Abstract:
The main purpose for this study was to assess the contribution of Ubudehe categorization on the socio
economic development of Rwanda, case study of Gasabo District. In particular, it sought To examine the
reason Ubudehe categorization programs was implemented in Gasabo District, to assess Ubudehe socio
economic programs in Gasabo District, to determine the extent to which Ubudehe categorization
programs contribute to socio-economic sustainability of vulnerable people and development of Gasabo
District, to find out the challenges of Ubudehe categorization in Gasabo District and to demonstrate the
strategies to overcome the challenges to Ubudehe categorization in Gasabo District. The study used
descriptive research design and the population of this research was 870548 population of Gasabo Distruct
while the sample size was 400 respondents selected using cluster and convenience sampling techniques.
Data were obtained using different approaches including questionnaire surveys and interviews. The study
found that ubudehe (collective action to reduce poverty), gacaca (informal conflict settlement
arrangements), imihigo (competitive performance contracts and accountability mechanisms), itorero
(cultural mentoring and leadership training) and umuganda (communal work), and others were first
presented as practical ways of overcoming the immense challenges faced by Rwanda at the turn of the
century. The ubudehe program was re-introduced to address rural poverty through community action,
creating empowerment and participatory democracy. The ubudehe programme also helps the most
vulnerable people in the community to acquire shelter. Community members, either through ubudehe or
umuganda (communal work), come together, make bricks, or gather other construction materials to
construct the house. The ubudehe funds are then used to buy iron sheets and other required construction
materials which the individual or the family cannot afford. Another component of ubudehe is what is
known as direct support or emergency fund (Inkunga y‟ingoboka). The direct support targets families in
the first category of ubudehe, a household with no working family members; these include households
headed by children, very old or physically disabled people. Unrealistic categorisation of families into
ubudehe categories and complaints to change categories and petty corruption and proposal to get lower
categories were identified as challenges in the Implementation of Ubudehe categorization in Gasabo
District. Local authorities should paying poor people well and at the time whenever they are given jobs in
public works and services. Marginalize people should valuing the assistance that the government allocates
to them, they take their hands out of their pockets in order to develop themselves, fight against poverty
and ignorance, and issue the sustainable development of their families.
