Caregiver Partnership
Caregivers Are Partners.
RTM believes lasting change for a child is not possible without the involvement of their caregiver.
For this reason, caregiver partnership is at the heart of everything we do.
We do not see caregivers as recipients of services. We see them as the most important and enduring agents of care and learning in a child’s life.
Why Caregivers Matter
The Reality for Children with Disabilities in Rural Rwanda
For children with disabilities in rural Rwanda, caregivers are often the child’s only source of protection, care, and advocacy.
Disability is still widely viewed as a curse. Many caregivers—especially mothers—face stigma, abandonment, and isolation. Community and government support is limited, and children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to neglect, exclusion, and physical danger.
In this context, a child’s well-being often depend almost entirely on whether a caregiver is willing and able to care.
RTM has learned that sustainable change begins not with techniques, but with a shift in how caregivers see their children. When a child is no longer viewed as a burden, but as a precious life with inherent worth, care begins to change. Over time, this change shows up in daily life—how children are fed, protected, included, and prioritized.
Without transformation at the caregiver level, progress in education or development cannot last.
How Caregivers Participate
Caregivers are not observers in RTM classrooms.
They are active participants who:
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assist their own child under teacher guidance,
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learn through hands-on practice rather than instruction alone, and
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help prepare the classroom, prepare and serve meals, and clean together.
This shared participation builds responsibility and ownership and allows learning to continue beyond the classroom.
RTM helps caregivers learn how to:
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support their child’s development with patience and consistency
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communicate more effectively with their child
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support learning and emotional regulation in daily routines
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keep children safe, clean, and healthy
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navigate local health services when medical needs arise
This learning is reinforced through repetition in the classroom and ongoing support through home visits.
Learning That Extends Into the Home
RTM’s work does not end in the classroom.
Real change must take root in the home, where the realities and challenges of daily life remain.
RTM staff regularly visit families to support caregivers as they apply what they are learning and to encourage consistency in care, hygiene, and daily routines.
Small, practical changes—repeated over time—can reshape a child’s daily experience.
Community Among Caregivers
Caregivers of children with disabilities are often isolated and unsupported.
RTM creates space for caregivers to connect, encourage one another, and grow together.
Over time, this community becomes a source of strength—for caregivers and for the children they serve.
