Rwanda

Country Context

 

Rwanda is a small, densely populated country in East Africa. It is a landlocked country and bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

​

Population: 13.6 million (2024 est.)

Area: 26,338 sq km (smaller than Hawaii)

Mean elevation: 1,598 m (lowest elevation: 950 m)

Language: Kinyarwanda, French, English, Swahili

Life Expectancy: 66.6 (world ranking 200 out of 227)

Median age: 20.8 (2024 est., world ranking 198 out of 229)

Population below poverty line (rural): 31.6% (2024 est.)

GDP per capital: USD 999.7 (2024 est.)

​[Source: The World Factbook, CIA; World Bank]

​​

Since the 1994 genocide, the country has made significant progress in stability, healthcare, and education. However, these gains are uneven, and rural communities continue to face deep structural gaps, especially for families caring for children with disabilities. 

​

Many families live on small-scale farming, with limited access to transportation, specialized healthcare, or education services. When a child has a disability, these constraints become far more severe.