The formerly high flows of foreign aid have slowed and are now channelled through the government rather than community groups. At the same time, poor people s access to public services is severely restricted by unaffordable user fees. The education system suffered greatly during the genocide with the loss of trained teachers and the destruction of schools and colleges. School attendance, particularly by girls, is down, caused by a lack of school places and poor facilities, the introduction of user fees and the need for children to contribute to household income. Young people have very few opportunities for either further studies or employment after they leave school.
Health services are also poor and management structures inefficient, especially in rural areas.
The few trained health care professionals are unevenly distributed in the country. There is a general lack of awareness of preventative health measures and the HIV infection rate is high. Vital infrastructure, such as rural water supplies and sanitation, is poor in both rural and urban areas and food security remains low. In 1997, the Rwandan Minister of Education asked VSO for volunteers to teach in the devastated education system. The VSO Rwanda programme will, for the foreseeable future, continue to focus on the mainstream education system, but there are opportunities for future involvement in other sectors.