Kigali — Rwanda has some 825.000 orphans with 22 percent experiencing grave challenges that it will need coordinated and streamlined intervention to support them, a Ministry of Gender and Family Affairs study says.

From a total population in the country of more than 9 million, children make up some 3.4 million, the study - the first of its kind on the issue indicates.

Among 22 percent orphans having a tough time making ends meet, as the study notes, include street children, those being looked after by fellow children and those that have lost both of their parents.

40 percent among these are said to be in homes managed by girls - that can barely even support themselves - but are struggling to look after the other child-dependants.

Faced with such a grim picture, Gender and Family Affairs Minister Dr. Mujawamariya Jean d'Arc told a stakeholders workshop that heard the figures that their intervention must be coordinated and streamlined to conform to government policy.

"We have the real figures from a very comprehensive study - which should help us make effective intervention mechanism", the Minister said.

The study carried out in 11 from the 30 districts of the country covered 3600 families.