Fawe Girls Secondary School on Thursday received a consignment of ICT equipment as a donation from the Chinese government. This was during a function that took place at the Chinese embassy in Kigali.

The equipment include laptops, desktop computers, LED monitors and printers of different types.

According to Rao Hongwei, the Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, this was "a small donation” compared to what they have in store for the Kigali-based girls-only science school.

"Regarding the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries, China, through the Embassy in Rwanda, looks forward to contributing to the integration of technology in the education of young Rwandans,” Hongwei said.

Fawe Girls was in July last year visited by Chinese First Lady, Peng Liyuan, who accompanied her husband, President Xi Jinping on a state visit to Rwanda.

"During her visit last year, China’s First Lady was inspired by the enthusiasm of the students who were eager to learn more about China, and, as a result, made a promise to the school to provide some learning materials,” the envoy said.

Eugénie Kairaba, the head teacher of Fawe Girls, welcomed the donation, saying that it will be helpful to the school as they continue to implement the Competency Based Curriculum introduced a few years back.

"The new curriculum emphasises on integration of ICT in learning and research, so this means that our students will have an advantage in view of the new equipment,” he said.

Meanwhile, following the visit by the Chinese First Lady, the school initiated a "China corner” where it plans to put assorted materials that students can use to learn about China.

Kairaba said that, already, 30 students at the school are taking classes in the Chinese language and that the school will continue expanding these programmes which she said are a bridge for Rwandan students through which to interact with their Chinese counterparts.

On his part, Hongwei commended the school’s outstanding performance last year and challenged teachers to invest more in imparting quality education in the students, which he envisions will facilitate the country’s human capital development.

Fawe was ranked best in the country in Ordinary Level, according to results of the national examinations released early this year.

editor@newtimesrwanda.co.rw