50 improved dairy cows on just half a hectare of land. Each cow now produces up to 20 liters of milk per day. Their current daily yield stands at 200 liters, with a contract to supply Inyange Industries. Once all the cows calve, they project a production of 1,000 liters per day. As a result, their income has grown tenfold from 800 RWF to 8,000 RWF per cow per day.

Beyond their own success, the farm is creating wider impact. They have generated 15 permanent jobs, produce organic fertilizer surplus for local farmers, and are pursuing a vision to establish a fertilizer plant and a training school for women and youth in modern livestock farming.

From the heart of Rwimbogo, their story is a proof that modern farming is possible and rewarding even on small landholdings. With the right support, determination, and innovation, farmers can achieve higher yields, improved incomes, and sustainable growth.