HUYE - The Governor of the Southern Province, Fidele Ndayisaba, on Friday inaugurated an Olympic-size swimming pool, donated by President Paul Kagame to Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare.

The swimming pool which is run by a group of business women is also open to the public, who will pay to swim.

The governor called upon students to take advantage of the facility for recreation and sporting activities.

"This donation is in recognition of your outstanding academic excellence by the President. Make good use of it for sports and relaxation,” Ndayisaba said to over 1000 students who had gathered at the pool.

According to the school director, Father Celestin Rwirangira, a swimming team of 32 students has been formed and plans are underway to have all students take swimming lessons.

"We now have a swimming team of 16 boys and girls, we are working on a plan that will make it possible for many more students use the facility in future,” Rwirangira said. "We are highly indebted to President Paul Kagame for this generous donation.”

Aphrodis Nyunvijuru, a Senior Six student, and member of the school’s swimming team said that swimming is now a new addition to sporting activities at the school.

"Students now have a variety of games to choose from, as a swimming team, we will no longer have to use public swimming pools for practice sessions, we are grateful to the President and promise to put it to good use,” Nyunvijuru said.

In an interactive session with the students, Ndayisaba commended them for the resounding success registered during last year’s Ordinary and Advanced level national examinations.

All the 155 students who sat for advanced level examinations last year at the school passed.

The school produced most of the top students in the science combinations of Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCM) and Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) in the country and was top performer in the province.

"You made the province and all those in the education sector proud,” Ndayisaba said.

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