Volunteers pause during their training to be part of one of the Anglican Church of Rwanda’s early childhood developent projects.
ANTICIPATED LIVES IMPACTED: 2,650 total including 1,200 preschool students, 1,000 children in daycare, and 210 volunteers who receive training.
GRANT AMOUNT $103,270 from ARDF while the diocese will contribute another $117,840.
HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED
$860 provided training for 50 mentor couples.
$2,400 provided for parents to attend a healthy cooking demonstration.
$9,640 provided care for 120 children at the 10 new sites.
GLOBAL TRUSTEES APPROVED November 2021
Overview
In Rwanda, 80 percent of adults have only a primary school education, and most make their living through subsistence farming. Many of today’s parents want to give their children a head start to their education so that their children will have more opportunities than they have had, but the country lacks preschool facilities.
Early childhood development is now a priority of both the Rwandan government and the church. The Anglican Church of Rwanda will expand its early childhood development program by opening 10 church-based centers in Karongi Diocese.
Impact
Each of the 10 facilities will serve 120 children, as well as the children’s parents or caregivers, who will receive training on early childhood development. Fifty couples will be trained to serve as peer educators. These 100 parents will be those who model positive parenting and strong families. In order to create sustainability, each site will have volunteers involved in making toys that can be sold, generating income for the program.
“Before, we parents did not know how to prepare a balanced diet. But now we know how to prepare a healthy meal because we have been trained. We care about our children’s hygiene since hygiene is the source of life and having a nursery school has allowed us to complete our home duties securely because we are confident in our children’s safety.”
— Gerard Nsengiyumva, parent of a child enrolled in a church early childhood program in Rugombe, Rwanda
— Gerard Nsengiyumva, parent of a child enrolled in a church early childhood program in Rugombe, Rwanda
Updates
Two ARDF staff members visited this project in April 2023 and attended a dedication event. Many people from the community (including the mayor!) attended the event held on the church property, which exposed them to the ongoing minitries of the church. Below are photos of the dedication.
