On a bright Thursday morning in Rwanda’s Gatsibo District, a group of cheerful rice farmers gathered under the shade of a large tree, eager to share how a newly constructed feeder road has transformed their livelihoods.
The farmers, members of the Corimak Cooperative, welcomed a team of transport sector officials who were in the area to assess the quality of the roadworks and gauge their impact on rural communities.
“Before this feeder road, transport was a nightmare,” said Deo Ndayambaje, president of the Corimak Cooperative, which supports 1,300 farmers with 412 of them women living across the wetlands of Gatsibo. “Large trucks couldn’t climb the steep hills, so we had to hire smaller vehicles to get our harvests to the main road. It was costly and reduced our profits.”
Now, with improved access, farmers are reaping the benefits. The cooperative grows rice primarily, but members also cultivate maize and bananas on the surrounding hills. Among them is 68-year-old Godlive Mukanzingiye, a mother of 12.
“The road changed my life,” she said. “My children can now get to school more easily. I can transport my rice to the market and earn enough to qualify for bank loans.”
Gatsibo is one of 10 districts benefiting from Rwanda’s Feeder Roads Development Project, which aims to provide year-round access to agricultural markets. The project, jointly financed by the Government of Rwanda, the World Bank ($45 million IDA credit), USAID, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has completed 96% of its 720-kilometer target, with full completion expected by December 2025.
In Gatsibo alone, 83 kilometers of roads have been rehabilitated, benefiting an estimated 109,000 residents with 52% of them women. The construction work created 2,247 jobs, with women filling 43% of those positions. The upgraded roads also now connect 36 schools, 18 health centers, 11 markets, and 7 storage facilities.
Diane Uwimbabazi, a trader at one of the roadside markets
Unexpected benefits have also emerged. Previously burned as waste, rice straw is now collected and sold as mulch or cattle feeds. Farmers stack it along the roadside for easy pickup by trucks and motorcycles, creating a new revenue stream from agricultural byproducts.
The roads have also improved local commerce. In one of the newly constructed markets, trader Diane Uwimbabazi pointed to the difference. “Before, we sold our produce by the dusty roadside. Now, 70 women and four men trade under proper roofs with electricity and water,” she said. “We can extend our working hours from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and protect our goods from rain.”
Across all 10 districts, nearly 700 kilometers of feeder roads have been completed, impacting more than 1.6 million people. Transport costs have fallen, farmers have regained bargaining power with transporters, and perishable goods such as milk in Nyagatare that now reach markets in time, leading to higher incomes.
Still, the work is not finished. Not every farmer in Gatsibo has direct access to the new infrastructure.
“We see the difference clearly,” said Agatha Mushimiyimana, vice president of the Corimak Cooperative. “We hope the roads can be extended so that every member can benefit.”
After more than a decade in Rwanda’s transport sector, hearing the voices of the farmers firsthand was, for me, a powerful reminder: these roads are more than infrastructure as they are pathways to opportunity.
