Popularly known as ‘the land of a thousand hills' – U Rwanda rw'imisozi igihumbi – Rwanda has a beautiful landscape made up of endless undulating hills and valleys stretching as far as the eye can see. The people who work the land are proud of its beauty. But the terrain poses a number of challenges to smallholder farmers – the most serious being soil erosion and land degradation. About 77 per cent of all cultivated land in Rwanda is on slopes classified as having ‘moderate to high erosion risk soils', according to the 2004 Strategic Plan for Transformation of Agriculture in Rwanda. The Plan also shows that an estimated 40,000 people go hungry each year because of soil erosion.  Farmers in Rwanda, like those in the rest of rural sub-Saharan Africa, depend largely on rainfed agriculture. The introduction of simple irrigation techniques and equipment can make a significant difference to their productivity. An IFAD-supported project in Kirehe district works by providing irrigation infrastructure that allows farmers to grow crops throughout the year. Where once there was limited cultivation of vegetables, farming families are now growing cabbages, tomatoes, egg plants and onions, as well as fruits such as tree tomatoes, passion fruits and pawpaws.