The youth are the backbone of every country and must therefore be given quality education to ensure their future is bright. And there can be no better way of doing that than giving them practical skills. This is why SOS Hg Technical High School, a top-notch technical and vocational school situated on the highway from Nyarutarama to Kagugu, comes in handy

The technical secondary school which is an offshoot of the SOS International organisation started in 2005 with the aim of supporting needy children by putting them in villages and catering for their needs.

Some of the prominent villages in Rwanda include Kageyo (Gicumbi) and children’s village at Gikongoro.

They offer several courses including carpentry, electronics and telecommunications, accountancy and computer science and their labs are fully equipped courtesy of GIZ, a German organisation.

Speaking to The Education Times last week, Jean Claude Murindankinko, the director of studies at SOS Technical School, said: "We train our students to compete with professionals who have completed university or tertiary education in the workplace and the students are highly trained.”

Who qualifies for the course

These programmes are mainly meant for students who have succesfully completed three years basic education and have an Ordinary Level certificate. The students here fall into three categories; the first bunch are sponsored for by organisations like Farg while the second bunch are self-sponsored (or have parents who have the potential to pay their tuition). The third group is composed of the SOS children who do not pay a single coin.

Self-sponsored students pay a total tuition fee of Rwf250,000 which includes Rwf20,000 for uniform, Rwf3,000 for cleaning materials, Rwf5,000 for registration and Rwf5,000 for residential hostel equipment. Other requirements that a new student should have include a rim of paper, books and pens, bedsheets and a bucket.

Which other schools offer electronics and telecommunications?

There are many other technical secondary schools that also offer a course in electronics. These include ADB secondary schools in Nyarutarama, Apaper Secondary School in Kacyiru, Solidarity Academy in Gikondo, Etak Secondary School in Kimisange - Gikondo, St Joseph le Travaille which is located near St Family in Nyarugenge, St Phillips formerly called Esa Gikondo and IPRC Kigali etc.

At these technical secondary schools, the tuition fee ranges from Rwf45,000 to Rwf90,000 per term.

Available employment opportunities

According to Deny Beny Kamuhanda, a graduate of electronics from KIST who has worked on several projects says graduates can either work for companies or set up their own business.

"If they wish to work for companies they can operate as radio, TV and mobile phone technicians. They can also repair and install antennas for telecommunication companies or do electronic device maintenance for several companies,” Kamuhanda notes.

Starting business

In order to set up an electronics shop, according to Kamuhanda, one requires the following equipment: an oscilloscope worth Rwf1 million, 10 transistors worth Rwf2,500 each, 20 resistors worth Rwf200 each, 10 sensors worth Rwf2,000 each and 20 diode which go for Rwf1000 each. One also needs 2 multimeters worth Rwf10, 000 each, sodering iron and disordering irons which go for Rwf15, 000, a laptop and simulating software which cost about Rwf600, 000 and Rwf400, 000 for rent every month. In total, one needs between Rwf4 million and Rwf5 million to set up a business.