Mrs. Odile Onika has been a dedicated Research Assistant at IPAR Rwanda since 2021, contributing to policy-oriented research and initiatives for community transformation. With a diverse background in development work, she has previously served as a Field Assistant for the Building Learning Foundation with the Education Development Fund from 2017 to 2018, and as a Research Assistant for Save the Children International in Rwanda from 2013 to 2021. In early 2022, she also worked as a Data Entry Consultant for Florida State University in collaboration with FHI360 in Kigali. Odile holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Mount Kenya University and a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Rwanda College of Education. Her expertise in field data collection includes using tools like the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) and Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), ensuring data-driven insights for impactful, community-centered projects.

Christelle Umutesi is a Research Assistant at IPAR-Rwanda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration majoring in Accounting from Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA) located in Kigali, Rwanda. She also has a Master’s degree in Development Planning and Administration from a School of Development Planning (SDP) at the Centre for Development Studies and Activities (CDSA) ; which is affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University (former University of Pune) located in Pune city (India). At IPAR-Rwanda, she contributed to research on different projects including
Understanding the Factors Associated with Poverty, Evaluation of Seven (7) Years Government Programs in Rwanda, Updating the Master Plan of Kigali City and updating the Master Plan of Secondary Cities of Rwanda, Understanding the Effect of Education Costs on Education Attainment under the Basic Education in Rwanda, Understanding the Determinants of Household Savings in Rwanda, Youth Employment, Education and Skills (YEES) in Rwanda and Affordability and Willingness to pay for Clean Water in Rural area in Rwanda

Kayira Paul joined IPAR in 2008 as a Research Assistant charged with supporting research teams in, among other things, drafting research questionnaires, data collection and analysis. Paul brings to IPAR his linguistic skills and senior managerial positions especially in the public sector. He was Mayor of Kicukiro District, Kigali between 1994 and 2001.

He worked at the Ministry of Local Administration, Communal Development and Social Affairs (MINALOC) between 2001 and 2005 where he held a number of senior positions including Director of National Programme for Childhood and Expert in Reinforcement of Institutional and Human Capacity Building. He has also served as an Expert in Documentation, Information and Communication at the National (Rwanda) Secretariat in Charge of Decentralization (NDIS). Paul holds a Master's Degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation from the University of Rwanda and a Bachelor's in Philospohy from Uinversity of Lubumbashi.