Cogebanque Plc, in a collaborative effort with SOS Children's Village and Umurage for Education and Development, handed over scholastic materials to 3,000 vulnerable children.
The academic materials, including exercise books, are meant to support children who stay at two SOS villages; Gicumbi and Nyamagabe.
The initiative, spearheaded by Cogebanque Plc, a Rwanda-based commercial bank, provided essential exercise books to underprivileged pupils, enabling them access to quality education in the upcoming academic year 2023-2024.
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SOS Children’s Village is a global organization operating in 138 countries, providing assistance to children who have lost or are in danger of losing parental care. In Rwanda, it was founded in 1979 and presently operates in 13 districts, with field offices in Gicumbi, Kayonza, Nyamagabe, and Gasabo districts.
"As a country, Rwanda strives to implement the necessary systems to ensure inclusive education. In the same way that groups like SOS Children&039;s Villages advocate for vulnerable children, Cogebanque also takes a stand through establishing partnerships like this, with social stakeholders,” remarked Antoine Iyamuremye, Head of Marketing and Product Development at Cogebanque Plc.
He continued, "This support is one way to demonstrate our dedication to the fostering of a knowledge-based economy. This should also emphasize the need for the private sector to align efforts with national development priorities.”
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Cogebanque Plc has been in service in Rwanda for more than 24 years. It offers innovative services to its customers, including a wide range of products and services for corporate, SMEs, and retail customers. Additionally, Cogebanque Plc is actively involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives.
To address critical societal needs, Jean Bosco Kwizera, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda, said that it is imperative for different partners to join efforts.
"To ensure the true well-being of the children we help care for, we must ensure that their various needs and rights are all met equally, with quality and efficient access to education, not just food and shelter,” he said.
Umurage Education and Development created the books as part of their project called ‘Umurage’. The aim of the project is to provide exercise books and pens to underprivileged school-aged children free of charge. The project has produced and distributed over 156,000 free exercise books since 2019.
"This project was inspired by the then-trending news that some children were dropping out of school due to a lack of financial resources to purchase academic materials. We are delighted to see the vision come to life through collaborations like this one,” said Clement Mutabazi, Vice-President of Umurage for Education and Development.