The Outreach as Friends of handicap in Rwanda initiatives program began in 2006 through Outreach Programmes that discovered the locations and needs of deaf children in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, specifically the Nyagatare and Kayonza districts. These programs have continued to grow and promote disability understanding within communities and assist access to appropriate education, work, health and other services. UDS was formed as a result of an initial outreach programme in 2006 throughout Nyagatare to locate the deaf children that were often hidden away within their communities. In 2018, FHR extended its activities of Outreach in the Kayonza and Gatsibo districts of the Eastern province.