It is just like that for the children in Rwanda too. However, many children don’t go to school because they can’t afford to buy the books, pencils and crayons that we get for free in Norway. Rwanda Red Cross faces up to this challenge.

Books to make poverty history

Education is an important tool in fighting poverty, and henceforth an important focus area in the daily works of Rwanda Red Cross (as part of reaching the millennium-goals and the “Education for All” initiative). Rwanda Red Cross gets funds through the Norwegian Red Cross’ donor program that go to school materials, school fees etc  which is given to children in need.
This year in the district of Gisagara 230 children was sponsored with school fees, and during some hectic days 12 000 books were distributed to 1400 children in primary school and 450 children in secondary school.

Volunteers and students at the distribution.

Camilla is organizing pens, pencils, rulers and crayons.

Distribution of books, crayons and rulers

January is the month when children in Rwanda return to school for a new year, and just like the children in Norway they are excited when thinking of the new academic year. Finally they will be able to learn something new, either mathematics, Kinyarwanda or English.
To learn, equipment is needed. Equipment such as; notebooks, pencils, crayons and rulers, and me and Camilla were fortunate enough to be able to take part in the distribution of these things when Rwanda Red Cross handed out school materials in the district of Nyanza.
400 children stood patiently outside the Red Cross office in Nyanza, waiting for their books and pencils. The ones starting first grade also got crayons.

Carina is handing out schoolbooks.

A queue of children waiting for the books Camilla is about to give them.

From OUI to YES

During the last few months and especially the last few weeks, there has been hectic activity to get the new school curriculum in place. Change in language focus from French to English takes up much space since French more or less will disappear as a subject, and English will replace it. This creates challenges such as; providing enough teachers with good English skills, provide teachers with language courses as well as print new books in English. Hopefully it will not intervene too much with the positive trend the education system in Rwanda has been in the last few years.

Exam results from 2008 show that 74 % of the children that completed primary education that year passed their exams, compared to only 32 % in 2007 (reported by Ministry of Education, Rwanda, 2008). This is a good indicator that shows that the efforts made both by the Ministry and Rwanda Red Cross is worthwhile and has an impact. Now, we can only hope that the big changes within the education sector will go fast and not affect the children’s ability to learn too much.

Do you want to contribute to giving children in Rwanda an education? Become a donor through the Norwegian Red Cross’ donor program:
http://www.rodekors.no/Vart_arbeid/Internasjonalt_arbeid/Fadderprogram/Rwanda/