SOUTHERN PROVINCE

NYANZA — Ecole Technique de Gitarama (ETO-Gitarama) administration has awarded its 2006 best student with a scholarship to study in Australia.

Olivier Nsabimana, 19, a student of electricity scored 9.3 points in the 2006 National Examinations which inspired the school administration to award him a scholarship to pursue further studies abroad, the Australian-born Director of the school; Mark O’Kane told The New Times last week.

In a statement from the school, O’Kane said that he was confident that Nsabimana will be a great ambassador for Rwanda and show Australians that Rwandans are equally capable given chance.

"ETO Gitarama is dedicated to assisting its students achieve their full potential. Our school rewards hardwork, self-discipline and honesty. There is no better example than young Olivier…To all of the new senior four students about to join the school. I ask them to come prepared to work hard and the school will provide every opportunity for them to realize their dreams," said O’Kane.

On January 29, Nsabimana commenced his studies at Kinross Wolaroi School (KWS), in Orange Town-Australia, and he will initially study mathematics, physics, French and English in a bid to gain a Universities Admission Index (UAI) sufficient enough to enable him study a combined electrical-engineering degree, said the statement.

KWS- reportedly one of the best in the region pays Frw12.5 million as annual tuition for senior six students. O’Kane said he has given his former student (Nsabimana) the challenge of at least getting the Kinross Wolaroi mathematics award.

Apparently, O’Kane secured the scholarship in his home town of Orange, Australia and encouraged the Orange community and merchants to raise the necessary funds for Olivier to attend the school.

The 19-year-old Rwandan genocide orphan was quoted saying that: "I had wished for a long time to have my engineering degree in Australia. I submitted in many requests for different universities but they didn’t accept my Rwanda qualifications. That’s why I came to Australia – to get an Australia University entrance point and I’m very pleased with Kinross Wolaroi to have accepted me."

In 2007, ETO-Gitarama managed to send Eric Gihozo (a former student) for three-week training in the United States of America under the Solid Works International Program.

Gihozo also represented Rwanda’s Solid Works project (Gasabo 3D) in a four-day Solid Works International conference in the US, this year.

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