Over the weekend, 15 pupils from GS Gahanga School in Kicukiro District were given scholastic materials to keep them learning following the reopening of schools last month. The event that took place at the school was organised by the Rotaract Club of KIE (Kigali Institute of Education), and aimed at supporting primary students who were most likely to drop out of school due to financial constraints. Each student received a pair of school uniform, school bag, books, and other necessary scholastic materials. Their tuition was also covered for a whole academic year. According to Felix Niyitegeka, the headmaster of the school, the fact is that being a public school, learners are not supposed to pay school fees, but there is some money paid per term to cater for other things depending on the class a child is in, however, some parents lack the means to support their children. “In this area, many people are not financially stable to provide everything their children need in order to stay in class throughout the year. This initiative is a nice move as it will see learners stay in class without having to burden their parents who are already stressed financially,” Niyitegeka he said. As teachers, he added, this will help them achieve their objective because all learners will be available throughout the entire academic year. Musa Kacheche, the president of Rotaract Club of KIE, said the motive of the event was to improve the educational status of disadvantaged children, including advocating for the support and education of the selected primary school students. They also aim at reducing the dropout rate among students in primary school in Gahanga, as well as contribute to the government’s ongoing efforts to avail education to all children. The sponsorship came from fundraising efforts supported mainly by the Rotaract Club of KIE, Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in Rwanda.
