Most motorists who use the Kimironko- Contrôle Technique Road have seen him every day on busy mornings has he straddled kids to cross the usually busy road.

Every school day in the morning, lunchtime, and evening, 69-year-old Augustin Munyaneza stations himself at the road between just after the Heroes Mausoleum in Remera, ensuring that thousands of school children cross safely, daily.

Why does he do it? Simply to help children. He has voluntarily taken on the responsibility for over 12 years now, in a bid to protect students from traffic accidents.

ALSO READ: Gerayo Amahoro and its public health significance

He began this noble calling in 2013 when he was working as a cleaner at G.S. Remera Catholique – where he still works. Since the school is located near a busy road, the head teacher asked him to help guide pupils as to cross the always busy road. As a father, the responsibility made sense to him, and he embraced it wholeheartedly.

"I love children. We all go through childhood, and some of us have children. It is satisfying to see the children you once guided grow up, succeed, and even become parents, especially when you remember them as kids who couldn’t cross the road by themselves,” he says.

Motivated by his love for children, Munyaneza is still carrying on with the good work, while continuing with his cleaning job as well. And he doesn’t help only students from one school; he assists every child who uses the road.

ALSO READ: MPs urge youth to shape their future amid teen pregnancy crackdown

He says he wakes up daily at 5AM, walking from Zindiro to the Kimironko Contrôle Technique area. By 6AM, he is already at his post, ready to assist the children.

Though he receives no pay for this work, Munyaneza says the appreciation he gets from learners and the community keeps him motivated.

"It makes me happy because, as a Rwandan, I know what it means to take care of others, ensuring they are safe,” he says.

A father of five, he believes the results of his work are more important than money. If he were motivated by money, he says, he would not stand under the hot sun every day without anyone to replace him when he is tired or sick.

After years on the job, some of the children he once helped have grown up. Munyaneza recalls that some of them have even invited him to dinner to thank him for the care and kindness he showed them when they were young.

But the work is not always easy. He says some drivers yell at him for stopping them so children can cross safely and avoid accidents.

Road accidents are a key concern in Rwanda. From January to December 2024, Rwanda recorded around 9,600 road accidents, resulting in 350 fatalities.