REAP Expands Girls’ Programming and Partnerships, Thanks to Young African Leaders Initiative ( YALI) Grants

After REAP’s project manager, Jean Paulin Mutatsineza, participated in President Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellowship, the Rwandan cohort  of YALI scholars won two grants from USAID through the U.S. embassy in Kigali.

The first grant of $ 18,000 is dedicated to Menstrual Hygiene and Education targeting four schools in Rwanda, including the Duha School. The other grant of $6,000 focuses on Entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and Network and Community service for youths.

As a result of these grants, REAP will provide the Duha school with:

1. a fully functional rainwater harvesting system (water tank, gutters, taps, etc.) for the girls’ room to improve water and sanitation conditions for the girls.

2. Three hundred pad packets to girls using the girls’ room

3. Three hundred menstrual education flyers to girls using the girls’ room

4. Three hundred school bags to girls using the girls’ room

The US embassy in Kigali is planning to visit Duha next month and inaugurate the project upon completion.

In addition, At Groupe Scolaire Rubona, REAP iand YALI Rwanda and Agahozo Shalom youth village will:

1.     Conduct youth’s sanitation community projects at the school (build pit toilets, repair water pipes, etc.). This will be done by youths from Duha School, Agahozo Shalom and Rubona community.

2.     Provide educational sessions on girls’ issues (education, menstruation, dropout, etc.) and prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections.

This project paves the way for a collaboration between REAP and Agahozo Shalom as well as expanding REAP’s scope of impact to other schools in the region.