“Building Better, Not Just Bigger” : Lessons from Muhanga’s Training of Trainers under APESA Project.
From 10–20 November 2025, Muhanga District hosted a landmark Training of Trainers (ToT) event under the APESA project, organized by TI-Rwanda with support from the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) Europe. The training convened 43 participants including district leaders, civil society, and development partners, to strengthen Rwanda’s capacity in environmental and social safeguarding as the nation advances toward Vision 2050.
The Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs of Muhanga District, ERIC BIZIMANA, opened the training sessions. In his remarks, he underscored that sustainable development must respect environment, safeguard communities, and uphold human dignity while implementing infrastructure development project.
“Sustainable development is not only about physical structures ; it is about ensuring that our projects respect the environment by safeguarding community” : Said Vice Mayor.
Trainers included international experts from PTF and three local specialists, ensuring both global and local perspectives of the event.
The training was attended by 72% men and 28% women, representing ministries, government institutions, districts, and CSOs in environmental and social justice niche.
Covered themes :
The themes covered were grounded on environmental and social standards (ESS) as promulgated by Word Bank for borrowers’ use to comply with the requirements before implementation of infrastructure projects. The major themes covered by the training include Environmental and Social Risk Management or ESS1, Labor, Community Health, and Safety or ESS2 & ESS4, Land Acquisition and Resettlement or ESS5, Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management orESS6, Cultural Heritage and Stakeholder Engagement or ESS8 & ESS10, and Social Accountability as a Cross-Cutting Pillar
Field visit :
Field visit was one of the methods used during the training ; Participants visited World Bank-financed RTDA projects, including roads linking Nyanza–Nyamata and Karongi–Kiziba refugee camp.
They engaged with contractors, RTDA officials, and community grievance committees, witnessing firsthand how safeguards and accountability mechanisms operate on the ground.
Rwanda’s legal framework—anchored in the Constitution, Environment Law, ESIA regulations, and land policies, provides strong foundations. Yet challenges persist like limited technical capacity, weak accountability, and gaps between policy and practice.
The ToT underscored that safeguards are not obstacles, but enablers of inclusive, transparent, and sustainable development. By equipping trainers with knowledge of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS1–ESS10), the APESA project strengthens local governance and accountability.
Looking Ahead
Sustained follow-up, institutional support, and continuous learning will be crucial to ensure that trained trainers cascade knowledge effectively, bridging the gap between policy and practice, and ensuring Rwanda’s infrastructure truly serves its people.