Up-country Insight: Why students have committed suicide

A Senior-4 student of Nyagatare secondary school identified as Warren Mugabo was found dead in September after committing suicide when his parents failed to meet school expenses and his father separated from his first wife and remarried. Shortly after Warren committed suicide, Feline Nishimwe, a student from Rukomo secondary, was caught attempting to kill herself before being rushed to the local hospital to receive medication. For Mugabo, a Senior-4 student in biochemistry, it was personal domestic issues along with a price tag of education for Frw38,500 that urged him to take his own life. And it is not an uncommon story. It seems that these days there are more and more pressures on young children and students.One woman who tried to take her own life but survived, had this to say.“All I wanted was to die. My sadness was too great for me to bear. I had the pills near me - more than enough to kill myself. I realized that was the selfish way out. I would make my family even more sad. Our family had suffered a terrible tragedy. I had to hang on to life. I asked God to help me.”Suicide is considered a possible complication of depressive illness in combination with other risk factors because suicidal thoughts and behavior can be symptoms of moderate to severe depression. Among the youth depression can sometimes be just the beginning. Alcohol or other drug abuses are common in adolescent behaviour, and that is not limited to big-city urban areas, but upcountry Rwanda as well.Speaking to friends of Mugabo at Nyagatare secondary, all said that the young man had been troubled and that the school authorities knew that he could have used “extra help.” Instead of helping, though, the school finance department threatened to send all students out without tuition payments. When Mugabo reached home it is thought that a fight with his father ensued, and that was enough for the young man. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE According to dean of students at Umutara Polytechnic University Edward Ruzindana, all secondary school and institutions of higher learning should install professional career guidance officers to keep students mentally, as well as intellectually healthy.It is common practice in schools throughout the world outside Africa.“Many times homes especially for the poor students upcountry are not comfortable for a student, and again there are times even when the depressed students reach at schools and no one is following up on how they are,” Ruzindana said.In a country like Rwanda, he said, which went through a profound Genocide, many students have domestic problems coupled with severe financial crises.In addition to Ruzindana’s proposal, it should also be proposed that institutions like the Kigali Institute of Education establishes a unit of career guidance for counselling proposing that in an institution like Kigali Institute of education should establish a unit of career guidance and counselling.Parents especially, especially step-parents have a profound effect on the happiness of children. It is strongly suggested that all parents love children in their household like they are their own. When living with a suicidal person, they should not be left alone. While harassing them is not good, it is important to pick up on signs that they may be depressed.Ends