The TWIGE Project, part of USAID's efforts in Rwanda, focuses on improving literacy outcomes for all children by the end of Primary 3 through enhanced educational quality and support systems, particularly targeting early childhood development and children with disabilities. Despite high primary enrollment rates, a significant portion of Rwandan children struggle with literacy; the project aims to address this through improved home, community, and school environments, as well as socio-emotional skill development and better access to quality learning materials. The initiative aligns with the Rwandan government's educational strategies and seeks to empower local officials and engage families to foster a culture of reading and learning continuity.
The TWIGE Project, initiated by USAID in Rwanda, aims to enhance literacy outcomes for Rwandan children by the end of Primary 3 (P3), focusing on improving education quality and supporting the Government of Rwanda's educational strategies. Despite a high primary school enrollment rate, a significant portion of Rwandan children fails to achieve reading proficiency by P3, as evidenced by the 2018 Early Grade Reading Assessment which indicated that 70% of students struggle with reading.
Key outcomes of the project include creating safer and more stimulating home and school environments, enhancing accessibility to quality learning for children with disabilities, improving teaching quality, and increasing access to educational materials. Special emphasis is placed on early childhood development and pre-primary education to bridge learning gaps.
The implementation approach combines ongoing and new initiatives to fortify the education system and engage communities in supporting literacy development. The TWIGE Project is also addressing the repercussions of COVID-19 on learning by focusing on the needs of students who have fallen behind. Overall, the project embodies USAID's strategy to foster human capital and advance Rwanda’s path to self-reliance through improved literacy and education quality.
USAID/Rwanda is seeking information through a Request for Information (RFI) to gather insights on an upcoming Schools and Systems Activity, aimed at enhancing the education system for pre-primary and lower primary students over a projected five-year funding of $25 to $30 million. The initiative will focus on improving reading skills and educational quality in alignment with Rwanda's development goals, specifically targeting the literacy challenges highlighted by a 70% rate of children not reading proficiently by the end of primary school. Responses to the RFI are to be submitted by December 10, 2020, and will inform potential program designs without creating any binding agreements or commitments from USAID.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the Schools and Systems Activity in Rwanda, set to enhance the quality of pre-primary and lower primary education over a potential five-year period with funding between $25 and $30 million. The purpose is to ensure high-quality, inclusive learning environments focusing on foundational reading skills amid rising concerns over literacy outcomes. The RFI seeks to gather insights on the draft activity description, commented frameworks, and implementation strategies.
The activity aligns with USAID/Rwanda's Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) to improve learning outcomes as part of the LEARN Project. Key objectives include enhancing pre-primary education systems, improving lower primary classroom instruction, fostering safer and more supportive school environments, and strengthening education systems management for better literacy results.
Interested parties should submit responses via email by December 10, 2020, including a cover page stating their organization's details and comments on the activity description. The RFI emphasizes that responses will not create any binding commitments on the U.S. Government and that individual feedback will not be provided. This information gathering is instrumental in planning effective interventions for educational development in Rwanda.