The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Rwanda is currently sourcing out funds to pay school fees for Congolese students in refugee camps following the their major sponsor will have stopped its education programme in the camps.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) which was catering for the students in the refugee camps of Gihembe and Kiziba in Gicumbi and Karongi districts recently announced that they would stop the programme effective next academic year.

The agency has since started negotiating with donors to be able to pay scholastic needs for those who will have successfully passed this year’s national examination for Ordinary level secondary students.

"We need to discuss with donors to get the money and we hope that we will get a positive feedback,” said Honorine Sommet-Lange, a senior Protection Officer with UNHCR in Rwanda.

She said that JRS’s decision came after UHCR programme in Rwanda had already planned its budget for next year and it had not included paying school fees for the 375 secondary students in the two camps that JRS has been supporting.

"We need to adjust our budget,” she said as she explained that they have already contacted a number of donors to help provide funds.

Some refugee parents in Kiziba camp told The New Times last week of their fears that their children would drop out of schools following JRS’ decision.

"We are wondering where our ‘already’ troubled children are going if their access to education is gone?” Alex Rwabwije, one of the refugee parents had wondered.

JRS country director, Sr. Irene Guid, said the organisation was financially constrained to continue its education programme due to increasing global humanitarian crisis especially in Africa.

But her NGO’s decision was described as ‘brusque’ by François Abiyingoma who is a Programme Assistant with UNHCR in Kigali.

He said that UNHCR’s programme in Rwanda was soliciting its partners like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the German Government, and the UNHCR itself to ensure school fees for at least those who will pass the national examination among the Congolese students in both camps.

"We expect at least thirty or forty per cent of the (375) students to successfully pass the exam and we have to support their education,” he said.

UNHCR estimates that close to 56,000 refugees  live in Rwanda, the majority of whom are Congolese who fled war in their country while others are Burundians.

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