The Learning and Inclusion for Transformation (LIFT) programme in Rwanda is transforming the educational landscape for out-of-school children and youth by embedding Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles into every aspect of its work. Using implementation science, LIFT ensures that data drives actionable policy shifts and practical interventions, enabling government and communities to create sustainable, inclusive change. The programme focuses on foundational learning in English and Mathematics while addressing systemic barriers to education for girls, children with disabilities, and youth facing extreme poverty.
LIFT leverages evidence to inform targeted interventions across ministries and districts, continuously refining strategies based on real-time feedback from communities and partners. By integrating GEDSI principles into national education systems, LIFT ensures that initiatives are not isolated projects but part of broader, systemic change. The programme works with 16 local civil society partners to enhance sustainability and bring expertise directly to communities, ensuring interventions respond to the lived realities of the most disadvantaged learners.
Rwanda faces significant challenges, with over 165,000 out-of-school children identified by the government’s Zero Out-of-School Children programme. LIFT addresses these challenges by focusing on re-enrolment, retention, progression, and wellbeing. Gendered barriers, such as domestic workload for adolescent girls, limit educational opportunities. LIFT supports double-shift schooling, pilots childcare solutions, and links girls to sexual and reproductive health services to increase re-enrolment and retention.
Disability inclusion is a core priority for LIFT. Many children with functional difficulties are not identified or supported, contributing to late school entry or early dropout. LIFT partners with districts and disability-specialist organizations to train inclusive education focal teachers, pilot resource rooms, and develop assessments that reflect diverse learning needs. The programme also advocates for sustainable financing of assistive devices and inclusive infrastructure.
Poverty and protection concerns, including school costs and child labor, are addressed by linking education interventions with social protection mechanisms. LIFT engages youth directly, ensuring education aligns with their aspirations. Programmes in Technical and Vocational Education, functional literacy, entrepreneurship, and life skills connect learning to tangible livelihoods, enhancing relevance and motivation for students.
Looking ahead, LIFT continues to scale with purpose, ensuring interventions are co-created, tested, and adapted to local needs. The programme invests in community-led mapping and strengthens local data systems to make evidence meaningful and actionable. LIFT’s holistic approach tackles challenges such as retention, teacher support, and the relevance of education, ensuring that enrolment translates into real opportunities and long-term impact.
LIFT is a UK-funded initiative led by the Ministry of Education and implemented by Cambridge Education. It operates across seven districts—Gakenke, Gisagara, Karongi, Rusizi, Kirehe, Gasabo, and Ngororero—targeting children and youth most at risk of not completing basic education. By removing barriers, creating safe and inclusive school environments, and developing strong partnerships, LIFT enables every child to access equitable, transformative education.
