Social Issue

Although primary education is free and compulsory in Rwanda, many children still do not attend school. The main 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. The problem is exacerbated in secondary school because the financial burden for these  families increases as their children move forward with their studies.

In March 2020, the situation worsened with the closure of all schools due to measures taken by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The children supported through the sponsorship program run by Trust and Care mostly remain as boarders. Their home return creates an additional burden for their families, as they have more mouths to feed with the same limited sources of income. In most of the families supported, parents were left without work due to the restrictions at the time, making it very difficult for them to find alternative means to support their families.

Our Response

We have collaborated with the NGO Trust and Care since 2007 to improve the situation in the region through education.

The main objectives of the project are:

• To provide school supplies, such as notebooks and pencils, to 50 elementary school students, and to pay for school fees and study supplies to 700 secondary students.
• 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.

The donation allows children to return to school after a long lockdown period due to the pandemic. The Rwanda Department of Education allowed the resumption of school activity in November 2020 and the academic year will now end in July 2021.

Expected Social Impact

This project has offered different opportunities to primary and secondary students through educational resources, social workers, health and social security, and mentoring.

An estimated 750 students have been able to benefit from the aid.