Institutional Development
To ensure The Legal Aid Forum is an effective and sustainable membership based network, it reinforces the secretariat and its member’s capacities’ to effectively generate, allocate and use their human, technical and financial resources. This leads to the realization of the forum’s objectives on a more sustainable basis.
Local grant making
Legal Aid Civil Society Fund (LACSF)
In 2008, LAF with the financial support from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Rwanda , established the Legal Aid Civil Society Fund (LACSF) , a grant making initiative that funds LAF members with innovative and forward looking legal aid projects. Projects funded under LACSF offer a range of legal aid services including legal representation in courts, legal assistance, legal advice, mediation and legal information / education to indigent/poor and vulnerable Rwandans.
LAF launches a call for applications that is exclusively open to LAF members. In order to reinforce the capacities of applicants, LAF organizes a training on proposal writing during the same month of the application. During the session, LAF members benefited from detailed information on guidelines for the call structure of the fund and receive clarification to questions related to the fund and the application process.
Dufatanye Kubaka Ubutabera “DKU” Activity
With purpose of bridging the gap in the justice sector, several interventions have been taken by both civil society organizations and state legal aid providers. Following on the successes and achievements of a previous USAID/Rwanda funded program "Duteze Imbere Ubutabera", the Legal Aid Forum is implementing a project: "Dufatanye Kubaka Ubutabera" (DKU).
DKU activity aims at improving citizens' knowledge of rights and expanding access to quality legal services, reinforcing the capacity of justice actors to effectively use innovative ICT solutions such as Integrated Electronic Case Managment System (IECMS) in dispensing justice, strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms through promotion of ADR policy and helping the justice system in Rwanda identify innovations to support provision of legal services.
Legal Pro Bono Rwanda Project (LPBR)
The Legal Pro Bono Rwanda project (LPBR) is implemented by Advocates for International Development (A4ID) in partnership with the Legal Aid Forum (LAF) and is funded by global law firm Clifford Chance LLP (CC) under its Cornerstone Initiative, which comprises a series of projects aimed at building pro bono and legal advice capacity in Rwanda.
This project is implemented in collaboration with other three LAF members namely: HAGURUKA NGO, Human Rights First Rwanda Association (HRFR) and Association Rwandaise pour La Defence des Droits de l' Homme (ARDHO).
The LPBR project seeks to improve access to justice by supporting CSOs working with the poorest communities in Kigali and facilitating the provision of free quality legal advice.
| # | Institution name | Year | Project name | Beneficiary group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADEPE | 2008-2009 | Legal Aid and support to local initiatives on Access to Justice for vulnerable youth | Youth and general population |
| 2 | AJPRODHO | 2008-2009 | Legal Aid for children and youth facing criminal prosecution | Youth in conflict with the law |
| 3 | HRFR | 2008-2009 | Community clinical law pilot project | General population |
| 4 | ADEPE | 2008-2009 | Legal Aid and support to local initiatives on Access to Justice for vulnerable youth | General population with focus on youth |
| 5 | AJPRODHO | 2010-2011 | Legal Aid for children and youth facing criminal prosecution’ by Ajprodho | Youth in conflict with the law |
| 6 | CESTRAR | 2010-2011 | Legal assistance for vulnerable workers within tea plantations and construction sector | Workers in tea plantations and factories and in construction |
| 7 | ADL | 2010-2011 | Legal advice and representation in court for detainees of Nsinda and Kibungo prisons | Detainees and prisoners |
| 8 | CDJ | 2010-2011 | Legal advice and representation in court for vulnerable persons, notably widows and orphans | Mostly widows and orphans |
| 9 | AVEGA | 2010-2011 | Providing legal aid services survivors (widows and orphans) of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi | Survivors of genocide -Widows and orphans |
| 10 | ARDHO | 2010-2011 | Legal assistance, advocacy and representation for persons detained in Mpanga, Musanze and Miyove prison | Prisoners and detainees |
| 11 | Rwanda Bar Association | 2010-2011 | Legal assistance to vulnerable persons in rural areas: Advocates’ Bureau in Nyaruguru District | General population |
| 12 | COPORWA | 2010-2011 | Legal assistance to indigenous people (known as historically marginalized population), victims of land confiscation | Community of poters (Batwa) |
| 13 | ARDHO | 2011-2012 | Legal assistance and legal assistance/ representation of vulnerable groups, particularly detainees and prisoners | Prisoners and detainees in Rilima, Mpanga and Nyarugenge prisons |
| 14 | COPORWA | 2011-2012 | Protection of the rights of historically marginalized people victims of land confiscation and other offense and other cases of violation. | Mostly indigents and vulnerable groups |
| 15 | LOH | 2011-2012 | Legal representation for minors in detention. | Minors conflict with the law |
| 16 | TIR | 2011-2012 | Opening an Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC). | General population |
| 17 | AVEGA | 2011-2012 | Promote legal information, legal aid and legal representation/ assistance for widows and orphans of 1994 | Widows and orphans of genocide |
| 18 | ADEPE | 2011-2012 | Legal aid and support to local initiatives of access to justice for youth and other vulnerable groups in rural areas. | General population |
| 19 | AJPRODHO | 2011-2012 | Legal aid for Children and Youth facing Criminal Prosecution | Youth Detainees and prisoners |
| 20 | CESTRAR | 2011-2012 | Legal services decentralized to vulnerable workers in agriculture, tea planation and mining sectors (Pfunda & Kitabi tea plantations and factories and Nyamabuye mining site | Workers in tea plantation/ factories and mining |
| 21 | ADEPE | 2013-2014 | Legal aid and support to local initiative of quality and equitable access to justice in for vulnerable people, particularly women and PLHIV | Mostly women and people living with HIV |
| 22 | ARDHO | 2013-2014 | Legal assistance and representation for vulnerable groups, particularly prisoners | Prisoners and detainees |
| 23 | AVEGA | 2013-2014 | Provision of legal education, legal counseling and representation for widows and orphans of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi | Widows and orphans of genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 |
| 24 | COPORWA | 2013-2014 | Legal assistance for potters (historically marginalized people) of Gisagara District victims of land confiscation and other human rights violations. | Potters -Batwa |
| 25 | Rwanda Bar Association | 2013-2014 | Enhancing Legal Aid Provision Through Quality Legal Representation in Court for Indigent & Vulnerable People in Rwanda | Mostly indigent and vulnerable groups |
| 26 | LOH | 2013-2014 | Legal representation for minors in detention | Minors in conflict with the law |
| 27 | MPEDH | 2013-2014 | Project for the promotion and defense of human rights for people surrounding mining sites in Musha, Rwamagana District | Mostly workers in mining sites |
| 28 | UR-LAC | 2013-2014 | Raising awareness of local community members and local leaders on public administration procedures and enforcement of court decisions & providing legal assistance to vulnerable people in targeted districts | General population |
| 29 | ARDHO | 2013-2014 | Provision of Legal Aid service to the poor and vulnerable citizens of RUSIZI district through the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) | General population in rural area |
| 30 | AJPRODHO | 2018-2019 | Access to Justice for Teen Mothers and Teenage Pregnancy prevention project | Women&girls-teen mothers |
| 31 | SURF | 2018-2019 | Legal and Counselling Helpline | Youth (including GAERG) – survivors of 32genocide against the32 Tutsi |
| 32 | ARDHO | 2018-2019 | Contribution to promotion of equitable justice in Rwanda through legal assistance and awareness services to prisoners and detainees | Prisoners & detainees |
| 33 | KANYARWANDA & LIPRODHOR | 2018-2019 | Do me justice – Igiti Kigororwa kikiri gito | Children in schools and teen mothers in communities |
| 34 | AVEGA | 2018-2019 | Eldery Widows Legal Assistance – Tubasindagize | Childless elderly women |
| 35 | ADEPE | 2020-2021 | “Support to legal aid provision and fair justice in Rubavu, Ngororero and Musanze districts” | |
| 36 | ARDHO | 2020-2021 | Contribution to promotion of equitable justice in Rwanda through legal assistance and awareness services to prisoners and detainees. | Prisoners and detainees |
| 37 | AVEGA AGAHOZO | 2020-2021 | “Elderly Widows Legal Assistance Project- (EWLAP) –Tubasindagize II | Childless elderly women |
| 38 | CESTRAR | 2020-2021 | PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH EDUCATION OF WORKERS IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR | Informal workers in tea factories and plantations |
| 39 | COPORWA | 2020-2021 | Strive for Justice of Historically Marginalized People in Rwanda. | Community of potters |
| 40 | UNILAK/ HRFRA | 2020-2021 | Promoting Rule of law and Access to Justice | General population |
| 41 | ADEPE | 2021-2022 | Enhanced Access to Legal Aid Services and Legal Empowerment for indigents and vulnerable people in Rubavu and Nyabihu districts.. | General population |
| 42 | AJPRODHO | 2021-2022 | Strengthening the School System to Address Teenage Pregnancy | Young girls in schools |
| 43 | TiR | 2021-2022 | Policy Research on the implementation of alternatives to imprisonment in Rwanda | General population |
| 44 | LoH | 2021-2022 | Strengthening Access to Justice and Legal awareness for women detainees and prisoners | Detainees and prisoners especially women |