Rwanda is to spend £30 million over three years with Arsenal in return for promotion for its growing tourism industry. The agreement will see ‘Visit Rwanda’ displayed on players’ shirts and pitch-side advertising.
The deal brokered by the Rwanda Development Board has been criticised by British MPs as the country received more than £60 million from the UK last year for poverty relief and aid programmes. The row has been fuelled by claims that the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, is reported to be an Arsenal fan.
Speaking to the Daily Express this week, Tory MP Andrew Bridge said: ‘British taxpayers will be shocked to learn that a country supported by huge handouts from the UK is in turn pumping millions into a fabulously rich football club in London. If this isn’t a perfect own goal for foreign aid, I don’t know what is.’
Since 2008, Jersey has given about £2.675 million to Rwanda in foreign aid to be spent on health, education and agriculture. That includes a current £1 million project to improve the Rwandan dairy industry.
In a statement, Jersey Overseas Aid said that while it would not comment on the sponsorship deal, the situation was ‘not as black and white as some of the less-informed UK commentators suggest’.
‘Tourism is a vital and growing pillar of Rwanda’s economy, and has the potential to lift thousands out of poverty,’ it said.
‘Although developing rapidly, Rwanda remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Over a third of its population live in poverty. Jersey Overseas Aid’s funding to Rwanda is focused solely and directly on supporting the country’s most vulnerable people. We are not a bilateral donor, and give no money at all to the Rwandan government. Jersey is providing Rwandans with the means to build sustainable incomes and help people lift themselves out of poverty. We are proud of our work, which sees Jersey increasingly renowned internationally as an efficient and effective force for good in the world.’
The statement adds: ‘Through our dairy cow project, Jersey is transforming the livelihoods and health of 12,000 smallholder farmers, and will make a substantial and permanent impact on the whole country’s milk yields.
‘We also focus on health and education, and are currently providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene in schools for over 70,000 poor children. Most recently, Jersey Overseas Aid is partnering with Comic Relief to enable tens of thousands of people to develop small businesses and avoid slipping back into poverty.’
