Last week, Kigali city through Gasabo District launched a campaign called ‘Operation Usafi’ that sought to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic through the promotion of hygiene.

Through this campaign, involved partners engaged pupils from primary schools in Kigali by organising a competition that awarded them with school materials, hygiene materials, face masks and other items.

Participants were required to create art that spread messages promoting hygiene and security in their respective neighbourhoods.

Some wrote songs and others constructed poems, all of which carried a message fighting covid-19 and promoting hygiene in general.

Ratifah Cyuzuzo, a pupil who competed with others in the Gatsata sector said she wrote a song called "Twimakaze Usafi: Promoting hygiene and cleanliness” with a message that was about promoting hygiene and security, fighting drug abuse and covid-19 pandemic. 

She said winning this competition is a motivation for her to further sharpen her skills in poems and songs that she hopes will impact people’s mind-set in life.

Pacifique Uwajeneza, a P5 pupil from the Kimironko sector said that, "sharpening art skills while at school is an opportunity to discover many problems in society and how, as children, we can play our role in solving them. We created songs and poems as a group from our school.”

He said their group of six composed the song dubbed "Twirinde Icyorezo cya Koronavirusi dukomeza kugira isuku: Preventing the spread of Covid-19 via embracing hygiene.”

Teachers speak out 

Marthe Mukakanani, a teacher at Gatsata Two primary school said that they were trained to sharpen their pupils’ skills something she says paved way for winning the competition.

"We trained the children on composing letters to their parents with information about promoting hygiene and security. Mentors also helped them to sharpen skills in creating songs and poems that teach the role of hygiene and security and how it should be improved,” she said.

Charles Niyonteze, Discipline Dean at Kimironko One Primary School said that they prepared the pupils by educating them about hygiene and security in their neighbourhoods.

"We taught them that fighting Covid-19 pandemic requires putting in practice hygiene guidelines from their schools to their neighbourhoods. As we had also been trained, we also sharpened their skills by showing them problems in Rwandan society and how they can be handled,” he said.

He said every evening, there was a teacher who was specialised in art who trained the students on songs and poem creation. "Six pupils from our school performed well,” he said.