Nyabihu School for the Deaf
Where
Education
finds
its
Voice
Our first project began at the School for the Deaf in Nyabihu, led by director Erig Ngabo.
For more than eleven years, over 60 students had to walk more than an hour to reach the nearest library. With an investment of just €2,000, we established a dedicated library directly next to the school — giving students immediate and consistent access to books and learning materials for the first time.
The library includes 200 carefully selected books focused on nature, fiction, vocabulary development, and language learning, as well as 30 board games and puzzles that support cognitive and social development. We provided school supplies such as notebooks and writing materials, installed shelving and storage furniture, and added stuffed animals and toys to create a warm, welcoming environment tailored to younger children. On weekends, the space opens to the wider community, extending its impact beyond the school itself.
In addition to physical resources, we covered the cost of additional teaching hours, strengthening the students’ educational development and improving long-term prospects for their families and overall quality of life.
One year later, the reported results are remarkable. Reading skills and the ability to interpret lip reading and sign language improved from an average score of 73% to 90%. Understanding of written Kinyarwanda — particularly important because spoken and written forms differ significantly — increased from 24% to 50%. English comprehension rose from 45% to 70%. Due to the strong engagement and enthusiasm of the students, the library is now being expanded with additional books and shelves, as many children have already read through most of the original collection.
What began as a small investment became a measurable transformation — proof that structured access to learning changes outcomes.
