Social Issue

Buguesera is one of the poorest regions in Rwanda and one of those which most suffered the consequences of the 1994 genocide, with innumerable orphans, widows, and families facing the harshest conditions for survival.

Free and mandatory primary education for all, a policy shared by many countries, has been adopted by Rwanda. However, due to the situation of extremely dire poverty many families face, this policy is not enough for them to be able to school their children.

For this educational policy to become fully effective, other areas such as children’s health care and nutrition must also be covered, so that families no longer need to worry about basic needs.

Our Response

Since 2007, the Netri Foundation has collaborated with the NGO Trust and Care to improve the situation in the region through education. Although primary education is free and compulsory in Rwanda, many boys and girls do not attend school. The reasons for this phenomenon are related to the lack of resources of their families, who cannot cover the health and food needs of children, nor pay for school supplies.

Expected Social Impact

The objectives of the project are:

• To provide access to primary education to 50 children and to secondary education to 250 children who otherwise would be unable to receive this education, by paying for their school materials, and also their school fees for secondary education.
• To provide a 10-day course for social workers in the region, covering nutrition (the importance of a balanced diet to combat malnutrition and how to use the limited resources available to the maximum effect) and health (prevention of AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, etc).
• To get all these beneficiaries registered with the equivalent of social security (“mutuelle de santé”) with which they can receive any necessary health service for free in any health centre, including vaccinations.
• To provide the children with tutors who will offer constant monitoring as well as acting as mentors and advisers.