2008 Rwanda BRPID Projects

Rwanda Association of University Women (RAUW)

Project to help make girls much more aware of existing and current career opportunities. There is considerable need for a project of this kind in Rwanda as there is little or no career counselling in schools for girls or boys. This counselling project used a very successful handbook produced and used in schools by the Uganda Association of University Women (UAUW).

RAUW members translated the original UAUW Guidance and Career Counselling Handbook from English into French. An initial trial was run was made during 2008 in three schools; comprising two government schools, Lycee de Kigalia and FAWE Girls’ School and one private school, Green Hills Academy. More than 90 secondary school girls took part in the trial and benefited from the introduction of this handbook. A few boys at the Lycee were also included in the trials at the request of the school and positive benefits were also reported. The book was found to be very appropriate to the needs of the teenagers and was well received by students, teachers and parents alike. The trial handbook was printed by the Rwanda Government and the Rwanda Ministry of Education Curriculum Development Centre is currently reviewing the book with a view to providing it as a Ministry text for all schools in the future.