Kayonza – The Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE) Rwanda, yesterday, donated scholastic material to female students at Kayonza College worth Rwf 3.5 million.

The donation is part of the $135,000 project known as Adolescent Sexual Reproduction Health and Rights funded by FAWE Africa.

According Vianney Mutabazi, in charge of Planning and Evaluation at FAWE Rwanda, the project aims at assisting close to 100 female students in five schools.

Mutabazi explained that the support follow a baseline research, which showed that girls who lacked basic needs risked poor academic performance.

The targeted 9 -Year Basic Education schools are Kawangire, Kayonza, FAWE Gahini, and Nyagahandagaza.

"Our support targets the most vulnerable girls in the listed schools. We want to observe their general performance in three years after the support. It is the difference they will make that will show us the way forward,” Mutabazi said.

"We give them stationery, sanitary materials, fees, among others, to keep them in school. The three-year project is expected to cost at least 135,000 USD.”

Focus Bahizi, the school’s head teacher, said that FAWE’s support was timely, adding that it was in line with the educational target of the Millennium Development Goals.

He noted that the physiological development of a girl student gave her a negative advantage in a traditional school set up.

"A situation where girls don’t access sanitary pads may lead to school drop out. It is necessary that all traditional barriers towards girl child education are removed. Supporting the vulnerable girls thus paves way for the crusade,” he said.

Valentine Umuhoracyeye, a senior one student, said that FAWE’s support made them feel comfortable at school.

"We never enjoyed learning as we run up and down searching for fees and school materials. My average mark has increased from 50% to 60% just in two terms,” she noted.

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