Overview Of The Successful Rwanda Education Assistance Project

By Virginia Jackson


When it comes to charity and education, REAP is at the forefront. Standing for rwanda education assistance project, the organization works to help boys and girls of the area develop educational skills which can lead to careers in a number of areas. While this is the case, it can often be difficult for many to learn about the program.

Since 2009, the organization has been working with one complex public school in Eastern Rwanda and the surrounding community. The organization hopes this work will help provide a better future for the Rwandan people through education. Part and parcel to that goal is allowing children the ability to learn in ways that will create productive and responsible citizens.

Children participate in a number of activities and events as part of the overall program. Whereas, children learn in an environment which encourages the development of active problem solvers, compassionate leaders and critical thinkers. After which, many of these children become active in different areas of the local and surrounding community.

A father and daughter volunteer team are to thank for the establishment of REAP. For, Edward and daughter Rachel Ballen traveled to Rwanda to volunteer with a local orphanage. During the visit, the two discovered how much love the Rwandan children had for learning. After which, the two became involved with the orphanage, local public school and food distribution center to implement REAP.

The main commitment at the time the work started was to harvest the skills each child learned and highlight those skills to the local community. In that time, there was a great deal going politically in the area. As such, volunteers had to overcome a number of challenges and obstacles while working in the area. For, not long before the organization began work, the area had suffered from a long period of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

As the orphan children attend the local complex school, the school was the best option for an operation center for the project. In the process, the organization discovered that by focusing on the local community and surrounding area, the students could demonstrate the skills which had been learned as part of the program. In addition, as many of these children were orphans, it would also show that regardless of economic or social status, even the poorest and most vulnerable could learn in ways to become a product citizen.

Studies and reports in 2016 and 2017 shows that REAP is still alive and well. In fact, there have been many developments since those early days of the project. For example, there are now a number of student clubs, student led learning programs, a school feeding program and girls empowerment club. In addition, there are now scholarships available to students, computer training and collaborative partnerships. Whereas, work to enhance the library and provide teacher accommodations was recently completed.

The proof is somewhat sufficient that REAP has been a beneficial program in Rwanda and the surrounding area. While this is the case, without the support of donors, volunteers and project leaders, this would have never been the case. It is hoped that there will now be new project leaders, volunteers and financial donors so that the work can continue now and well into the future.




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