REAP recognizes and addresses the myriad socio-economic factors that have an impact on community-members’ well being.
Dairy Farm Project
REAP started the Dairy Farm Project, a farm of six cows (now managed by the school and community) that addresses nursery school children’s basic nutritional needs by giving each student one cup of milk everyday.
Sustainable Agricultural Development
The Community Board initiated a model vegetable and fruit garden to fight malnutrition, generate income, support the feeding of students at the Community Learning Center and Library (CLCL) and serve as a field study farm for Musha community members to learn modern farming. Village Kitchen, a local self-help group dedicated to ensuring a healthy diet, will cook balanced meals on Saturday at CLCL for food insufficient families.
Musha Health Center
REAP, in partnership with the Musha Health Center, brings doctors, and health professionals to the CLCL to provide vaccines, birth control as well as timely information on HIV and malaria prevention to community members.
Prenatal Health Care and Early Childhood Development
To reduce maternal and under-five mortality rates, REAP, in partnership with Musha Health Center, has started a program for pregnant women who gather at the Community Learning Center and Library (CLCL) once a month for prenatal health discussions and services like vaccinations and family planning. Nurses from the health center come to the CLCL to facilitate group discussions as well as increase participants' access to basic health services.
Primary Teacher Lunch Program
REAP funds a lunch program for 34 Duha School Complex primary school teachers. These teachers, in spite of being on the bottom of the pay scale, have the longest day of work (7 A.M. to 5 P.M). Until three years ago, they went without lunch while at work. Our primary teacher lunch program not only provides teachers with a nutritious meal, but also bolsters their morale and the energy they need to sustain the rigors of teaching.
The Duha School Complex recognizes that sanitary toilets are essential to a quality education as they can reduce illnesses that can lead to conditions that include malnutrition, diminished concentration, attendance, focus, and physical development. Access to on-site toilets vs. commercial toilets (or having to go home to relieve oneself during the school day) is a vital element of a quality learning program. As such, REAP added six toilets, a few of which are accessible to students with disabilities.
Access to Water
Fresh, clean water, access to which is challenging in rural Rwandan villages, is available on site at the school, thank to water tanks that pipe in fresh water.
Reproductive and Sexual Health
REAP engages the community in sexual and reproductive topics through clubs that address these issues through plays for students, parents, and community members. These performances encourage dialogue and ultimately reduce teen pregnancies. The clubs are also involved with the operation of the Girls' Room, which provides refuge and support to menstruating girls. The Rwandan government hailed it as one of the best projects of its kind in the nation.
A major impediment across rural communities is the absence of electricity, especially critical to students who want to read and do their homework in the evenings. REAP installed electricity in the Duha school as well as in the surrounding community.