What is the name of your organization?
The Maranyundo Initiative
What is the name of your solution?
Maranyundo Training Center
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Empowering educators through a tech training hub, equipping them with digital and tech skills to enhance learning across Rwanda
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Cambridge, MA, USA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
USA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
The specific problem we are working to solve is the gender disparity in STEM education and careers, particularly in Rwanda, where women are significantly underrepresented in science and technology fields. Within the Benebikira School Network (BSN), which consists of the Maranyundo Girls School and 16 additional schools throughout Rwanda serving approximately 12,000 students, with 75% being girls, there is a critical lack of access to technically advanced STEM education resources, with hands-on, modern, learning guided by trained educators. The teaching workforce in STEM is predominantly male, restricting access to female role models and reinforcing societal norms that discourage girls from pursuing STEM careers. The scale of gender disparities in STEM exist beyond the BSN, both locally and globally.
Our solution addresses key contributing factors by equipping the Maranyundo Teaching and Learning Center (MTLC) with STEM and tech education trainings, including continuing education classes through an online platform that will enable teachers to implement student-centered, hands-on learning strategies back in their classroom. Within 3-5 years, our initiative has the potential to impact over 9,000 teachers and 130,000 students across all 17 BSN schools, creating systemic change and increasing female participation in STEM and tech fields across Rwanda.
What is your solution?
Our solution bridges the gap between technology and teaching by equipping Rwandan educators with the tools and trainings to bring 21st century STEM education from the MTLC to their schools and communities. The MTLC will serve as a hub where teachers and students come to gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge STEM equipment such as laptops, 3D printers, microscopes, and smart boards. In addition, educators trained at the MTLC will return to their schools equipped with the knowledge and resources using an online platform to implement innovative STEM curricula, ensuring a lasting impact beyond the center itself. This model enables widespread, scalable adoption of STEM education, expanding access across Rwanda and fostering a new generation of technologically skilled learners.
By integrating these technologies into teaching, the MTLC will provide access to leading STEM resources. Participants will develop critical problem-solving skills and technical expertise, empowering them to pursue STEM career fields. As more educators integrate these tools and methodologies into their classrooms, communities will experience increased digital literacy, higher student engagement, and greater opportunities in STEM fields. Through the MTLC, we are shaping the future of education and workforce development in Rwanda. MTLC’s progress video: https://youtu.be/6GmOMM8Mbf4
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution is designed to expand STEM education opportunities for girls and female teachers in Rwanda, particularly within the Benebikira School Network (BSN), a network of 17 schools in Rwanda. By providing hands-on STEM and tech resources, training, and mentorship, we aim to address the gender gap in STEM fields. Female teachers who receive this trainings will return to their communities, using an online platform to continue the trainings, and help educate 10-15 neighboring public schools, significantly broadening our impact and reaching approximately 9,000 female students.
Currently, many young women in Rwanda lack access to STEM education due to limited resources and societal norms that discourage their participation. Our initiative directly combats these barriers by equipping female students and teachers with the tools and support to pursue STEM careers. This investment not only empowers individual students but also fosters long-term systemic change by increasing the number of female teachers in STEM, shifting gender imbalances in both education and the workforce. Additionally, as female teachers gain visibility in leadership roles, it will normalize women as authority figures for male and female students alike. By scaling through teacher-led outreach, our initiative ensures sustainable, far-reaching impact, ultimately transforming Rwanda’s STEM landscape.