KAMONYI - A Brazilian national, Jefferson Kern, who arrived in the country three weeks ago as the new Country Director of the Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) Rwanda, said that the agency will continue supporting unity and reconciliation efforts.

He was on Friday, officiating the opening ceremony of inter- schools competitions under the theme- ‘the role of youths in promoting peace, unity and reconciliation
"It is very evident that Rwandans are deeply involved in building their community through peace and unity.

This is the basis for growth and development and I am very impressed by the involvement of residents and leaders,” Kern said.

The competitions were organized by an ADRA’s Peace Education Project (PED) and attracted 14 secondary schools in the district. The students presented songs, drama, poems, and dances and the best groups in each category were awarded trophies, sporting uniforms, and basket, volley and footballs.

"The objective is to promote students’ awareness on the dangers of the Genocide ideology and the need to restore unity as a path to development. The empowerment and upright shaping of youths is the biggest weapon of fighting the ideology,” said Diana Magezi, the PED project coordinator

The District Education Officer, Fidel Uwimana, also commended ADRA’s contribution in the fight against Genocide and its ideology, especially in student communities, and encouraged students to disseminate the messages to their respective communities.

"This program has brought about a significant decline on cases of Genocide ideology in schools- which was frequently reported in the past two years.

The students are now aware of the need to live in harmony and to work towards a good future,” Uwimana revealed. Similar competitions have been held in Muhanga District.

Ends