Social Issue

Although the incidence of extreme poverty in Rwanda has been rapidly reducing over the past decade, the COVID-19 crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty.

The Rwandan government’s Education for All initiative that provides free and compulsory education has been a success in increasing school attendance. Yet many children still do not attend school. The main reasons for this are related to the lack of resources of their families, who cannot cover the cost of school lunches, nor pay for school supplies.

The problem is exacerbated in the final years of secondary school when tuition is no longer compulsory and free, and the financial burden for these families increases as their children move forward with their studies.

Our Response

Netri Foundation has collaborated with the NGO Trust and Care since 2007 to improve the situation in the region through education:

• To provide school supplies to 50 elementary school students, and to pay for school fees and supplies to 1,050 secondary students.
• To provide training to 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 “Mutuelle de santé”, the equivalent of social security, with which they can receive any necessary health service for free in any health center, including vaccinations.
• To provide the children with tutors who will offer constant monitoring as well as acting as mentors and advisers.

An important change was made to the program for the 2021-2022 academic year starting in October, where secondary day school students are now being sponsored as well as borders.

Although education is free for the first three years of secondary school, parents still need to pay 200 RWD per day for lunch which is often an impediment for these children to be able to continue their schooling. 

Expected Social Impact

This donation will allow 1,200 children to continue their education for one academic year.

For 15 years, the Netri Foundation, through Trust and Care Rwanda has been sponsoring students whose parents or guardians are unable to meet their education needs due to limited resources.

Many of these children have been able to go on to tertiary education and secure a bright future, which is a testament to the power of education, enabling socio-economic mobility and a means to break the cycle of poverty.