Growing Beyond the Greenhouse: How Women Farmers in Kirehe Are Cultivating Food, Income, and Confidence

In the hills of Kirehe District, Rwanda. rural women are rewriting the story of farming. For years, they relied on open fields where drought, pests, and unpredictable rainfall often destroyed their crops. Income was uncertain, and food security remained fragile.

Today, that story is changing - through climate-smart greenhouse farming, supported by the JP RWEE, women like Josiane Uwimana, a member of the Terimbere Muhinzi Cooperative in Kirehe District, have transformed small plots into highly productive spaces that yield vegetables year-round. 

“Before, I grew tomatoes in open fields and earned only 20,000 RWF from six acres,” Josiane recalls. “With my first greenhouse harvest, I earned 500,000 RWF from a much smaller space. I never imagined this was possible!”

Greenhouses offer protection from pests, efficient water use through controlled irrigation, and stable growing conditions. With these advantages, women farmers are now able to produce tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and leafy greens even during prolonged droughts or erratic rainy seasons.

Josiane believes the potential is even greater. 

“If we could get more greenhouses,” she says, “we wouldn’t have to wait for a whole season. We would harvest from one and immediately start in the next.”

More than farming: skills, leadership, and confidence

JP RWEE goes beyond providing technology, it equips women with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to lead, innovate, and take charge of their livelihoods. Through hands‑on training, cooperatives learn everything from greenhouse setup and maintenance to efficient irrigation, pest management, soil fertility improvement, and collective marketing.

“We teach women to understand every step, from preparing the soil to selling produce in the market,” explains Jean Marie Vianney Dusengimana Ndabashimiye, INADES‑Formation Rwanda field officer in Kirehe. “This strengthens farmers’ leadership and their decision‑making in both farming and business.”

As a result, women are no longer just farmers; they are trainers, financial managers, and community leaders. Some cooperatives have introduced crop rotation inside their greenhouses, moving from tomatoes and peppers to cucumbers in different seasons—an innovation that improves soil health, reduces pest pressure, and ensures continuous harvests.

Better food, better lives

The benefits of greenhouse farming extend far beyond increased income. Families now enjoy year‑round access to fresh vegetables, improving nutrition for both children and adults. A more stable and predictable income also allows women to save, plan, and better protect their households from financial shocks.

“Greenhouses have freed us from the uncertainty of weather,” says one cooperative member. “We can now plan our work, feed our families, and make informed decisions about our farms and finances. Beyond stability, these greenhouses have opened new opportunities, allowing us to grow crops year‑round, diversify what we produce, and strengthen our role as contributors to local food security and economic growth.”

A vision for the future

The JP RWEE demonstrates that when women gain access to climate‑smart tools, practical knowledge, and sustained support, they grow far more than crops, they cultivate confidence, independence, and stronger, more resilient communities. In Rwanda, greenhouse farming has become a pathway to food security, climate resilience, and women‑led development.

For women like Josiane, the future is full of possibility. 

“We are no longer just surviving, we are leading, innovating, and shaping the future of our communities,” she says.