Youth First Rwanda Program

PROJECT TIMELINE

2020- 2024

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Through a multilateral collaboration, Cartier Philanthropy is funding CorStone https://corstone.org/, a US based nonprofit organization leading on programming around resilience through a programme entitled “Youth First”, which Inspire, Educate and Empower Rwanda (IEE), https://www.iee.rw/, a local nonprofit Non-Government Organization is implementing in Rwandan schools.

Youth First Rwanda (YFR) is an evidence-based empowerment programme designed to improve mental, social-emotional and physical wellbeing of Rwandan adolescents aged between 13-15 years of Age. The main goal of the Youth First Program is to develop emotional and social resilience among Rwandan youth, to help them thrive in amidst challenges and achieve their learning and life goals. The program equips the adolescents with life skills such as self-awareness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, planning and social skills.

Youth First is complementing efforts of the Government of Rwanda in Human Development on which depends achievement of Rwanda’s aspirations for economic, social and governance transformation as embedded in the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1). Youth First is being implemented in 50 schools across Rwanda, intending to reach over 7500 young people in senior 1 in public and Government -aided schools as well as over 200 teachers. Through supporting emotional resilience, social resilience and physical resilience, Rwanda’s young people are being empowered with character strength, problem-solving, and buoyancy to advocate for self and others’ rights for wellbeing. This programme is positioning young people to effectively achieve basic and generic competencies in the basic education competence-based curriculum, for vibrant, tenacious 21^st century young people with effective communication skills, problem-solving, collaboration and resilience skills to tackle demands of the times while also being resourceful members of the Rwandan community.

CorStone’s work on resilience is driven by convictions and evidence of the human potential for self-development and redirection in all aspects of life, against all odds. Driven by conviction that development starts inside, CorStone supports resilience programming for young people, empowering them with the skills to re-frame their identity, unlock their potential, and reset their life trajectory.

From September 2020-June 2021, the Youth First Rwanda programme was piloted in 5 schools in 2 districts of Rwanda, with more than 600 S1 students and 30 facilitators.  The pilot was intended to fine-tune the content in the curriculum, approaches to training and the assessment methods.

The students were exposed to 25 sessions in the Youth First Rwanda curriculum. Resilience as the first of the components of the curriculum YFR curriculum, helps adolescents to develop personal resilience equipping them with skills to thrive in amidst challenges and to achieve their objectives. The topics in the component include emotional intelligence, relationship and communications and character strengths. Health as second component of the YFR curriculum refines adolescents’ knowledge of health; introducing to them how to promote their mental health, social emotional health and physical health through observance of personal hygiene, taking care of their body, saying no to drugs, avoiding irresponsible sexual behaviors and enhancing their awareness of rights and opposing gender violence.

The program trains teachers as facilitators who guide discussions in classroom settings in groups of 20 students in one-hour sessions held once per week.

It is expected that from the Youth First Rwanda Programme students’ resilience, academic performance and ability to make healthy decisions will improve.  

CorStone seeks to support the Rwanda Basic Education Board  (REB) through IEE, in the implementation, evaluation, and growth of YFR over five years, aiming to transition program ownership to REB and scale the program to no less than 30,000 S-1 students (50% of total) per year in public schools across all 30 districts in Rwanda by the end of 2024. Currently, the programme is being implemented in 50 schools in 6 districts of Gasabo, Bugesera, Kayonza, Rulindo, Musanze and Huye.

PARTNERS

• CorStone – USA
• Rwanda Basic Education Board

PROJECT IMPACT

The Project will Benefit

PROJECT STORIES