Riva Rwanda - our story

Who we are

Riva Rwanda is joining Riva – an international network of local systems leaders driving change that transforms lives through resilient national systems and public services. We are entering the network as Rwanda pursues one of Africa’s most ambitious commitments in essential services: universal access to water and sanitation by 2029. We are trusted advisors to nation builders in Rwanda – the political leaders, decision makers, wealth generators and citizens who are remaking the systems that shape people’s lives. Locally-led and globally connected, our network draws on more than fifty years’ experience in international development and on the knowledge, relationships and trust we have built here over five years. 

Where we came from   

We began as IRC Rwanda, part of an international development agency which had been working here for many years. Many of our current team were working for and with IRC to tackle the root causes of systems failures. In 2021 we set up in Rwanda so we could work more directly with local governments, communities and partners to achieve universal access to water and sanitation. IRC Rwanda was formally registered in February 2026, and we are now in the process of constituting ourselves as a member of the Riva network. 

The work that shapes us  

Our work in Rwanda was built alongside the Ministry of Infrastructure, Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) and Rwanda Utility and Regulation Authority (RURA) – the institutions that carry the country’s water and sanitation ambition – and with ten districts through the Isoko y’Ubuzima consortium led by Water for People. Over five years we have supported national guiding documents, ten district investment plans, and the working spaces where sector leaders reflect together on what strong systems require. This work points to a clear conclusion: Rwanda's 2029 target is within reach when districts hold institutional strength that outlasts any single project. 

We believe that water is the quiet force behind everything a nation hopes to become: a gateway to resilient public services, social justice and sustainable development. And while our background is in water, our work now flows through every essential system that shapes people’s lives.