It’s 1p.m around the volcanoes in Kinigi area and nearly 30 adult people have gathered at a church. They are reciting the bible like kids at a kindergarten.

The cohort is made up of locals from the historically marginalised group who say they are keen to tackle illiteracy and poverty.

Beatrice Nyirantezimana, 42, from Musanze Sector, Musanze District is one of the learners. The mother of six has been studying here for the last four months. 

She can read the bible with minor difficulties. 

To convince the reporter on how good she has become at reading, Nyirantezimana opens up her bible and reads John 3: 16.

Twenty-five year ago Nyirantezimana used to leave in the forests, earning a living from hunting wild animals. This was the case with most historically marginalised communities in the area.

"While in the forests no one among us was aware of how important education was until the Government integrated us in the community,” she said.

Upon her integration, Nyirantezimana did not think about joining a school. No one in her family had ever gone to school.

"Besides my family, you couldn’t even find a literate person from our community,” she says.

With time, Nyirantezimana realised she had missed a very important step in her life as should couldn’t either read or write like some people she had been integrated into.

"Quite often I would be cheated as I traded my Irish potato produce in the market. I couldn’t even understand what the weighing scale displayed.  I could just wait for a buyer to pay me any amount of money they wanted without bargaining,” she recalled

After a series of sensitisation campaigns by both local government officials and government partners, Nyirantezimana decided, in March this year, to join adult literacy club at her church.

She stresses that the decision will potentially transform her day-to-day livelihood.

"I am now able to read and write. I will make sure I optimise this opportunity to improve my family and contribute to my country’s development,” she stated. "After the course, I will be the first person in my family to become literate.”

Elias Miheto, 35, another member of the group who is also currently pursuing adult literacy in the same class and expects "big” opportunities in the future.  "If I was educated I would’ve joined the police force,” he said.  "I am now looking forward to studying even harder not only to become literate but also to be able to speak and write foreign languages.”

The cohort will undergo a six-month intensive literacy course before being awarded certificates.

Adult literacy programme among the historically marginalised communities in Musanze District is supported by the Association of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda (ADEPR) and Transformational Ministries, a local non-governmental organisation, in partnership with Mureke Dusome USAID Project.

Théogene Hakuzwumuremyi, the ADEPR national adult literacy coordinator, said the course is designed to help the historically marginalised to improve their lives.

He noted that besides literacy, the church sensitises people about government development programmes.

Domina Mukampunga, the Notary officer of Musanze Sector, says that adult education programme will bring about inclusive development in the area.

According to official figures, before 1994, there were 45,000 people in this category across the country. The number has since dropped to between 34,000 and 38,000 people.

According to the Ministry of Local Government, this translates into two marginalised persons per 1000 inhabitants.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com