Challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020, severely disrupted education systems around the world. In Rwanda, school closures and economic challenges placed thousands of children—especially those from vulnerable families—at risk of falling behind in their education or dropping out of school entirely.

Students faced limited access to learning resources, parents struggled to cover schooling costs, and schools needed additional support to maintain safe learning environments and address the psychosocial impact of the pandemic on learners.

To respond to these challenges, CARE International Rwanda launched an initiative to support students, families, and schools affected by the pandemic and ensure that children could continue their education.

Approach

Right Venture Creative produced a documentary showcasing the impact of CARE International Rwanda’s SAC’s Project, which aimed to protect access to quality education for vulnerable children.

The production focused on:

Documenting how the project supported students from vulnerable households
• Capturing stories from students, parents, teachers, and community members
• Showcasing school-level interventions to strengthen COVID-19 prevention and learning environments
• Highlighting mentorship and psychosocial support activities for adolescent girls and boys

Through interviews and field footage, the documentary illustrates how targeted support programs helped learners remain engaged in school during a challenging global crisis.

Results

The SAC’s Project made significant contributions to supporting vulnerable students and strengthening education systems during the pandemic.

Key results highlighted in the documentary include:

Support provided to 71,999 children across six districts in Rwanda’s Southern and Western Provinces
• Provision of scholastic materials and education support for children from vulnerable families
• Small grants provided to parents to help cover their children’s schooling needs
• Financial support to schools to strengthen COVID-19 prevention measures and safe learning environments
• Establishment of weekly mentorship and psychosocial support clubs for adolescent girls and boys

Through these interventions, the project helped ensure that vulnerable children could continue learning while promoting inclusive and equitable access to quality education, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).