Three critical elements have been identified as the primarily challenges in the Busengo area:
- The high school drop-out rate of primary students
- The dire socio-economic situation of many young single mothers
- The improvement of families’ economic perspectives
SPOT therefore strives to implement actions to help overcome these critical issues. Features common to each action include:
- Full decision-making responsibility is given to the community itself, through the establishment of a steering and monitoring committee, composed of representatives of both local community groups (women groups, notably) and representatives of the local parish.
- Detailed accounting of investments and results achieved.
- Periodic auditing by the SPOT program team.
- Progressive implementation and fine-tuning of actions, guided by results.
After completing an exploratory phase aimed to clearly define the needs of the Busengo local community (2023-2024), SPOT has since September 2024 been implementing the following two primary activities:
1. Primary and secondary school drop-out prevention campaign
SPOT works to prevent further school drop-out in Busengo by supporting students who are at risk of leaving school for financial reasons. The local community identifies families who are struggling to keep their children enrolled, and, based on the community’s findings and proposals, SPOT provides scholarships and engages educational tutors to ensure students receive the support they need to continue their education successfully.
The tutors monitor students’ learning progress and track attendance, with the objective of identifying problems or challenges as early as possible. The scholarships cover the mandatory school fees required for students to access the lunch programme, as well as costs related to school materials.
Total Scholarships Granted in 2023-2024: 58
Total Scholarships granted in 2024-2025: 98
Total Scholarships granted in 2025-2026: 80
2. Community Training Center
To support women in the community to acquire the skills needed to secure a regular income in the future, SPOT operates a Community Centre that serves as both a training hub and a safe space where students and women come together around community activities.
The Community Centre opened its doors in September 2024 (INZU Y’AMAHUGURWA in Kinyarwanda, the local language) with an official inauguration that also marked the launch of two training workshops for women in tailoring and weaving. The tailoring workshop is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, including 4 new mechanical sewing machines, an electric finishing machine, and a specialized machine for buttonholes and more complex stitches. In 2025, a further 5 machines were purchased for the tailoring worshop as demand had increased. The Centre also has access to a TV to help inform and engage the wider local community.
- Total number of women attending the tailoring in 2024/2025: 20
- Total number of women attending the weaving workshop in 2024/2025: 33
- Total number of women attending the tailoring and weaving workshop in 2025/2026: 11 (registrations still ongoing)
SPOT Activities Oversight and Local Management
In 2025, SPOT strengthened its presence in Busengo to ensure the continuity of activities and to support the project’s expansion through more effective day-to-day management and coordination. To this end, SPOT undertook two complementary actions that reinforce local ownership and operational capacity.
First, SPOT deployed Ms. Esther Uwimbabazi to Rwanda for a two-month mission. Rwandan by origin and based in Italy, Esther has a Master’s degree in International Business and Development. She has worked closely with the community to observe local dynamics and assess the feasibility of establishing a women’s cooperative. The cooperative is envisioned as a mechanism to support the INZU Y’AMAHUGURWA Training Centre by strengthening the marketing and commercialisation of locally produced goods. Her role has been to serve as a bridge and to provide valuable insights to inform the next phase of the project. Second, SPOT has appointed Ms. Domina Hakuzimana, a Rwanda-based social science expert, as SPOT Operations Director. She is now leading the coordination of project activities and ensuring continuous dialogue with community stakeholders, supporting effective implementation and long-term sustainability.
