More than 80 outstanding teachers from various schools in the country on Tuesday received laptops and internet modems from the Rwanda Education Board (Reb). 

Addressing the beneficiaries at Reb offices, the state minister in charge of primary and secondary education, Mathias Harebamungu, thanked the teachers for their hard work which he said contributes to the development of the country.

"We recognise your efforts  and the laptops you have received are part of a continuous project initiated by the government and this will be held annually,” he said.

"Teaching is one of most demanding but rewarding professions. Unlike other professions that only seek benefits and  profits, teaching is a vocation, a God-given gift and talent, and requires a lot of  sacrifice and patriotism,’’ he added. 

Awarding teachers follows other programmes like Gira Inka Mwalimu, (cattle stocking initiative for teachers) and Mwalimu Sacco, geared at improving teachers’ welfare. One of the teachers, Baptista Gatsinzi, said he was excited after being recognised for his hard work.

"The laptop will help me carry out online research and thus enhance the quality of my teaching,” Gatsinzi added.

Damian Ntaganzwa, the deputy director general in charge of teacher development and management at Reb, said the teachers were awarded on the basis of their performance in terms of the number of the students they enable to pass national examinations, language proficiency, among other things.