Twenty volunteers from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) working in the education sector, together with Rwanda Youth Science Society (RYSS), organised a science festival at Doctrina Vitae Secondary School in Ndera to have practical science activities which would ease learning and promote practical science.According to Hiroyuki Kobayashi, the Jica country representative, the Science and Technology Day was organised to increase students’ interest in the fields and to motivate them to work harder."Practice is important, especially in science. You know that in the national exams one is expected to do the practical exam too. So, the country is keen on improving on the students’ skills and engineering, that is why our volunteers have organised this event to introduce more practice in the classroom,” Kobayashi said."This kind of event and experience motivates students. I am sure now that more and more students will want to come to schools to learn science.”James Kamugisha, the president of RYSS, said students have got a chance to see science come to life. Practicability and hands-on is important to bridge class work with real life situations. It gets them thinking about creating a practical solution to the problems out there using their scientific knowledge."Many students have enjoyed the activities and yet they had to use simple materials that are obtainable around the homes or school. They have built the students’ interest in science and technology. We just need to be consistent with these activities to build a creative generation,” Kamugisha said.Toru Tsuda, a physics teacher at Doctrina Vitae Secondary School, said usually students do not have a chance to do science experiments or activities. "We decided to organise a day to show them different science activities,” Tsuda said.The activities of the day included chemical reactions, making batteries using charcoal, programming robot cars and properties of carbon dioxide and many others.

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Alice Mukeshimana, S3A.

‘Today, I learnt that science is in our daily life and it’s all around us. Chemical reactions happen even though we cannot see them with our naked eyes.’Annette Mbabazi, S3B.

‘I learnt how to make batteries and chemical and decomposition reactions of hydrogen peroxide. We thank the people behind this and we will be glad if they come again.’

-----------------------------------------James Kajumbura, S.6.

‘I have learnt a lot in these experiments like how oxygen is produced during the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Experiments call for caution because they can be risky.’

--------------------------------Eugene Murangwa, S3.

‘I leant about magnetism and it was fun. The experience was good because we got to practice what we study in class.