International Literacy Month at REAP

September is the international literacy month. As a community library, we conducted two types of activities to encourage the love of reading in children and expand public health literacy among the community.

● For children, we conducted read-aloud and storytelling competitions at partner churches through our mobile library project. Ten best readers and storytellers received schoolbags as “our grand prize” awards while all 50 participants received school supplies as motivation.

● Parents used radio as a form literacy to collect information on non-communicable diseases. They then shared the information that they learned from the radio at the larger community meeting. Our community board selected five parent winners who demonstrated the deepest understanding of public health information.

Outcomes of our Saturday Tutoring project

The program provides additional tutoring to grade six and nine students in the aim to increase the number of students who pass the national exam and can attend schools of excellence. A school of excellence provides marketable majors, better learning opportunities and the possibilities to go on to university.

Key outcomes and measures of success:

Overall pass rate rose from 73.1% last year to 91.8% to this year for grade six and from 70.9% last year to 73% this year for grade nine. Passing the national exam means one can go on to the next section (secondary school or major). Failing means, one has to retake the year, which most of the time results in school dropout. Number of students going to schools of excellence rose from 6 last year to 20 this year for grade six and from 71 last year to 78 this year for grade nine.

For the first time in history of the Duha School, four students achieved the perfect score. All these students were in the tutoring program. Students who didn’t participate in the program had an average score of 27% while those who participated had an average score of 52%. This means that the program increases the score by 25%.

SIT (Self-Instruction through Technology) and Read project celebration

Today was a closing celebration of the SIT and READ project which was funded through a grant by the US State Department’s Reciprocal Exchange Program. Through this project,Stephanie Nislow (co-founder of Ogstar Reading) trained five teachers from Duha and two REAP teachers on Ogstar, an evidence-based technology application. Thanks to the grant, five Dell laptops were purchased and will be used by six-year-old children in our early childhood program to practice reading in English. Primary students at Kigali Christian School, one of our partner schools will use iPads for self-guided instruction.  REAP is the only organization in Rwanda to use the Ogstar program integrating technology as a methodology of teaching reading in English.

Continued growth of the seedling project

This month our agronomist gave seedlings to 30 families at REAP’s model farm. These families with previously malnourished children and mothers are now freed from malnutrition thanks to participating in our nutrition workshops. These families formed a self-help group to collaboratively practice proper nutrition.  The agronomist first taught them modern agriculture techniques and had them practice these techniques in the farm before giving them seedlings about 50 seedlings of green peppers, onions, cabbages, cucumbers, beet roots, carrots, and eggplants. With these seedlings, the families will create vegetable gardens in their backyards to support their nutrition and increase productivity.

Community Public Health outreach to prevent non-communicable diseases

Through our partnership with University of Rwanda’s School of Nursing in Rwanda, we conduct community public health outreach every three months. The outreach focuses on prevention of non-communicable diseases, vaccination, and contraception. In August 2022, our event reached 66 community members who received Hepatitis B Vaccine.  Thirty other women received contraceptive services.

Our Mobile Library Project Launches

This August, REAP’s mobile library project was launched in partnership with Rwanda BookMobile. Rwanda BookMobile donated 4 bikes and trained our four reading volunteers who ride bikes to meet children at churches for read-aloud and storytelling sessions. Over 400 children and parents gathered at four different churches in Musha to participate in the opening events. Activities included demonstrations of read-aloud, assisted reading, storytelling, and warm-up activities. The official launching ceremony took place at the Musha Catholic Parish, the most widely attended church.  The Musha Sector leader participated on behalf of the district.

Musha Girls participated in the GLOW Club Summit

Thirty girls in the GLOW (Girls Lead Our World) Club at REAP participated in a two-day summit at Ready for Reading’s Community Center in Kayonza (the neighboring district). They met and interacted with other 400 girls from other GLOW Clubs across the country. This two-day camp was an opportunity for girls to connect, have fun and learn various life skills such as leadership, public speaking, and community building. The girls increased their exposure to and experience of other communities outside of their local community. For most of the girls, it was their first time to ride in a bus, an unusual activity for girls from a rural community.

Early Childhood Graduation! What a joyous day!

On July 16, we held our first ever graduation for our inaugural class of 15, filled with joy and pride for parents, children, and the community.

Early Childhood Learning Trip to Kigali

Forty students in our early childhood program with 20 parents and REAP educators conducted a learning trip to Kigali where they visited various historical sites and key landmarks such as the Richard Kandt Museum, Kigali Convention Center, Kigali Arena, and Amahoro Stadium. Children had fun, explored, and learned about our history, transportation, infrastructure and more. It was the first time for most of children and parents to go to Kigali.

A literacy celebration!

We recently held a celebration event for 256 grade two and three students who had been participating in our Kinyarwanda and English literacy enrichment projects. The final assessment showed a 29% average improvement in children’s reading and writing skills. The event took place at REAP’s Ihuriro Community Center with the children, REAP staff as well as Duha teachers and administrators

REAP participates in the Rwamagana District Exhibition

Sandrine Umuhire (REAP Assistant Country Director) showcases our services and products to various dignatries including CG Emmanuel Gasana (the Governor of Eastern Province) and Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi (the Mayor of Rwamagana District)

Every year, Rwamagana district holds an annual exhibition where all partners of the district gather at the Rwamagana stadium to showcase their services and products to communities. As a member of the Rwamagana District Partners Forum (the Joint Action for Development Forum), REAP was invited to the three-day exhibition. REAP presented our programs with focus on play-based early childhood education, the Ogstar reading program through the use of technology, and the production of reusable napkins.

CG Emmanuel K. Gasana appreciated REAP’s programming, particularly the integration of technology in children’s learning using tablets and the Ogstar application.

REAP conducts a two-day community workshop on nutrition

As part of our early childhood program, we hold termly workshops for parents in the community to practice the cooking of balanced diets in order to fight malnutrition and stunting. This year, we brought together a team of specialists from Rwamagana Hospital, African Enterprise, Musha health Center and community health workers who worked with REAP staff to conduct the workshops.

REAP worked with the Musha Sector leadership to select 30 parents with their 36 children under the age of five. All parents were under the poverty line according to the national poverty categories. The workshops took place at the new Ihuriro community center where parents used food supplies collected from their homes and  produce from the REAP farm to practice proper nutrition.

REAP selected to host Rwanda’s liberation day Celebration for Musha Sector

Every year on July 4th, Rwanda celebrates its liberation. Celebrations are held at different venues across the country. For Musha Sector, the government selected REAP’s Ihuriro Center to host the event. During the event, the Executive Secretary of Musha Sector acknowledged REAP’s contribution to the development of Musha with particular emphasis on renovating the Ihuriro building as a community gathering space.

Seedlings for healthy families

As a farmer filed school, the main purpose of our farm is to serve as a demonstration farm for modern farming techniques and a seedling center. Once a month, community farmers work on our farm as a community service, learn about the farming techniques from our agronomist and receive seedlings (at least 50 each) to replicate the techniques in small-scale vegetable gardens on their yards. So far in this farming season, 35 farmers have collected over 1,750 seedling and created household vegetable gardens as one of the Government's homegrown solutions to combat malnutrition, stunting and food insufficiency.

Rwanda Broadcasting Agency visits Musha, the community honors REAP

As part of their regular community outreach to collect stories of socio-economic change, the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency recently featured the Musha community as one of the communities with inspiring stories of improved livelihoods. RBA is Rwanda’s biggest and national news agency that includes Rwanda Television and Radio Rwanda. 

In interviews with RBA that were aired on both Rwanda Television and Radio Rwanda, various community members honored REAP as one of the main contributors to the development of Musha community through farming, cooperative development, and high school scholarships.

REAP hosts members of the Rwandan Parliament

Recently, three members of the Rwandan Parliament, the vice-mayor of Rwamagana District and a dozen of various governmental officials visited REAP as one of the main partners of the Rwamagana District in education and community development. The members of the parliament selected INEZA Community Learning Center and Library as the Musha community hub and visited the center to learn more about the services and programs it offers.

The visitors were particularly impressed by REAP’s integration of technology in education and various self-help groups we host and train to improve lives as well as our integrated approach to education and community development. Ihuriro (our newly renovated center) was selected as a meeting venue where the three members of the parliament, the vice-mayor of Rwamagana District and other various staff met with about 300 community members.  Government officials talked to the community about  the pressing issues including family conflicts, hygiene, and sanitation as well as micro-savings. The vice-mayor honored REAP for renovating the Ihuriro center and for revitalizing economic development through the formation of a tailoring cooperative which will  be producing sustainable sanitary napkins and school uniforms.

INEZA Outdoor Learning Area Opened



REAP recently completed our outdoor learning area for children in our early childhood program. The playground aligns with internationally research and play-based early childhood development standards.  The playground comprises:

1.      The creativity center used by children and teachers for such activities as role play and family center.

2.      A tire dome for fun, challenge and strategy to develop gross motor skills.

3.      A balance beam for physical development.

4.      A cozy corner (mat and movable logs) for literacy, meditation, storytelling and one-to-one conversations.

5.      A plastered wall surface for children's art and preliminary writing.

6. A sandbox for art, measuring, pottery, rivers, cooking, and construction.

REAP presents at the 2021 International Social Work Conference

 The 2021 International Social Work Conference brought together over 80 international participants and organizations from different backgrounds including researchers, academicians, policymakers, social work practitioners and civil society organizations.

REAP was invited by the organizers of the conference to present at the conference. Jean Paulin Mutatsineza, REAP Country Director presented REAP’s COVID-19 campaign with the title “Equity, Public Health Education, and Community Development in the face of Covid19: Utilizing the Creative Power of Children's Artwork”. Participants were engaged by REAP’s bottom-up approach to community development and expressed interest in how our project might be replicated in other areas of Rwanda.

REAP awarded the 2021 US Embassy Annual Program Statement Grant for the SEED Project (Strengthen Entrepreneurship, Equity and Dignity)

To support the first year of the SEED Project (Strengthening Entrepreneurship, Equity and Dignity), the Embassy grant will enable REAP to renovate Ihuriro Community Center and initiate a community led sewing cooperative.  An abandoned building about 100 meters from REAP’s Community Learning Center and Library,  the Ihuriro Community Center will serve as a site for the SEED Project in which a community led sewing cooperative, under guidance from REAP, will meet the essential needs of the community by producing reusable sanitary napkins and school uniforms. Additionally, REAP plans to open a tailoring vocational training school in 2023/24 for unemployed high school graduates in the community.

Our two-student health and reproductive health clubs from the Duha School will lead a five-month reproductive health campaign at three schools and many other public venues throughout the Musha Community. The SEED Project employs youths, women and men in the community to promote entrepreneurship, sexual and reproductive health, as well as employment and income generation.

The Fran Bowman Multisensory Reading Program

We are pleased to announce that we are renaming our Ogstar Reading Program in honor of Fran Bowman for her contributions to fostering literacy in Rwanda. 

The Ogstar Reading app, developed by Fran Bowman, Ed.D. and Stephanie Nislow, M.Ed, is a researched-based methodology for teaching reading based on the principles of Orton-Gillingham. Designed to help children to learn to read English at their own pace with minimum teacher support, this gamified, self-paced app makes learning fun and engaging for children. The multisensory app focuses on the language skills of learning and organizing sounds and symbols and developing fluency.

The Kigali Christian School, our new partner school along with select second graders at our primary partner, Duha School are participating in a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of this new methodology in rural Rwanda. Most teachers in Rwanda are not trained in teaching reading, and large class sizes prevent individualized and differentiated instruction.

We extend our gratitude to Fran and Stephanie for partnering with REAP to introduce an extraordinarily innovative and researched-based technology to address the literacy needs of children in rural Rwanda.