In the name of its chairperson, the local textile factory Utexrwa has handed over to Rwamagana District officials a Rwf400 million primary school in Cyarukamba Cell, Munyiginya Sector. The chairperson, who hails from India, chose to build the school in his birthplace. Some 101 years ago, an Indian national, Jetha Jobanputra and his family settled in Rwamagana where they did business; this is where his grandson Kishor Jobanputra was born about three decades later. This is also where he grew up as a child. To celebrate a century in Rwanda, Kishor Jobanputra decided to construct a school and hand it over to local authorities. The school was built in 60 day-time and was named after his grandfather Jetha Jobanputra. About 300 students will be admitted in the primary school, which has 10 classrooms, an office block, a computer lab, laboratory, kitchen and toilets. According to the district, the new school has been named “Ecole Primaire Cyarukamba Jobanputra.” Many suggest that this is the first donation of a school to the Government by an investor. Residents in Cyarukamba Cell said that it was difficult for their children to access schools which were kilometres away. Ildephonse Murigande, said, “We are very happy, this is the first time that our cell gets a school, our children have been walking all the way to Mwulire Sector, because another school in this sector is even farther away.” Most children going to school had to cross the Kigali-Kayonza highway to access school, which made them vulnerable to road accidents. Ritesh Pater, the Managing Director of Utexrwa, said the factory built this school on behalf of its Board Chairperson, since Utexrwa belongs to the Jobanputra family that came to Rwanda in 1919. “Since they are here in Rwanda for more than 100 years, they wanted to give back to community, especially in education, and they decided to donate the school to the government for the better future of the rural community,” he explained. “Last year when our chairman was here, he said that something special should be done after his family clocked 100 years since settling in years in Rwamagana. He wanted to do something for which his family can be remembered,” he said. The chairperson currently lives in India and is expected to be present on the first day of school when education activities reopen, following months of closure due to Covid-19. The textile factory was established in 1984, and currently employs 400 people. The firm currently specializes more in making uniforms for the military, police, DASSO, among others. Rwamagana District Mayor, Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi, said constructing a school is a major boost to the national effort of increasing classrooms and reduce overcrowding, as well as cut short the distances made by children to school. “It will be closer to children who used to walk between 2-3 kilometres,” he said, adding that it will reduce congestion in classrooms because the Education Ministry’s directive is that a classroom should not have more than 46 learners. Mbonyumuvunyi urged the resident to make good use of the facility. “The school you see today does not belong to Kishor [Jobanputra] anymore, it is not his late grandfather’s either, it does not even belong to the district, the mayor or any other official, it is but yours as a community,” he said. The factory also promised free school uniforms for the students on top of contributing health insurance to 500 needy people in Munyiginya Sector. This is not the first Kishor Jobanputra’s gift to Rwamagana, last year when he was in Rwanda, he renovated old shops and buildings in Rwamagana that belonged to his family and donated them to the district.
