The Education Gap in Kirehe
Kirehe District hosts one of Rwanda's largest refugee populations. Many children and youth have grown up here, speak Kinyarwanda, attend Rwandan schools and are academically capable. The barrier is not ability. It is cost. School fees, uniforms, materials and exam registration are beyond what most refugee households can afford, particularly when income is unstable and childcare responsibilities fall entirely on mothers.
When a child drops out of school, the consequences compound across the whole family. Older siblings who leave school early reduce household income for years. Younger siblings lose the model of someone who stayed in. The cycle is structural - and it has a structural solution.
A co-financing model that keeps children in school and opens vocational pathways for youth who are ready for the next step.
We co-finance school fees, uniforms, materials and exam registration for the most vulnerable households - prioritising children at risk of dropping out and those whose families are already engaged in our Itetero or livelihoods programmes.
Children who have missed school due to displacement or economic hardship often need structured catch-up support to reach grade level. We provide tutoring and academic support alongside financial assistance - because paying fees is not enough if a child cannot keep up in class.
For youth who have completed secondary school or who are not on an academic track, we connect them to vocational training in fields where there is real demand - including childcare, sport coaching, construction, tailoring and business administration.
Recognised certification in childcare, coaching and community facilitation - giving youth a credential that employers and institutions accept, and that opens doors that talent alone cannot.
The Integrated Model
Every Itetero Daycare scholarship is paired with seed capital for the child's family. When a mother is freed from childcare costs and can work full hours, she generates income. That income pays school fees for older siblings - so the scholarship for one child creates an education pathway for the whole family.
This is the integrated model in practice: Itetero and education are not separate programmes. They are two parts of the same investment in a family's future.
Learn about Itetero DaycareOur 5-Year Goals for Education (2026 to 2031)
By 2031, we are working toward 150+ scholarship co-financing packages awarded annually, with 80% of supported students completing their academic year. Every scholarship is tracked, every outcome is documented, and every family is supported beyond the fee payment.
Sponsor a ScholarshipEducation connects to every other part of our model - from Itetero Daycare to livelihoods and youth leadership.
All ProgrammesA scholarship co-financing package keeps a child in school and sets the whole family on a different trajectory.
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