A Rotary-supported initiative provided vulnerable primary school children in Kigali with essential household and school materials. The project, known as Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW), targets children aged between six and 12 and provides them with mattresses, blankets, bedsheets, mosquito nets, shoes, school uniforms, sportswear, notebooks, pens and basins. ALSO READ: Why kids need enough sleep For the past five years, the initiative has supported 5,000 children from poor families, with beneficiaries identified by local authorities in different districts. The latest distribution took place in Kicukiro District on September 5. Dianna Murungi, a member of the Rotary Club of Kigali SFB, said the initiative is based on the belief that adequate sleep contributes to better learning outcomes. “SCAW is a project that helps children get the materials they need to sleep well at night so that they can study well. We believe that a child who has slept well is able to follow what the teacher is teaching them,” she said. She added that the project is also intended to contribute to the wider wellbeing of children and their communities. “In short, we believe that what we are doing will help the Kicukiro community by enabling their children to have a healthy life at school and eventually become responsible citizens of the country who are knowledgeable and able to help others in the future,” Murungi said. ALSO READ: Rotary raises $50,000 towards $5m cancer scanner Parents said that receiving the support, the assistance comes at a time when meeting basic needs for several children can be difficult. Vestina Mukampunga said two of her children benefited from the project. One is entering Senior Two while the other is entering Primary Two. She said her family had struggled to provide some of the materials the children needed, but the donation has eased the burden. “We used to wonder how the children would manage to study, but now we have received notebooks, pens, bedding and basins,” she said. The children also received mattresses, mosquito nets, bedsheets among other items. Mukampunga said the materials would help her children maintain better hygiene and sleep comfortably before going to school. Marie Chantal Tuyizere, a parent from Karambo Cell in Gatenga Sector whose child is in Primary Five, said she received the support as a gesture of care from people who thought about families facing difficulties. She said the basin would help her child develop better personal hygiene habits, while the mattress and school materials would make it easier for the child to prepare for school and remain motivated to study. “It will help the child and motivate them to study hard and succeed,” she said. For Jeannette Mukasine, also from Gatenga Sector, the mattresses were among the most significant items received. ALSO READ: Rotarians pledge support to sports development in Nyagatare Mukasine, whose child is in Primary Three, said she has four children who previously shared one mattress. She received two mattresses through the programme because two of her children were beneficiaries. “Now they will be able to sleep well, and they have also received notebooks. I feel that there is nothing better than this,” she said. She added that receiving pens and other school materials would reduce the financial pressure of regularly buying supplies and could encourage the children to perform better at school. Alex Ndibwami, president of the Rotary Club of Kigali Birunga, said SCAW is designed as a comprehensive package that supports a child from bedtime through to the next school day. “The expectation is that when you sleep well, you look forward to school the next day,” Ndibwami said. According to Ndibwami, the programme originated in Canada after its founder encountered a child sleeping on the street and sought to mobilise others to prevent vulnerable children from experiencing similar circumstances. SCAW is not part of Rotary International's grant system. Instead, the organisation mobilises funds internationally and partners with trusted local Rotary clubs to implement the programme. Ndibwami said Kigali Virunga's role includes identifying schools and distribution sites and providing local logistics such as transportation, water for volunteers and meals during distribution activities. He said the club has also continued to pursue other projects focused on education, healthcare and children with disabilities. Among its major initiatives is a fundraising campaign targeting $5 million to help Rwanda acquire a SPECT scanner, a medical imaging machine that assists in diagnosing cancer and other conditions. The club has so far raised $50,000 toward the target. It is also working on a centre for children with acute disabilities, estimated to cost about $1 million, for which approximately $10,000 has been raised. Other projects include a $75,000 initiative at Bright School in Muhanga to expand and equip a kitchen and add a bakery section, as well as a proposed grant of about $30,000 to $35,000 for technology learning facilities at Urukundo Primary School.
