Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

The main objective of APAX is to make a contribution towards lasting peace in Rwanda by insuring the social integration of disabled children that are normally excluded from the society . The school becomes an instrument for enduring peace by demonstrating for any community full integration and unity. Students learn and work together. Apart from the general curriculum they also learn good communication skills and empathy thus contributing to permanent reconciliation and the cutting the cycle of violence.

After the genocide of 1994 the number of disabled children and poverty in the rural areas increased. The normal bond and connections between people has been deeply affected and children have become the victim of this social circumstance. In spite of this, all Rwandans share the same language and the same culture and the main differences among peoples are due to differences in access to education, health and economic opportunities.

Traditionally, the Rwandan culture has ignored the rights of disabled children. They were neglected by families and institutions and were often left to die. In a poor country the resources are not enough to assist persons who cannot participate in gaining their own livelihoods. By our approach,of educating disabled children and children without physical or mental disabilities together, in the same school, we are correcting this bias.

What is your project and how will it help?

The APAX activities are based on the following domains: 

- Spiritual education
This is training provided to the young people who want to become missionaries for peace in their life and other people whether married or not who want to become peace makers in the world.

- Formal education 
This consists of education according to the national curriculum in general plus program for peace education in particular. Which makes APAX schools become pilot schools for peace.
Formal schools include: nursery schools, primary and secondary schools.

- Vocational training
This is training provided to the population who never got chance of continuing their education and most of them have limited financial means.

The main training provided includes: 
- Handicraft making 
- Agriculture
- Knitting 
- Sewing
- Special and inclusive education

Special education consists of education of handicapped people whereby children get educated according to their capacity and adult handicapped people are initiated to the vocational training.

Inclusive education: is education whereby handicapped children from special education are mixed with other students for formal education.

- The socio-cultural and intra-community actions
Aiming development, unity and reconciliation, activities include regular visits, social supports, culture value for peace training, bringing together communities as part of complementing each other rather than competition and rivalry.

By this project we are going to have interesting achievements

- Number of handicapped and non-disabled students working, studying and playing together and forming friendships

- Increased number of disabled students continuing their education and entering the workforce

- Increased community cohesion by the construction of the buildings, i.e. provide the necessary infrastructure to educate children in a conducive environment

How can other people partner with you on your project?

People can partner with us by providing funding.

For the last 10 years APAX have been operating, the following are challenges that the partners could relieve according to their domain of action.

- Lack of buildings for our activities
- Lack of permanent administration personnel 
- Limited human capacity
- Limited financial capacity 
- Lack of transport facilities 
- Lack of goods for children

Please detail the resources that you need.

The total amount to build a new centre for inclusive education: USD 400,000

Classrooms USD 90,500
Dormitory for girls USD 72,800
Dormitory for boys USD 60,500
Dining room USD 50,300
Administration USD 63,000
Toilets & bathrooms USD 33,100