Imbabazi is situated on a 148-acre piece of land that has always been a working farm. It started as a pyrethrum plantation in the early-mid 1900s and was later transformed into a flower farm in the 1980s. Today, the Imbabazi farm is a mixture of tradition and innovation. It provides food and milk to the children at the orphanage and is the centerpiece of our goal to become more financially self-sustainable. Here are some of our current initiatives:
Flowers and Vegetables
Honoring our past and keeping with Roz’s tradition, Imbabazi continues to grow flowers and sell weekly bouquets to expatriates, restaurants and hotels in Rwanda and Goma. We also grow specialty vegetables such as artichokes, rhubarb and mushrooms that are sold along with our bouquets.
Large Scale Agriculture
Imbabazi currently has 24 acres of land under potato and maize cultivation. Three growing seasons a year allows us to continually increase the amount of land under production. Our ultimate goal is to have 37 acres of land under cultivation with proceeds covering a portion of our general operating expenses. This project provides seasonal jobs for more than 40 people in our community.
Forestry
We have a sustainable forestry project for our 24-acre forest which includes cultivating mature trees, selling lumber and planting new trees. Over the past two years we have grown and planted over 11,000 eucalyptus and cypress seedlings as part of this project.
Cows
Imbabazi is home to a large herd of cows. The cows are milked daily, to provide additional nutrition for the children; excess milk is then sold to cover the costs of the project.