Irerero School, Rwanda

About Irerero School

New Mona Partner in 2025

Irerero School partners closely with Pygmy Survival Alliance (PSA) in the United States and Health Development Initiative (HDI), a Rwandan nonprofit, to support the people known historically as the "Batwa", an extremely marginalized population and one of many indigenous groups in Central Africa broadly known as Pygmies.


In 2009, PSA and HDI began collaborating with one village outside Kigali to help empower the people to address basic needs and reduce the nearly 50% mortality of children under age 5. Over time, the mothers said, “Before, many of our children were dying … Now, so many are surviving, we need a nursery school where they can go.”  In response to their request, a local development leader, Claude Bizimana, founded Irerero Nursery School in 2015 as a nonprofit Early Childhood Development (ECD) center.


Today, Irerero is far more than a nursery school. Through its continuing partnership with PSA and HDI, and with strong community and youth leadership, dedicated teachers, and parent involvement, Irerero School now also provides academic support, scholarships, skills training, and development and cultural programs for hundreds of children, youth, and adults across three villages.

The Challenge

Rwanda’s indigenous forest dwellers are known as "Batwa", and in the national language of Kinyarwanda often called "the people left behind by history".  A dwindling population of about 33,000, they were displaced from their ancestral lands in the twentieth century by wildlife conservation and agricultural expansion, leaving them landless, impoverished, and socially excluded. About one-third perished in the country's 1994 genocide, and survivors were largely excluded from national reconciliation and aid programs. Many lost family members, homes, and any remaining land, while their suffering went largely unacknowledged. Today, their communities face extreme poverty, limited access to education and healthcare, and entrenched discrimination, making them one of Rwanda’s most vulnerable groups.


Although primary and secondary school tuition is free, Batwa families are often unable to afford school uniforms, study materials, or meal contributions. Children may also experience stigma from teachers and peers. The combined result is high absenteeism and dropout rates. Only about 16% of children complete primary school, and 3% complete secondary education. Adult illiteracy is above 50%.

The Solution:  Irerero School Programs

Irerero's extensive programs reflect the school's community-driven approach to education and empowerment: 

  • Early Childhood Education (ages 3–6): Nursery school classrooms that are safe and nurturing, where children receive foundational learning and a daily meal. 
  • After-School Tutoring (Grades 4–6): Targeted support to improve student learning and ensure readiness for national exams. 
  • Scholarships: Support for secondary and university students, creating pathways for higher learning. 
  • Library & Technology Access: Books, educational toys, and a planned computer lab with Wi-Fi to equip students with digital skills. 
  • Girls’ Empowerment: Cultural arts and dance program that provides mentorship for girls. 
  • Sports Programs: Training and recreational activities that promote health, teamwork, and confidence. 
  • Skills Training for Youth and Young Adults: Practical vocational skills such as tailoring, hairdressing, and shoemaking that open pathways to employment and income generation. 
  • Parent & Community Engagement: Adult literacy classes, farming, animal husbandry, financial training, and awareness-building on health and nutrition to improve community stability and sustainability. 

How we help

Mona Foundation has followed Pygmy Survival Alliance's development work in Rwanda with great admiration for many years and thus learned about Irerero School. We are delighted to now join with PSA in supporting the Irerero School to further strengthen and expand the firm foundation they built together: an empowered community-driven model where dedicated local leaders, teachers, parents, and youth are actively engaged in shaping educational opportunities to uplift their children, families, and communities.  

Irerero School's 2025 Progress

With your help:

  • 188 students educated 
  • Established a computer lab with 10 desktops and free community Wi-Fi serving students and over 100 community members 
  • Recruited 2 new teachers and 4 teacher helpers to support primary students 
  • Provided scholarships for 17 secondary school students covering tuition, uniforms, and school materials 
  • Expanded community library with multilingual books in partnership with Kigali Library 
  • Trained 10 girls in sewing reusable sanitary pads through the girls' empowerment program 
  • 50 adolescents participated in sexual and reproductive health sessions in partnership with Health Development Initiative

2026 Plans

Mona's commitment: $10,000

  • Educate and serve 188 students 
  • Expand after-school tutoring with additional teachers for Primary 4–6 students 
  • Provide scholarship support for 2 university students, including the first Batwa women from Cyaruzinge to enter tertiary education, and for vulnerable secondary learners 
  • Serve 100 students through youth empowerment programs and 20 students through girls' empowerment programs 
  • Launch parent education programming focused on positive parenting and the value of education for 100 parents
Support Irerero's 2026 Plans

Ngabo is a Changemaker. Listen to his story.

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    Ngabo with a few members of the youth group he founded to provide young people with a voice and a role in transforming their communities.

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    Ngabo with his mother and Dr. Karl Weyrauch, founder of Pygmy Survival Alliance

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  • Ngabo visited a Batwa community near his university to see how they are doing.

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    Inspired by Ngabo's visit, the youth in this village decided to help an old man (on Ngabo's left) repair his home.

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Impact Story:

When Parents Understand, Everything Changes

When Clever first enrolled in school, he was expected to complete several household chores before school each day. Although he wanted to learn, he often arrived tired, making it difficult to concentrate and participate in class.


Irerero's teachers and program staff worked with Clever's parents to help them understand the importance of education and their role in supporting his learning. Through parent education sessions, his family learned how to create a home environment that encouraged regular attendance and academic progress.


After reorganizing household responsibilities, Clever began attending school regularly, arriving prepared, and engaging more confidently in class. His parents have also committed to providing the same opportunities for his younger siblings.


Clever shares: "Now my parents give me more time to prepare and study. I attend school regularly, concentrate better, and I feel more confident about my education and my future."


His parent reflects:"Through Irerero, we learned that we also have an important role in helping our children succeed. We have changed how we organize responsibilities at home, and we can already see the change in our son."

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