•Role model Rosette Chantal Rugamba delivered a message of inspiration to the girls

MUHANGA - The Imbuto Foundation yesterday, rewarded another group of female students that excelled in last year’s national exams including foster mothers in the Muhanga District, Southern Province.

The ceremony which was held at the district’s stadium is subsequent to the one held in Gicumbi District last week.

Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, presented the awards to the students and foster mothers on behalf of the First Lady and Patron of the foundation, Jeannette Kagame.

A total of 43 girls who excelled in primary and ordinary level national exams were awarded with certificates, bags, mathematical sets, calculators, books and Rwf 20,000.

Marie Louise Uwiduhaye a student from Groupe Scholaire Notre Dame de Lourdes Byimana was awarded with a laptop for passing all her six papers with distinctions at senior six.

While addressing thousands at the stadium, Mutsindashaka passed on Mrs. Kagame’s message of gratitude to partners who have continued to make the annual rewards a success.

The partners include UNICEF, Cisco Systems, and James Ofwona an individual philanthropist who donates laptops to the best senior six performers.

The Minister hailed the Foundation for playing a significant role in boosting academic success among students by especially encouraging the girl-child education, adding that this will increase their participation in the country’s development process.

"In relation to last year’s national examination statistics, the general performance of female students is getting better each year. Of the 46 percent girls that sat for last year’s exams, 41 percent passed well implying that the Imbuto’s campaign is already producing good results,” Mutsindashyaka noted.

The deputy CEO of RDB in charge of Tourism, Rosette Chantal Rugamba, was called upon by the Foundation to offer guidance, inspiration and a true-life testimony as a woman who has accomplished a lot in the public sector.

As a role model, she would affirm to the girls that high performance is indeed possible and with it remarkable achievements.

Having told her life story to hundreds of girls who attended the ceremony, she encouraged them to do whatever it takes to excel academically as a way of attaining responsible leadership positions and engagement in the development process.

"I faced so many challenges but today I am here because there has never been a time when I thought I could not do what men do. You therefore must be ambitious to partake in all activities with a sense of purpose and love for your country,” she advised. 

Aurelia Mujawamariya and Audencire Mukambaraga were each rewarded with a cow under the Imbuto Foundation’s "Malayika Murinzi” programme for being exemplary parents to vulnerable children in society.

Only girls who passed national examinations with a minimum of 60 percent in primary, senior three and senior six qualified to be rewarded under the programme.

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