SOUTHERN PROVINCE NYANZA—Competition among students at Ecole Technique de Gitarama (ETO-Gitarama) was stiff as the school administration honoured its best students. The best students in each class received honorary prizes, certificates and cash awards in a function held on school premises on Thursday 25 September. Also present were several parents, Mayor of Nyanza François Munyandindi, tycoon Filbert Rujugiro, and accompanied Barnbé Ugirabe, the president of the parents association. Rujugiro is one of the school’s major sponsors and recently donated Frw20million. Other sponsors include Solid Works, a US-based company, Tully Australia, and the Ministry of Education. “ETO-Gitarama is no longer an ordinary secondary school. This is evident from our student body – our students are among the best countrywide. Some of them are even going on to represent Rwanda in the US and Australia,” said Mark O’Kane, the school’s director. ETO Gitarama is one of the best technical schools in Rwanda and emerged as the best exhibitor in the Uganda- Rwanda Education Expo held recently in Kigali. The school is set to changes its title to Nyanza College of Technology (NTC). “The goal is to have all our students excel and contribute toward Rwanda’s vision 2020 through self-reliance, quality skills and service. This will help the country attain self-sustainability, and avoid dependence on donors,” O’Kane added. The school’s achievements are impressive, the students promising. O’Kane encourages students to push themselves and set high expectations for themselves and their futures. This helps them study hard in school, attain better jobs afterward, and move on to further education and successful careers. “I have set a challenge to myself to compete for excellence and am proud,” says Yvonne Nishimwe, a graduating electronics student. As ETO-Gitarama continues to produce capable graduates and build on its successes, many more ETO students are likely to have much to be proud about on graduation day. Ends
