When Ian Berulo Cyusa was growing up, it was possible to miss an entire semester of school without anyone noticing. Now 33 years old, the Kigali-based tech developer is determined to make sure today’s children don’t slip through the cracks the same way.
Cyusa, who lost his mother at birth and later his entire family in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, says his motivation is personal. "I dropped out at some point because of finances, and only returned when free education was introduced. I got through college, but I couldn’t even leave school during holidays because I had no home to go to. The RPF used to feed us so we wouldn’t starve. That kind of compassion made me want to give back."
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His digital solution, BeruloApp, is a school attendance system. Teachers log daily attendance, and if a child is marked absent, alerts are automatically sent to parents and local leaders.
Since April, it has been deployed in all public schools across Southern Province with the support of the Ministry of Education.
"This is about more than just attendance,” Cyusa said. "We’re building a safety net. When a child disappears from school, we’re able to respond early, before they end up on the streets.”
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During the current holiday break, Cyusa and his team have been running campaigns across districts in the South to reach students who are considered most at risk. The Ministry of Education has endorsed the app as part of a broader effort to digitize education and improve data-driven decisions.
According to BeruloApp findings, over 6,400 students in Southern Province have been identified as "at risk of dropping out.” The app helps flag warning signs such as frequent absences or recurring reasons for missing classes.
"We’re focusing on children in vulnerable settings. The goal is to keep them engaged through education and protect them from falling into harmful behavior,” Cyusa said. "We want to reach them before the streets do.”
Jerome Rutaburingoga, the mayor of Gisagara District, said the campaign is aligned with broader efforts to promote education, talent, and discipline among the youth. "When students are together, you see their talents emerge naturally,” he said. "We emphasize sports, arts, and teamwork as part of the learning experience.”
This month, the district opened a Rwf700 million youth centre serving six sectors—Gishubi, Mamba, Musha, Ndora, Save, and Gikonko. It includes music and sports facilities, as well as vocational training spaces. Rutaburingoga praised the app for helping local leaders intervene before absenteeism turns into permanent dropout.
"We have over 100,000 students across 120 schools,” he said. "It’s one thing for a student to skip class, but if they disappear for a month, it’s much harder to bring them back. Early tracking gives us the tools to act before it’s too late.”
Last year, Gisagara recorded over 200 dropouts. Rutaburingoga said local leaders are also tracking children who have been out of school for extended periods. "A child under 18 should be in school, not idle,” he said. "Lack of education opens the door to other social issues, including violence over property disputes and community instability.”
Etienne Ntahobavukira, head teacher at EP Sanzu in Gikonko, said the system has already made an impact. "We piloted it in the last trimester, and it worked well. The app links school administrators with parents and village officials. When a child misses class, everyone gets notified and can act. It reduces finger-pointing and increases accountability.”
Most public schools in the province have adopted the app, and Ntahobavukira said he expects even more impact when classes resume in September. "This isn’t just about tech,” he said. "It’s about creating a culture where every child’s presence matters.”