START DATE : 2011 PARTICIPANTS : 200 per year
Our Rwanda program currently supports 100 girls in primary, secondary and vocational school. WGI staff provides home and school visits to ensure proper support and demonstrate commitment to the children. Staff meet with the girls and guardians every three months when they have a break in school, review their grades, and provide training in English language, health education, stress management and life skills, as well as providing other forms of psycho-‐social supports. Seven have completed secondary school and are in vocational training in hospitality and accountant.
The economic development program in Rwanda also supports the parents and guardians of scholarship program beneficiaries. Parents have formed a cooperative and received 3 months of training on topics such as structuring business cooperative en11es, business development, financial literacy and planning, fundraising for small businesses and support their families.
67 young women (of which 30% are teen mothers) participate in the economic empowerment program, which focuses on training the participants in sewing and agriculture. This model for economic empowerment opens a different path for these girls who have fallen out the system.
47 young women and girls have received a 6‐month training. The micro-‐enterprise program also provide a start-‐up grant that allow graduated participants to start their business and employed others.
The current center for girls in Rwanda has very limited capacity and our plan is to build a Girl’s Opportunity Center in partnership with the US based Architecture group Mass Design’s and the local leadership. The construction of a standalone structure will allow more vulnerable girls to access the package of services offered. A donation of 4 acres of land has been made Rwandan Government to build this Center.
