The Maranyundo Initiative

The Maranyundo Initiative (MI) supports the Maranyundo Girls School, a school of excellence in Nyamata, Rwanda and other educational programs in Rwanda. The Maranyundo Initiative provides the financial support that allows the school to accept over half its students from economically vulnerable families. The Maranyundo Initiative also supports the school through programs in college advising, literacy, teacher development and English language learning.

The Maranyundo Girls School is an independent school, open to girls of all faiths. It is operated by the Benebikira Congregation, a Rwandan Order of Roman Catholic nuns revered for their acts of heroism and compassion during the genocide and highly respected for their commitment to academic excellence and educational opportunity for the poor.

The school opened as a middle school for 180 students in February 2008 with a mission to provide academic excellence to girls regardless of their economic situation. Within a few years it became one of the top middle schools in Rwanda. In 2014, with support from the Maranyundo Initiative, the school expanded to include a high school and STEM Center. The Maranyundo Girls School is now a full secondary school of Science and Technology with just under 400 students between the upper and lower school (grades S1-S6, equivalent to 7-12th grade).