Rwanda Establishes Research Advisory Committee for Inclusive Early Learning Project
Rwanda held the first Research Advisory Committee meeting for the GPE KIX project Scaling Inclusive ECCE and School Readiness Through Sign Language Rich Environments for Deaf Learners this past February. This project aims to create sign language rich environments in Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi. It focuses on five key pillars: providing skilled deaf teachers, developing accessible teaching materials, training teachers to effectively teach and assess deaf learners, evaluating learning outcomes and conducting awareness workshops with parents, families, and communities.
This initial meeting marks the beginning of the quarterly gatherings planned throughout the project period. The Research Advisory Committee plays a critical role in providing guidance and support to the project’s design, approach, reports, and to ensure that outputs align with research objectives while maintaining appropriate country context and high quality standards.
Hosted at eKitabu offices in Rwanda and Kigali, the CEO of eKitabu had the opportunity of meeting the Research Advisory Committee members that comprises of five members:
- A focal person from the National Child Development Agency overseeing Early Childhood Development and Disability
- A representative from the Rwanda Basic Education Board responsible for deaf education in the Special Needs and Inclusive Education department
- The Executive Director of the Rwanda National Union of the Deaf
- A deaf analyst and research specialist from the Rwanda National Union of the Deaf
- An expert specializing in education and psychology
The National Child Development Agency representative emphasized the committee’s importance in contextualizing materials and tools that will be used in Rwanda, as well as ensuring alignment with existing resources to deliver consistent messaging to targeted populations.
