Rulindo tea factory offers bursaries to poor parents with bright students

In 2009, Florida Imanikirizamukwiheba’s daughter, Pelagie Nyiranzayisenga, passed her primary examinations with good grades and was elegible to join secondary school as a boarding student. She, however, missed the opportunity because her parents could not afford the tuition and other requirements. A third born in a family of five, Pelagie had to join nine-year basic education to study while commuting from home. Still, the mother could not afford to pay the small contributions that parents are required to pay in 9YBE. She had to till her neighbours’ farms to raise money for Pelagie and her siblings. “It was difficult for me to get the basic necessities. I know the fees in these schools are heavily subsidised but even getting the little I am supposed to raise was a tag of war. I was a burden to my neighbours,” said Florida.But at the beginning of the 2012 academic year, Imanikirizamukwiheba received news that Sorwathe, a tea company operating in Rulindo, had decided to support poor parents whose children perform well in school.“I contacted local leaders to have my daughter put on the list of beneficiaries,” she said.As part of its corporate social responsibility, Sorwathe embarked on a programme to help educate children of the poor in the three sectors of Kinihira, Rukozo and Buyoga, all in Rulindo.Nine children are currently supported under the programme and on top of school fees, they are given other scholastic materials to take them through the school term.At least Rwf250,000 is spent on each student. Six students are from the poorest families selected by local leaders based on the socio-economic classification programme, Ubudehe.The other three are children of a former employee of the company who passed on some years ago.“When my daughter was registered by local leaders, I thought she would never succeed. There were about 30 applicants who were subjected to exams before selecting the final beneficiaries,” the mother said.Imanikirizamukwihebar shares happiness with other parents, most of them widows whose children are supported by the factory.“Our policy is to boost education in the area. We realised that there are students who cannot afford school fees. We started with a small number and we are planning to increase the beneficiaries next year,” said Rohith Peiris, the Sorwathe director general. He said the factory intends to sponsor six students with good grades each year.The tea factory has already completed two schools. One of them has over 130 children and the other one will soon enrol more than 90 children. The factory has also availed Rwf12 million to build a modern laboratory at Kinihira SS, starting next year.

National

Rulindo tea factory offers bursaries to poor parents with bright students