GAKO - A civic education workshop (Itorero) for Rwandan students studying abroad opened yesterday at the Rwanda Military Academy at Gako.

The 9 day workshop has attracted over 70 students and is aimed at equipping young persons with the skills, knowledge and capacity to positively contribute to national development upon finishing their studies.

Opening  the workshop, the Minister of Education, Daphrose Gahakwa urged the youth to be patriotic and work towards developing the country as they are its greatest resource.

The students studying under government sponsorship are mainly from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern (TUK) in Germany, Utali College, Kenya and several Ugandan Universities, will also be sensitised on the current issues in the development of Rwanda, challenges and the future plans of the country and the potential role they can play.

"By sending you abroad, you had proven to us that you are bright. We know you have the brains, use them properly to benefit your country and remember you are our ambassadors abroad,” Gahakwa told the seemingly excited pack who will also undergo military-style drills.

The Minister told the trainees pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies in civil engineering, ICT, Hotel Management and economics among others, that they are the greatest resource the country can boast of especially in this period when Rwanda is integrating into the East African Community.

She added that apart from contributing to the progress of the country, the youth also play a vital part in the peace and reconciliation process.

Gahakwa also thanked students particularly from Germany who managed to excel in their courses, emerging first, prompting their respective universities to inform the Government of Rwanda about the good performances.

The most notable of these is Paul Umunkuzi who emerged as the best student in the Civil Engineering class at TUK last year and was awarded a fully covered scholarship and all welfare expenses by the Government of Germany, until he completes a doctorate degree. 

Unfortunately, he failed to meet some preconditions especially regarding a European Union passport and citizenship and the offer was forfeited.

However, Umukunzi was reassured by Gahakwa that the President will provide the reward, for he made the country proud.

Other outstanding performers include Agnes Mujawamariya recognised for finishing her course in record time and Ephraim Musonera.

Gahakwa also said that there is a system in place by the Government to track and monitor all the Government sponsored students abroad to ensure that the government fully utilises their skills after investing in them.

She said that there are cases of students who reach there and are tempted to stay in those countries and work while some dessert school yet they hope to receive money.

"Some students go and start misbehaving while others start seeking asylum after messing up. We usually track them and return them home to make them pay, be punished or detained for wasting public money and time,” said Gahakwa, citing an example of a certain Jean Marie Niyomukiza, currently in detention for disgracing the nation.

Speaking to The New Times at Gako, Emmanuel Muvunyi the Director General of the Students Financing Agency of Rwanda (SFAR) said that the training is one of the many that will see Rwandan students studying abroad receive civic education.

Over 250 students from abroad will also undergo civic training (Ingando) next year in June. The students will also be given lectures on unity, reconciliation and combating the Genocide ideology.

The workshop is organised by SFAR in collaboration with the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), MINEDUC, MINAFETT and MINADEF.    

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