Rwanda English Project

The Rwanda English Project is an initiative of Effective School Practices, an Oregon 501(c)3 non-profit formed in 2006. The mission of ESP is to promote and implement research-proven instructional programs and teaching techniques to benefit low income, disadvantaged, and at risk students of any age.

The project started began after directors Donald and Deborah Steely visited Rwanda following work in Kenya where they had been conducting teacher training in Direct Instruction programs on a volunteer basis in tandem with Cindi’s Hope. The pair appreciated the enthusiasm of the country’s residents who, surrounded by English-speaking countries, desperately needed and wanted to learn the language they could become employable in a commerce system shifting from subsistence farming to an international one based on IT, business services, and tourism.

Their work encompasses a variety of endeavors aimed at providing English instruction to the country’s residents through schools, government offices and community organizations. Their efforts began with providing 50 teachers instruction in Direct Instruction Spoken English (DISE) who were then trained to become instructors themselves. This program continues with multiple teacher cohorts who provide instruction in DISE to other teachers and reaches thousands of students. The Steelys have also trained inmates at Embu Women’s Prison and South Sudanese widows whose families were killed and found themselves caring for South Sudanese orphans in Nairobi.

The Engelmann Foundation has provided more than $13,000 in monetary support for the Rwanda English Project. Learn more about the project and upcoming efforts on Rwanda English Project’s website or follow them on Facebook.