Where We Work

Zoe Rwanda Terimbere currently operates in four districts

Gisagara lies in the far south of Rwanda along the border with Burundi, with its district centre at Ndora. Its 13 sectors are home to nearly 400,000 people, and many families depend on rice and other crops grown in low-lying marshlands that are prone to flooding. In Gisagara, Zoe working groups give vulnerable youth a safe, supportive community. They learn practical farming and business skills, start small enterprises with start-up grants, and build group savings that help households recover when harvests are lost. Operations began in 2012 as well.

Ngoma is in Rwanda’s Eastern Province, centred on the town of Kibungo, and is home to about 404,000 people. Lakes Mugesera and Sake lie within the district. Families grow maize, beans, bananas and pineapples, but recurring dry spells make rain-fed farming risky. Ngoma is Zoe’s latest district, with operations beginning in 2026. In Ngoma, Zoe’s focus on climate-smart agriculture is especially important: water harvesting, mulching, crop diversity and kitchen gardens help households stay food-secure. Group savings and small businesses give families a safety net when the rains fail.

Ruhango sits in the heart of Rwanda’s Southern Province, along the main road linking Kigali to the south. Its nine sectors are home to about 359,000 people, most of whom farm small plots. The district is Rwanda’s leading avocado producer, has the country’s highest concentration of crossbred dairy cattle, and is home to the Kinazi cassava processing plant. Zoe Rwanda Terimbere’s groups here build on that farming base: youth learn to raise livestock, plant fruit trees and kitchen gardens, and turn surplus harvests into small businesses that keep food on the table and siblings in school. Operations in the district began in 2012.

Zoe started working with youth in Gicumbi since the year 2015. Gicumbi is a hilly district directly north of Kigali, stretching up to the border with Uganda. Its main town, Byumba, is also the capital of Northern Province. With about 449,000 residents, it is one of the most populous of the districts where Zoe works. Its cool highland slopes are known for tea, including the Mulindi tea plantations, now owned by thousands of smallholder farmers. On Gicumbi’s steep hills, Zoe trains participants in soil conservation, composting and agroforestry alongside livestock-keeping and small business. These skills help families protect their land and grow a steady income.