Quarterly Report: Mureke Dusome, Quarter 2, Fiscal Year 2021

To achieve this, Mureke Dusome builds the capacity of School General Assembly Committees to mobilize parents and community members, especially community volunteer Literacy Champions, who organize community reading clubs and other literacy promotion activities. Mureke Dusome is working with the communities surrounding public and government-aided primary schools nationwide. The activity is being implemented by Save the Children and its partner organizations, notably Umuhuza, from January 2016-July 2021. Other partnerships have included Urunana DC (2016-2018) and Uwezo Youth Empowerment (2020-2021). In Q2 FY2021, Mureke Dusome in partnership with its stakeholders, including national, district, sector, school, and local leaders, volunteers, and families, worked to ensure that children were assisted to continue practicing and improving their reading skills. The following numbers of engaged stakeholders, reached program participants, and materials distributed were reported: 75,938 Kinyarwanda storybooks and Karame magazine editions 4, 5, 6, and 7 were distributed to reading clubs in Burera, Ruhango, Ngororero, Kirehe, Gasabo, Huye, Ngoma, Rulindo, Nyarugenge, and Gatsibo districts. Additionally, 14 community libraries were monitored, including the 4 community libraries established by Mureke Dusome. A total of 912 people borrowed books from the 4 new community libraries, with 473 females and 439 males. Mureke Dusome also reported reaching 40,696 children, 21,996 females, and 18,700 males, through remote monitoring and field/home visits to monitor literacy activities across the country. Furthermore, 851 Literacy Champions and Community Education Workers were coached and mentored through phone calls and field/home visits, with 466 females and 385 males. A total of 226 Community Education Workers were coached and mentored on Income Generating Activities, with 108 females and 118 males. Mureke Dusome also supported 22 Income Generating Activity Groups through onsite visits. The activity also reported reaching 1,367 participants, including 517 females and 850 males, through Sector Level Education Council meetings for peer learning. Additionally, 6,750 parents, 4,093 females, and 2,657 males, were reached through Reading Awareness Workshops facilitated by Faith-Based Organization volunteers in Ngororero, Ruhango, Burera, and Kirehe districts. Mureke Dusome also reported reaching 30 children with disabilities, 10 females and 20 males, through remote monitoring and home visits in Gasabo, Burera, and Ruhango. Community Education Workers met during handover meetings, with 692 participants, 373 females, and 319 males. School and local leaders, Faith-Based Organizations, parents, and Community Education Workers representatives met during handover meetings, with 218 participants, 52 females, and 166 males. Mureke Dusome's successes in Q2 FY2021 include hosting a virtual learning and advocacy event with key government representatives, including MINEDUC and other stakeholders in education and disability rights, to present and reflect on best practices and lessons learned through the implementation of inclusion activities targeting parents of children with disabilities to increase children's literacy outcomes. The activity also successfully handed over activities to officials in 5 model districts, with local leaders expressing their commitment to ensure reading activities continue in their respective districts and sectors. Furthermore, Mureke Dusome organized a series of five webinars through the Save the Children global learning forum to share achievements, best practices, and lessons learned in the implementation of Mureke Dusome project. Presentations were made on the SBCC approaches, SLM approaches, and Inclusion activities targeting parents of children with disabilities.