Rwanda‘s education system suffered great losses during the genocide, and ongoing poverty, social mores and other obstacles prevent many girls from pursuing education beyond the early grades. Girls and women are the backbone of the economy in Rwanda as well as family leaders, so educating females will lift up the entire nation.

The genocide had a severe negative impact on Rwanda’s education system, which is beginning to be reversed, but large gaps still exist in secondary, or high school, education.

Many teachers lost their lives, and schools, supplies and equipment were destroyed. This is one explanation for the current shortages of both teachers and high school facilities. Partly as a consequence, only 14 percent of eligible students enroll in secondary schools. Of those, about 48 percent are female, but the percentage is lower in rural areas where girls are traditionally expected to do agricultural and domestic work. Of attendees at Rwanda‘s National University and its associated institutes, 25 percent are female.

Other problems with access to education include the impact of rural poverty on the consistency of children‘s schooling. Although all Rwandan children are offered a free primary school education through ninth grade, only about half of Rwandan children complete elementary school.

Furthermore, while state schools are tuition-free, the cost of books and uniforms is often out of reach for parents who subsist on meager wages. Many families depend on older children to watch younger siblings, supplement the family income by working themselves, or help with farming and performing chores needed for daily life, like fetching water. Those who finish elementary school face very limited choices, usually involving agricultural work or vocational training. The outlook is much bleaker for girls ― the luckiest ones might be offered training in tailoring, hairdressing or basket weaving.

Attitude toward the role of girls is another significant factor hindering their education. Studies from several developing countries with traditional societies show that it is vital for girls to have boarding accommodations. Once girls return home from school, they have little time to study due to expected domestic and agricultural duties. Culturally, girls are also pressured to marry at an early age.

The cost of education is a significant barrier for many students. We will help students in need overcome this obstacle by soliciting sponsorships and offering scholarships.

Rwanda has recently increased the provision of primary education to be more in line with several other countries in the region. However, the high school sector is still small and the gap in state provision is being filled slowly and inconsistently by private schools. In some areas, 44 percent of high schools are private. Annual tuition is roughly $300 and does not include boarding, supplies and uniforms, costing as much as an additional $270 per year.

To put those expenses in context, the average annual income for a rural family can be as little as $40 USD in this 80 percent agrarian society. In many poor villages, transactions have regressed to bartering, with hard currency rarely seen let alone used. Most farmers are unfamiliar with bank notes larger than 100 Rwandan Francs (.20 cents). Thus, private education costing upwards of $520 a year is beyond the reach of all but the most privileged Rwandans. Butare Girls High School will be a private school but will welcome orphans and other girls who can‘t afford the full tuition. Their costs will be paid through scholarships and sponsorships.