Since February 2010, the Child Support Center (CSC) in Kigali, Rwanda has been providing educational and nutritional services to over thirty orphans and other vulnerable children in the community. Through the education program, CSC beneficiaries are provided with supplemental English language courses three days a week in addition to homework support and tutoring in Math and Sciences during other days. CSC began a partnership with Orphans of Rwanda (ORI), a competitive university scholarship program for vulnerable youth, where ORI students volunteer their time as teachers for CSC beneficiaries, while gaining practical job experience to help them in their future careers as teachers.

In addition to the education program, program beneficiaries receive hot meals on the weekends and other nutritional supplements during weekdays. All beneficiaries were also provided with health insurance during the quarter. In general, CSC has created a safe space where beneficiaries come even when formal programs aren’t scheduled, learning traditional Rwandan dance ,singing songs, or just passing time together. Next quarter CSC will also launch a mentoring and counseling program to provide beneficiaries with psychosocial support services.

Tags: Child Support Center, education, nutrition, orphans