EASTERN PROVINCE

RWAMAGANA — Senator Aloysia Inyumba has asked girls in the country to develop self-confidence in order to overcome challenges facing women.

The law maker also urged girl students to study sciences, saying sciences are more marketable these days. She was speaking at the prize-giving ceremony for girls who excelled in 2007 national examinations in Rwamagana and Kayonza districts on Sunday at St. Aloys.

The prizes were organized by Imbuto Foundation, an organization spearheaded by the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame to promote girls education in Rwanda. The future of the nation, Inyumba argued, lies in the hands of the young women.

"I urge you to be brighter, because in future you are ones to replace all the ladies you see in government and in other fat jobs in the country,” Inyumba told the girls and named several ladies who are in high ranking positions, as an inspiration.

At the function, the best students in senior six, Aline Maniragena of Ecole des Science Infirmieries Rwamagana scooped a new brand laptop.

Maniragena scored a general average of 9.6 becoming the first at her school and the fourth countrywide. The 26 others from both primary and secondary schools of Kayonza went home with assortments of scholastic materials in rewards.

Inyumba asked teachers to make a follow up on the winning students to always guide them. She thanked the First Lady for the initiative.

"Let me take this opportunity to thank the First Lady, Madame Jeannette Kagame for her role towards education of Rwandan children especially the girl child; because when you educate the girl child you have educated the nation,” she noted.

She reminded the girls of the 30% provided for by the Rwandan constitution reserved for women. The Senator urged them to aim higher to exploit such chances saying education these days in not a prestige as it used to be in the past, but a right.

Inès Mpambara, an employee of Health Communication Centre, in the Ministry of Health narrated her life experience and asked girls to draw inspiration from her.

In her testimony, she explained how she studied as a refugee in Burundi but later succeeded and joined a Canadian university where she graduated and worked before returning to work for her nation (Rwanda).

Mpambara urged girls to always aim higher, work in groups, concentrate on extra activities, read extra materials instead of relying on the teachers’ notes and make proper life choices.

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