The ANSWER project proudly reaches one of its most significant milestones with the signature of more than 50 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the Rwandan partner higher education institutions and companies, SMEs, associations, and organisations from both the public and private sectors. These agreements will enable students with disabilities to access inclusive, accessible, and high-quality internship opportunities, fostering their transition into the labour market on an equal footing.
This achievement is the result of an extensive and strategic outreach effort carried out by the ANSWER consortium to actively engage the Rwandan socio-economic ecosystem. By building strong and sustainable partnerships with employers, the project has laid the foundations for long-term employment pathways for graduates with disabilities from Rwandan HEIs.
In parallel, each partner university has developed a transversal disability-inclusive internship framework, designed to be applied across all study programmes and institutional placement schemes. This common structure ensures that inclusion is not addressed through isolated actions, but embedded as a systemic and lasting institutional practice.
A particularly illustrative example is the East African University of Rwanda, which has signed several strategic agreements, including an MoU with the Diplomat Hotel Nyagatare.
The agreement was formally signed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration and Finance on behalf of EAUR and the Director of Finance and Administration on behalf of the hotel, demonstrating a shared institutional commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities.
These disability-inclusive internships are grounded in a clearly defined policy framework that guarantees:
- Open, inclusive, and accessible working environments
- Zero discrimination in recruitment, hiring, and career progression
- Safe and healthy working conditions
- Equal opportunities and equal remuneration for work of equal value
- Concrete prospects for employment and professional advancement
- Support for entrepreneurship, cooperatives, and self-employment pathways
- The provision of reasonable accommodation in the workplace
The signature of these more than 50 agreements represents one of the most transformative and strategic achievements of the ANSWER project. It is a decisive step towards ensuring that students with disabilities are not only able to access higher education in Rwanda, but are also empowered to successfully complete their studies and transition into meaningful, sustainable employment.
As one of the final milestones of the project, this accomplishment reflects the very essence of ANSWER’s mission: moving from inclusion in policy to inclusion in practice, and from opportunity to real, measurable impact.
