Annual Report: Mureke Dusome October 2018 – September 2019

The project is being implemented by Save the Children and its partner organization, Umuhuza, through a phased approach, in all 30 districts of the country from January 2016 to July 2021. Mureke Dusome has been designed to contribute to the Rwandan Education Sector under the Government of Rwanda's national development priorities, whose strategic plan acknowledges the importance of developing lifelong reading habits and ensuring students develop the foundational skills needed to move from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn' across all curriculum subjects. The goal of Mureke Dusome is to improve P1-P3 students' ability to read with fluency and comprehension by strengthening the capacity of school leadership to improve student literacy through school-community partnerships, increasing effective community and parental involvement to improve literacy skills, and fostering a culture of reading. These three interrelated results will improve the quality of school-community partnerships as well as community and home learning environments (HLEs). The theory of change is that children learn to read better in these supportive conditions than if they are receiving classroom-based instruction alone. Mureke Dusome complements the classroom-based interventions of other USAID-funded education programs, namely USAID Soma Umenye. A phased approach to implementation was adopted, with the project launched in Rwanda in 2016. Burera and Gicumbi districts were chosen as implementation locations in year one, followed by the phased introduction into 10 additional districts in FY2017 and the final 18 districts in FY2018. To strengthen the capacity of school leadership to improve student literacy, Mureke Dusome worked in collaboration with the Rwanda Education Board (REB)-School Leadership and Management (SLM) Unit to develop the National Parent-School Partnerships Standards (NPSPS). These standards served as the framework for the content for Head Teachers' (HTs) and School General Assembly Committee (SGAC) presidents' and vice presidents' self-study modules. After piloting these self-study modules in 12 districts, Mureke Dusome scaled up to the remaining 18 districts in FY2018. To increase effective community and parental involvement in improving literacy skills, Mureke Dusome has been conducting a comprehensive Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) campaign. This campaign includes training community radio station workers on key Mureke Dusome literacy messages and integrating literacy content into community-based activities. The campaign aims to promote a culture of reading and improve literacy skills among children and their families. Mureke Dusome has made significant progress in achieving its goals. The project has developed and implemented a range of interventions to improve literacy outcomes, including the development of the NPSPS, the piloting and scaling up of self-study modules, and the implementation of the SBCC campaign. The project has also established partnerships with key stakeholders, including the Rwanda Education Board, Umuhuza, and community radio stations. The project's results have been promising, with improvements in literacy outcomes reported in the districts where Mureke Dusome has been implemented. The project has also contributed to the development of a culture of reading in Rwanda, with increased awareness and promotion of literacy among children and their families. Overall, Mureke Dusome has made significant contributions to improving literacy outcomes in Rwanda and has set a strong foundation for future education initiatives in the country.