TerraFund for AFR100 Landscapes
Rwanda Celebration & Onboarding
January 17-19, 2024 | Hill View Hotel | Rubavu District, Rwanda
Workshop Agenda
The Onboarding Presentations are Linked in Blue Below:
Celebration & Communications Workshop | January 17
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Welcome and Introduction of Participants - Moderator: Peter Ntaganda, Landscape Manager, TerraFund |
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Welcoming Remarks from Rubavu District - Prosper Mulindwa, Mayor, Rubavu District |
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Remarks from World Resources Institute - Dr. Rebekah Shirley, Deputy Regional Director, World Resources Institute |
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Remarks from the Government of Rwanda - Patrick Karera, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment |
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Introduction to Our Partnership - Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye, Senior Manager, World Resources Institute |
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TerraFund Overview: The Process and Our Impact - Jean Marie Ntakirutimana, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Recognition of the New Cohort Members - Ange Kalitanyi, Project Manager, TerraFund |
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Panel: Insights from Restoration Champions on their experience with TerraFund and their aspirations for impact in Rwanda - Moderator: Philbert Raj Habiyakare, Project Manager, TerraFund Panelists:
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Closing Remarks & Adjournment - Uwambajemariya Florence, Provincial Permanent Secretary, Western Province, Government of Rwanda |
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Investing in Communications - Jerin Tan, Communications Manager, TerraFund |
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How to Talk About TerraFund - Gilbert Muvunankiko, Community Coordinator, TerraFund |
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Internal Communication & Community Coordination - Thacien Munyamahame, Community Coordinator, TerraFund |
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Telling Your Story: Interactive Session - Jerin Tan, Communications Manager, TerraFund |
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Closing Remarks & Agenda for Tomorrow - Jean Marie Ntakirutimana, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Onboarding: Project Management & Monitoring | January 18
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Introduction & Welcome to the Workshop - Ange Kalitanyi, Project Manager, TerraFund & Jackson Ndera, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Deep Dive into TerraFund: Funders, Partners, and Responsibilities - Jean Marie Ntakirutimana, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification Requirements - Kevin Nfor Ntani, GIS Associate, TerraFund |
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Utilizing TerraMatch for Success - Eunice Dushime, Product Specialist, TerraFund |
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Questions & Answers - Moderator: Jackson Ndera, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Presentations from TerraFund Champions - Moderator: Philbert Raj Habiyakare, Project Manager, TerraFund Dr. Romain Kasema, Deputy Managing Director, Shekina Enterprise |
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Introduction to Project Management - Ange Kalitanyi, Project Manager, TerraFund |
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Concluding Remarks & Agenda for Tomorrow - Jean Marie Ntakirutimana, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Networking Cocktail - Lake Kivu Serena Hotel |
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Onboarding: Getting Ready for Implementation | January 19
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2024 TerraFund Timeline & Milestones - Jean Marie Ntakirutimana, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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Quality Assurance: Submitting High-Quality Data - Ange Kalitanyi, Project Manager, TerraFund |
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Individual Support Sessions: Understanding Your Project - Each champion will meet with a TerraFund staff member to fill out a standard form and pose any remaining questions. |
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Concluding Remarks & Thanks - Will Anderson, Senior Portfolio Manager, TerraFund |
Workshop Summary
Background
In 2015, Africa embarked on an ambitious journey of restoring 100 million hectares by 2030. As part of this initiative, the government of Rwanda has committed to restore 2 million hectares. To accelerate the implementation of this ambitious goal, TerraFund for AFR100 was established in 2021. This consortium, consisting of World Resources Institute, One Tree Planted, Realize Impact, and Barka Fund, aims to provide the necessary financing and support to local communities involved in land restoration.
In September 2021, TerraFund for AFR100 opened its first call for proposals for projects and enterprises across Africa, receiving an overwhelming response of 3,200 applicants. From these, the first cohort of 100 projects and enterprises from 27 African countries were selected for funding, including five from Rwanda.
In April 2023, aligning with WRI’s Restore Local project, TerraFund for AFR100 embarked on a new phase, to finance organizations and enterprises restoring land in three vital African landscapes: the Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin spanning Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Greater Rift Valley of Kenya, and the Ghana Cocoa Belt.
TerraFund was thrilled to announce the latest development in this journey: the second cohort of TerraFund, the “Landscapes” cohort. Drawn from these three landscapes, the new cohort comprises 92 projects – 78 non-profits and 14 for-profit organizations. In total these champions will receive $17.8 million USD, disbursed in grants, loans, and equity investments of $50,000-$500,000 USD each. Through 2030, this new investment is projected to make a substantial environmental and socio-economic impact by growing 12.7 million trees, putting under restoration 47,000 hectares of land, creating 52,000 temporary and full-time jobs, and benefiting 586,000 people living in these landscapes.
In Rwanda alone, 20 organizations were selected, including 19 non-profits and 1 for-profit. These Rwandan restoration champions are receiving $3.5 million USD in investment. This investment is projected to grow 3.2 million trees, put 10,000 hectares of land under restoration, create 14,000 jobs, and improve the livelihoods of 159,000 people in the Western Province of Rwanda.
Day 1 – Cohort Celebration & Communications Workshop
On January 17, TerraFund for AFR100 gathered restoration champions in Rwanda’s Rubavu District to celebrate their recent investment and to prepare for the work ahead. Members of the TerraFund staff and Rwandan government officials came together on the 17th to congratulate this new cohort of Rwandan Restoration champions.
The opening remarks were made by the mayor of the Rubavu District, Prosper Mulindwa. Followed by rousing and inspirational speeches by Dr. Rebekah Shirley, Deputy Regional Director of the World Resources Institute, and Patrick Karera, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment. They reminded us of the importance of dedication and big dreams in restoring prosperity to degraded landscapes.
After a nearly 6-month selection process, the audience was officially introduced to TerraFund’s 20 Restoration Champions from Rwanda. Each partner was announced one-by-one and recognized by the audience and the dignitaries in attendance. The audience then heard from a panel of 4 restoration champions, who offered sage advice about their experience and motivating calls to action for the years ahead. The official close of the ceremony was made by Uwambajemariya Florence, Provincial Permanent Secretary of the Western Province. She reminded the champions that they should be proud to represent the people of Western Province and that they could count on the support of the government.
In the afternoon, the champions and the TerraFund communications team gathered for a series of trainings and workshops. The champions received a crash course in communicating about TerraFund, inspiring example of easy-to-create communications products, and guidance on leveraging social media to tell their story. A small group of partners participated in a workshop to build the core messaging and branding of the Restore Local project, in collaboration with communications agency Havas. This group explored the values and narratives that are important to champions and communities in Rwanda.
Day 2 – The Beginning of Onboarding
On January 18, Jackson Ndera and Ange Kalitanyi led champions through an exercise to learn about the passions and hidden talents of each participant. After this, Jean Marie Ntakirutimana dove deep into the details of the TerraFund initiative, identifying the roles of each partner in the consortium and explaining in detail how the team whittled down 601 applications to 92 investments in less than nine months. Kevin Nfor Ntani then introduced champions to the heart of TerraFund: the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework. He explained the indicators that champions track and TerraFund verifies – from trees restored to jobs created – and walked them through the information that they report every six months over the next six years. Most crucially, he introduced champions to TerraFund’s leading geospatial data collection system, a skill that will be reinforced during an in-depth training later in the year. Eunice Dushime then explained how champions can use the TerraMatch platform to create profiles of their projects, report on their progress every six months, and ask for support through live email and WhatsApp messages.
Two champions from TerraFund’s “Top 100” cohort then presented their progress to their peers and gave advice on how to best succeed in a discussion moderated by Philbert Raj Habiyakare. Romain Kasema of Shekina Enterprise highlighted that diligence, honesty, and a close relationship with the TerraFund team can lead to important results: By successfully submitting detailed reports, creating geospatial polygons of their planting sites, and repaying back their loan on time, TerraFund issued them a second loan to expand their production capacity of Isombe. Then, Jean Claude Dusabimana of Nature Rwanda described the value of clear, honest communication when describing the challenges and opportunities of investing in restoration. Both partners offered important advice about how they grew their organizations and secured additional financing from TerraFund by leaning on their project manager during times of difficulty. Then, Ange Kalitanyi presented how TerraFund’s project managers, portfolio specialists, and data quality analysts support champions as they grow and learn.
To close the evening, everyone gathered at the Lake Kivu Serena Hotel for a night of dinner, dancing, singing, and celebration. The night started with impromptu speeches from TerraFund staff and partners, and transitioned to a joyous night that prompted many laughs and new friendships.
Day 3 – The Culmination of the Onboarding and Celebration
Jean Marie Ntakirutimana kicked off the last day of the workshop with what TerraFund expects of champions throughout their first year – from reporting to geospatial data collection – and what support champions can expect from TerraFund. Ange Kalitanyi then advised the champions on the qualities of excellent reports – based on TerraFund’s experience working with 100 champions across Africa – and how the team rigorously checks the accuracy and completeness of these reports before issuing payments.
Each partner then had time to meet with a member of the TerraFund staff in a personal support session, where they could ask questions in a more intimate setting and provide additional context. The assembled champions heard one last inspirational speech from Will Anderson, thanking the Rwanda colleagues for their participation and hard work, now and in the future. He ended with a reminder to champions that they have a support system here in Rwanda and across the globe.
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