Water Access Rwanda

Project Ijabo

This project aims to pilot a franchise model for irrigation-as-a-service to support small rural farmers living uphill or far from surface water sources. The project will create 12 franchises to manage a solar-powered irrigation solution tailored to the geography of Rwanda, where traditional irrigation is difficult. The pumps will bring water from the valley to a hilltop storage area, where it will be distributed by gravity to small groups of farmers. The estimated irrigation area is 60 ha daily and the irrigation kits use prepaid meters to provide flexible sales based on the volume of water used by each farmer. EEP Africa financing will cover the upfront capex costs needed to test this business model at scale.

Outcome and Impact

The project will improve productivity by increasing yields for at least 150 farmers and provide regular income for 12 franchise owners, of which a majority will be women entrepreneurs. The technology will improve food security and climate resilience, while reducing an estimated 416 tCO₂e emissions by replacing diesel pumps. The irrigation kits can also include filters for clean drinking water.

Download the project fact sheet >>