Today on 09 Th January 2020 at APEFA headquarters held an introduction meeting, between APEFA senior management and Water4Virungas delegation led by Mr. Gertjan Leereveld, the Project Coordinator.
- APEFA Management with the Delegation from W4VVirungas Project
Water4Virungas (W4V) is an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) program in the Greater Virunga Landscape that contributes to the reduction of conflict and regional stabilization through increased access to quality water and improved watershed management at local, regional and transboundary levels.It is a 4 years project staring in 2017 and operatein Democratic Republic of Congo: Chefferie de Bukumu (Groupement de Kibumba and Buhumba) and Chefferie de Bwisha (Groupement de Jomba, Bwesa, Kisigari, and Rugari), Rwanda: Rubavu, Nyabihu, Musanze and Districts, Uganda: Kisoro District (Nyarusiza and Muramba sub-counties).
Water4Virungas’ increases access to water and improves watershed management through an integrated approach, which means that solving the problem of water will go hand in hand with positive transformation of related conflicts. W4V promotes and facilitates collective action at various levels to:
Improve security, health and productivity at household level; Bring people together around water issues within and between communities and across international borders; Transform conflicts through improved service delivery of water and integrated water resource management.
Water4Virungas targets beneficiary communities which interact with the natural resources protected in the national parks in the Virunga Area, an area known for its mountain gorillas that is also subject to increasing high human population pressure. Water4Virungas promotes a collaborative and holistic approach through the direct involvement of citizens and local governments and strengthens the capacity of the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration to effectively address transboundary issues and conflicts.
The Executive Director of APEFA Mr. NZABONIMPA Oscar introduced the visitor to APEFA senior management staff member there after he welcomes the visiting team.
The Technical advisor of APEFA Madam NTABANA Sheri Alphonsine takes visitor through the presentation on APEFA background,vision and some key achievements in area of Soil conservation and landscape restoration;
Integrated water management Sustainable agriculture; Climate change adaptation &mitigation;
Green mining promotion, Monitoring and traceability of mineralsand as well as some key success stories among other. She also reminded that APEFA has brought an innovation onboard of integrated of watershed management land husbandry and civil works.
She also informed the transboundary visiting team from water for Virunga’s some of APEFA key partners which are: Ministry of Environment (MoE); Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies (RAB, NAEB); Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority (RWFA); Rwanda ManagementLand Use Authority (RLUMA) Rwanda Mining, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMPGB), Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Local Administration and communities.
International Non-Government Organizations as well UN-Agencies respectively such as International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), World Vision and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Food and Agriculture organization (FAO), United Development Program (UNDP).
APEFA has embraced the participatory community based approach that drives the success of it implemented projects in line with the government policy of job creation, gender inclusion and sustainably of projects activates she concluded.
Mr.Gertjan Leereveld project coordinator Water4Virunga’s appreciated the achievements for APEFA in only 20 years which are tangible and said that he is happy to meet the hosting organization and satisfied with the of experience shared.

The Executive Director of APEFA concluded the meeting by thanking the visitors for taking their time to come and share experience with us therefore he promised to work closed with the organization for future partnership.