The French Development Agency (AFD) has committed Euros 1.5 million (over Rwf 1.5 billion) in the revised Isonga Programme which aims to grow the development of talented youth starting from schools.

The Isonga Project was initially launched by the government of Rwanda in 2009 as a talent pool approach through which the Ministry of Sports selected the most talented young male footballers to prepare them into future players for the national teams.

The government revised the project in 2019, with a target to unearth, develop and promote young talents, both males and females, from schools towards producing future stars in different sporting disciplines namely Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, Cycling and Athletics.

To implement the programme, now dubbed ‘Isonga-AFD Programme in schools’, the Ministry of Sports secured financing from AFD worth Euros 1.5 million which will mainly be used in repairing and upgrading sports infrastructures in schools as well as training sports education teachers who will in return be directly involved in helping the ministry in the programme implementation from their respective schools.

While launching the programme on Monday, May 31, at Groupe Scolaire St Aloys Rwamagana, Minister for Sports Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju said the support is a major boost for Rwanda’s ambitions to achieve its sports development targets starting from schools.

"With the support from AFD, we are not only going to be able to develop young talents in sports but also respond to persisting challenges that have been preventing us from putting into action sports activities in schools, including sports infrastructure and necessary sports equipment for students,” Munyangaju said.

"Through this programme, we have an objective to reinforce our role in identifying young talents, by ensuring inclusion and equality of both boys and girls, and help them participate in big sports events. The government of Rwanda will do all it can to provide necessary means to get our young athletes to be able to participate in big sports events like Paris 2024 or Dakar Summer Youth Olympics in 2026,” she added.

AFD was among the partners of the just-concluded Basketball Africa League (BAL) which showed the excellence of African basketball.

Remy Rioux, the Director General of AFD, said the Agency is committed to contributing in the sports development from schools towards producing future champions on the international stage.

"Excellence in sports starts from young boys and girls in schools and it is important to invest in them by building infrastructure for them and giving them new equipment as well as training coaches to help them in their development, and this is what we came here for,” he said.

Groupe Scolaire St Aloys Rwamagana is one of 17 schools expected to benefit from the first phase of the Isonga-AFD Programme in schools.

Others include GS Kabare, Kiziguro Secondary School, GS ADEGI, ES Nyamirama, IPM Mukarange, GS St Joseph Kabgayi, College Christ Roi Nyanza, GS Officiel de Butare, ENDP Karubanda, ES Kigoma, ISF Nyamasheke, GS Birambo, College de Gisenyi, Lycée de Kigali, GS Nyirangarama and GS de la Salle Gicumbi.

Groupe Scolaire St Aloys Rwamagana’s teams have been dominating in handball (girls) and Handball, Netball and Athletics over the past years and Camille Rudasingwa, the school Head teacher said selecting his school among the beneficiaries of the programme is a huge boost for the sports development at the school.

"Being selected among the schools from which the programme will be implemented in the first place is good news to us and we are looking forward to using this platform in developing numerous talented youth from different disciplines,” he said.