Quality education is the best legacy for sustainable devt, says First Lady

First Lady Jeannette Kagame has said for Rwanda’s future to be safe and secure, offering high quality education is the ultimate objective to embark on. While officiating at Maranyundo Girls School graduation event, Mrs Kagame noted that with good quality education, children will be in a position to overcome life challenges in future. “Education is the best heritage we can hand to our children,” the First Lady said. She added that, “Education holds the power to change the world. This is even more applicable to you because of the blessing of a solid education. Started with 60 students in 2008, Maranyundo Girls School’s population has now grown to 392 students. The private school, established by Boston-based Maranyundo Initiative, mainly focuses on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). First Lady Jeannette Kagame in a group photo with the first A Level graduates of the Maranyundo Girls School. / Courtesy A total of 57 girls formed the first A-Level graduating class for the school, while 60 girls graduated from O-Level. “These are the future of Rwanda and our shared future,” said Daphne Petri, the Board Chair of Maranyundo Initiative. Petri also paid homage to fallen Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Aloisea Inyumba, for being at the forefront of setting up Maranyundo Girls School. The event also marked the inauguration of the new STEM Learning Centre, comprising of 9 new classrooms, science laboratories, as well as an equipped computer lab. In addition to sponsoring some best-performing girls from vulnerable families, the First Lady also offered a three-year prepaid Internet package for the school to facilitate the STEM learning programme at the school, according to the school administration. Headmistress at the Maranyundo Girls School, Sister Marie Juvenale, delivers her remarks during the event which saw its first A Level class graduate. / Courtesy Maranyundo Girls School is among the top all-girl’s schools that have been established in the recent decade, to empower girl-child education in the country. “Not only do we focus on making education accessible to all, but we emphasize the value of learning, especially where girls are concerned, Mrs Kagame, who is also the founder of Imbuto Foundation, said. “I am honoured to see that the partnership between Maranyundo Girls School and my Foundation, Imbuto Foundation, has been able to empower several girls, through opportunities to pursue a well-rounded education,” she added. Some of the A Level graduates enjoy a light moment during the Maranyundo Girls School graduation ceremony. / Courtesy The First Lady hailed a group of individuals who pulled resources together through Maranyundo Initiative to bring to life a vision of a now successful and sustainable institution. Mrs Kagame noted that Rwanda has opted to give due importance to education, “because we profoundly understand the power to build an edified nation. She urged high school graduates to use the educational tools they have been given, for the benefit of the global village. Honourable Minister of Education Dr. Musafiri Papias Malimba delivers his remarks during the graduation ceremony at Maranyundo Girls School. / Courtesy Simeon Karamaga, one of the popular Bisesero resistors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, had her 18-year old daughter among the graduates. Karamaga commended the school for giving “highest quality” education to the girls. “I am so happy that my daughter is able to study from one of the best schools in the country. There is no doubt that this school offers the highest quality of education and I can see it through my child. I thank the people who work hard to improve the education system of our country,” Karamaga said. Maranyundo Initiatives Board of Chair Daphne Petri during the graduation ceremony held at the Maranyundo Girls School. / Courtesy Karamaga’s daughter, Aline, also hailed the school for not only giving her the best education but connecting her with the children from various backgrounds. “My home is in Bisesero sector in Karongi District, but I have met children from all corners of the country, and to me that’s probably the highlight of my stay in this school. We have become sisters and probably this will be a lifetime bond that will certainly lead us to greater things in future,” she said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Quality education is the best legacy for sustainable devt, says First Lady