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Rwanda
Prefer Preschool is based in the Republic of Rwanda, in the community of Gashangiro, 4km from Ruhengeri.
Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania which has the densest population in the African continent. It is home to approximately 10.1 million people most of whom engage in subsistence agriculture. The terrain of the country is fertile and hilly.
The country has received considerable international attention due to its 1994 genocide, in which between 800,000 and one million people were killed most of whom were less than 18 years of age. Today about 1 million vulnerable children exist, which amounts to 1/8th of the total population. At the social level, the genocide and population movements entailed by it, have deeply changed the profile of the Rwandan population. Households lost several family members, their property was destroyed, and social behaviour changed. In addition the social fabric was shattered. In this context of war and genocide, thousands of Rwandan children lost their parents or were separated from them. Almost all children went through traumatising experiences. A number of children eventually found themselves heading their households, while others were placed into foster families. Others were sent to centres for unaccompanied children and a significant number of others were driven on to the streets.
In 2008, Rwanda became the first country in history to elect a national legislature in which a majority of members were women. Most of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.
Rwanda is blessed with good governance and an attainable vision for the future. Our current government, lead by President Paul Kagame, holds education first and foremost, as this is the way most likely to bring children out of poverty and ignorance. This the reason for Prefer Preschool.
