Informal Settlements in Kigali

In Kigali, informal settlements have emerged as a result of rapid urbanization, where the pace of city growth far outstrips urban planning processes. African cities like Kigali face growing challenges in providing all citizens with access to adequate housing. Today, most urban growth has taken place in unplanned settlements (slums), which now accommodate 62.6% of Rwanda’s population.

“Informal settlements are neighborhoods where sanitation services, clean water supply, reliable electricity, law enforcement, housing maintenance, transportation, waste collection, and other basic services are insufficient.”

Main Reason: Training in Culinary Arts and Nutrition

In Kigali, the worst living conditions are found in relatively small pockets of inner-urban centers — such as Nyamirambo, where CC-JOBS operates — where population density is highest but infrastructure is most limited.

The urban poor living in informal settlements face challenges that differ from those in rural areas. Almost entirely dependent on the market for food and basic goods, slum dwellers are highly vulnerable to price increases and market shocks. This contributes significantly to malnutrition in these areas. In addition, high population density, poor sanitation, and limited access to clean water increase the risk of communicable diseases spreading rapidly.

Stimulating Entrepreneurship

For dwellers of informal settlements in Rwanda, unemployment is one of the most urgent issues, as highlighted in several UN unemployment studies and confirmed by our own research. Poor health conditions, particularly hunger and malnutrition, remain widespread challenges.

Rwanda’s youth, aged between 14 and 35 years, represent 39.3% of the total population. Between 2010 and 2013, the average annual population growth rate was 2.8%. This means the working-age population continues to grow faster than the economy can absorb. Every year, 125,000 first-time job seekers enter the labor market, yet only a small fraction manage to secure formal employment (UN, 2016).

Our Focus

That is why the core focus of our program is to encourage and support entrepreneurship. We believe that stimulating small-scale entrepreneurship not only creates job opportunities for slum dwellers but also strengthens community resilience, improves livelihoods, and fosters sustainable urban development.