Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout in Post-Genocide Rwanda

The research examines the long-term effects of the 1994 Rwandan genocide on primary school dropout rates, specifically analyzing whether living near genocide-targeted areas increases dropout risk and if development aid mitigates this effect. Using a sample of 63,892 respondents and spatial data, the study finds that while proximity to genocide events alone does not significantly increase dropout probability, the presence of aid projects in those areas reduces the likelihood of dropout by 20%. This effect is most pronounced in low-income households, where the probability of dropout decreases by 10.6%. The study also identifies that child-headed households and rural residence are associated with higher dropout rates, while female students and those with educated household heads are less likely to drop out.

• Geographical proximity to areas targeted during the genocide does not independently increase the probability of primary school dropout.
• Development aid significantly reduces the likelihood of educational dropout for children living in proximity to genocide-targeted areas, with a substantial effect of 20%.
• The mitigating effect of development aid on school dropout is most significant for low-income households, reducing the probability by 10.6%.
• Household head status strongly influences dropout risk, with child-headed households showing the highest probability of dropout.
• The educational level of the household head is a critical factor; children with heads who have not completed primary education have a 31 percentage point higher probability of dropout compared to those with more educated heads.
• Gender and residence play a role in dropout rates, with girls and urban residents being less likely to drop out than boys and rural residents.

APA

Helskog, K. (n.d.). Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout in Post-Genocide Rwanda. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7cbc9341-df01-492c-afb3-f6df848be88e/Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Helskog, Kristine. Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout in Post-Genocide Rwanda. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7cbc9341-df01-492c-afb3-f6df848be88e/Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Helskog |first1=Kristine |title=Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout in Post-Genocide Rwanda |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7cbc9341-df01-492c-afb3-f6df848be88e/Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{helskogndeffectiveness, author = {Helskog, Kristine}, title = {{Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout in Post-Genocide Rwanda}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7cbc9341-df01-492c-afb3-f6df848be88e/Effectiveness of Aid on Educational Dropout.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }