EASTERN PROVINCE

NGOMA — A picture by a Rwandan girl has won this year’s global United Nation’s (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) Children’s Art Competition award.

Jeannette Uwase’s work was awarded $100 (Frw55,000) on Wednesday at Gafunzo Primary school in Ngoma District.

Uwase, a 12-year old pupil at Gafunzo Primary School, was among the 13 finalists who participated in the competition.

Organised under the theme: ‘The Difference WFP School Meals Make to My Life’, Uwase’s picture highlighted the benefits of food assistance to education.

Her picture was selected from among 155 drawings submitted by primary school children from 31 countries worldwide where WFP supports the school feeding programme. 

The girl, the second-born to Hategekimana Pierre Celestin, a science teacher at Sake Secondary School, also received a package of scholastic materials including an English-French dictionary, a mathematical set, and sports wear worth Frw55,000 from WFP.

Filled with smiles allover her face, she said at the award ceremony that: "I am so excited to be the winner.”

Gafunzo Primary School has a population of 427 girls and 396 boys. According to the WFP representative, Maarit Hirvonen, education in art and visual expression plays an important role in a child’s academic and social development.
"It develops a child’s creative and cognitive skills, helps them explore their imagination and enhances their attention to detail,” she explained.

To assist primary school children to develop their art talents, WFP Rwanda selected 30 primary schools in March and contracted three local artists from Association des Artistes et Auteurs.

The children received training on art and design for one month with all necessities like pencil colours and drawing paper before the competitions.

It is for three consecutive years that primary school children from Rwanda have won in the international WFP Children’s Art Competition. 

Meanwhile, Gafunzo Primary School also received an assortment of materials that included spades, sportswear, balls among other things worth $200 (Frw110,000) donated by WFP.

Pierre Celestin Nsabimana, the school’s headmaster, commended the works of WFP for the support rendered to the school since 2005.

Also present at the awarding ceremony was the Ngoma District mayor, Francis Niyotwagira.

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