THE ROAD AHEAD
Dec 17, 2017
The WAL family is entering an exciting new phase, with an energized board of directors and students capitalizing on the opportunity our donors have afforded them. In the coming year, we will be continuing to expand the “Kurera” Girls First Initiative, as well as working with several of our Senior students as they begin exploring and preparing for international college submissions. We also have our eyes on several children that are currently living on the streets but have shown tremendous potential. As soon as we raise additional funds we will be moving them into the We Are Limitless family and providing them with a quality education and access to healthcare. Another area where we are looking to expand is providing permanent housing for our students during the holidays and when school is out. In the past, we would return our students to the orphanages during these weeks but last year Rwanda closed all of the government run orphanages. Not surprisingly, this has led to an increase in street children. It also has created a challenge for us to find housing for our children during times when the boarding schools are closed. A major goal for the coming year will be to raise money to purchase a permanent space to house and feed our children when they are out of school. In 2018, WAL will begin reaching out to corporate sponsors and applying for grants but we will still continue to lean heavily on our local community and individual donors to fund our programs.
WAL 2017 Impact Report In the past few years, Rwanda has made significant strides when it comes to primary school enrollment and has seen attendance for girls rise to nearly 98%. Unfortunately, only 30% continue on to secondary school and the numbers get lower for senior secondary and Universities. Additionally, the dropout rate in primary school actually grew last year to 14.3% from 11.4% in 2010 (the last year data was available). This is where We Are Limitless has its greatest impact. Our students have a 100% attendance rate in all levels and zero dropouts. WAL’s individualized focus on each student is the reason for this success. Director of Operations, Angel Mutesi, checks on students every weekend and reports back to Matt about any issues that a student might be having. Medical issues are handled immediately and often have the greatest impact in terms of school attendance and success rates. In terms of academic issues, If a tutor is necessary, then one is brought in. If the school is not the right fit for the individual, then they are transferred to another school. Our goal is to expand the amount of students we serve at a rate that also allows us to grow the infrastructure we need to offer the individual attention that has allowed our students to be so successful. As our younger students progress, we are getting close to having our first students apply to universities in the United States. This past summer, Audrey, 18, enrolled in an SAT preparation class in Kigali. For three months she studied to take the October 15, SAT test. Pending her results, she will be applying to various universities in the U.S.