As part of their work to impart a lifelong affinity for stories and poetry in Rwanda’s youngest readers, early grade reading advocates from USAID’s Soma Umenye and the Rwandan Education Board (REB) have been meeting with leading officials across Rwanda to discuss strategies that will increase participation in a fourth national student writing competition. In total, there have been five meetings in each of Rwanda’s provinces, gathering provincial, district and sector education officials who aspire to improve Kinyarwanda reading skills among Rwanda’s first, second and third grade students.

Since September this year, REB and Soma Umenye officials have been meeting with provincial governors, vice mayors in charge of social affairs, district directors of education, district education officers for primary education, sector education officers and REB regional inspectors, all in an effort to promote involvement and ideas to make the contest even more accessible and inviting to school communities.

Voices from across the country

At a meeting in Kigali held last week, REB’s regional inspector for the City of Kigali, Gerard Rutali, shared his observation at the Made-in-Rwanda trade fare where many Kinyarwanda books published in 2016-2017 - a thing he attributed to the positive impact of Andika Rwanda.

"I assume Andika Rwanda competition has encouraged more people to write and have works published,” Rutali said.

While in Northern Province earlier this month, the Provincial Governor, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, pledged full contribution to having more entries from his province.

"I liked the programme because it cultivates a reading culture and instils the love of reading in young children and I call upon district authorities to continue supporting the coordination of the related activities,” said Governor Gatabazi.

Soma Umenye deputy chief of party for field implementation Joy Gatera said the meetings yielded good results.

"The meetings dag a true national scope for the competitions and will fully engage all Rwandans to submit their creative writings,” he crowned it all.

In these competitions, pupils and students submit to their teachers while the adult submit to sector offices.

Each year, Andika Rwanda winning submissions are professionally edited, illustrated and published.

Since 2014, Andika Rwanda has produced 36 new storybook titles and distributed over 15,000 copies to Rwanda schools and community libraries.

The winners of the 2018 contest will be announced in September.