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Rwanda

HI’s programme in Rwanda is working on inclusive education projects to help all children benefit from education and is facilitating access to health care for people with disabilities and vulnerable people.

Longini here playing football in the courtyard at school after he received his new prostheses.

Actions in process

In the refugee camps in Rwanda, HI promotes access to care and protection for vulnerable people, particularly those with mental health issues and rehabilitation needs. By facilitating access to technical aids, such as wheelchairs and walking sticks, and to psychosocial support, our programme is working to eliminate existing inequalities and the barriers some people encounter, and to make their daily lives easier. HI is also developing an innovative project to print custom-made orthoses and prostheses using 3D printers. As well as supplying equipment, our teams are training Rwandan actors and enabling them to develop their skills in these technologies and make the service offer sustainable. The programme also supports people with specific needs, such as people with disabilities, older people or people with psychosocial disorders, to help them learn about and assert their rights.
HI’s teams also work with children with disabilities on inclusive education projects. They support the national authorities to ensure access to education for all by training teachers or making buildings accessible to these children. They also develop handbooks and educational tools such as Braille textbooks to cater to their different needs. And they organise awareness-raising sessions for local players and communities, and facilitate the dissemination of good practices, notably within working groups.

HI’s programme also runs projects to improve the care and development of very young children. These projects facilitate access to care after birth, with a focus on accessible services for babies with disabilities. Our teams support and train parents and guardians to provide a safe and appropriate environment for children, thereby promoting their development and learning.

To help fight sexual and gender-based violence, HI also carries out awareness-raising and advocacy activities with the communities. Our teams accompany survivors of sexual violence through art therapy sessions, for example, and train medical, psychosocial and legal actors to help them provide appropriate support.  They organise awareness-raising campaigns, particularly in schools, and work to break down the barriers that prevent women and children who are victims of violence from accessing the necessary services. They also work with men, particularly community leaders, to raise awareness and prevent violence.

Areas of intervention

 

Situation of the country

Rwanda has seen rapid growth since 1994. Gross domestic product has increased, while poverty and inequality have decreased.

Rwanda is a small and landlocked country, hilly and fertile. It has a dense population of about 12.46 million. The country’s political, social and economic context has been profoundly affected by the genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. Between April and July 1994, more than 800,000 people lost their lives. Since then, Rwanda has enjoyed political stability and general security, low levels of corruption and liberal legal frameworks.

Rwanda has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming an upper-middle income country by 2035 and a high-income country by 2050. These goals build on the remarkable development successes achieved over the past two decades, including high growth and rapid poverty reduction due to medium-term economic development and poverty reduction strategies. These strategies reduced inequality between 2001 and 2015, with real GDP growth averaging around 8% per year.

Despite the government's achievements in ensuring strong and sustainable socio-economic growth, there are still major challenges to address, such as the poor state of the country’s infrastructure, a lack of access to electricity and investments that are heavily dependent on foreign aid. The protection and integration into society of people with disabilities or vulnerable people also needs to be improved. Despite economic growth and the recent development of basic services, such as health, housing and education, Rwanda still has a large number of vulnerable people, both economically and psychosocially.

Number of HI staff: 122

Programmed opened in: 1994

 
Map of HI's interventions in Rwanda

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© S. Wohlfahrt / HI