{{Twenty Six girls from Gatsibo, Nyagatare and Kayonza districts that excelled in the 2013 Primary and O Level National Examinations have been awarded by Imbuto Foundation.}}
The girls recieved their prizes at a function held at Ntende Rice Cooperative, Rugarama Sector, Gatsibo District on March 30.
The State Minister in charge of mining and geology in the Ministry of Natural Resources Hon. Evode Imena, on behalf of Her excellence the First Lady Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, awarded 26 girls that excelled in their academics including girls from Gatsibo, Nyagatare and Kayonza districts.
The function was opened by a discussion on the hindrances girls face in their education. The discussion was moderated by MP for the Youth Hon. Justine Mukobwa.
One of the discussants, Emmanuel Karimba, a student of Groupe Scholaire Nyagasiga, Gastibo, testified of the “corning connivances” the boys carryout on best girls in class.
He said, “at one time, we were five boys, we jealously connived to corn a girl in order to divide her attention on studies because she was performing better than we (boys) did — and we succeeded”.
Hon. Justine Mukobwa warned the girls who tend to trust their boy friends more than they do to their parents of care takers.
The Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Affairs Gatsibo Isaiah Habarurema advised girls to study with a vision and boys to respect gender.
To him, girl’s inferiority complex is rooted in homes especially irresponsible men who indifferently make women work as “tailoring machines”.
He called upon parents to take an upper hand in teaching gender equality to their children by example.
In his speech, the guest of honor, Hon. State Minister Evode Imena advised the girls to be focused, not to be derailed by minor things like make-ups. He also challenged them to gain the audacity to do science subjects and joining technical schools.
“When you look at the performance of girls in technical schools, you find that girls are only better in secretarial studies and tailoring.” He said, “But if you can purge yourselves off that inferiority complex, you can perform just like boys do”.
One of the awarded students Josiane Tuyishime 14 who got 14 aggregates in her Primary Leaving Examinations at Groupe Scholaire Minini, Rwimbogo Sector, Gatsibo District, in an interview with the reporter, thanked the the First Lady for the Best Performing Girls Campaign initiative.
“I feel I’m going to study better than ever because I’ve been given scholastic material which I never had before”, she said.
The students were awarded each with a school back packs that contained a dictionary, other text books, calculator and other scholastic materials.
The Best Performing Girls Campaign was initiated in 2005 by Imbuto Foundation under the leadership of the First Lady Jeannette Kagame.
The campaign mobilizes Rwandan society to support the girl child education. Since its inception, 3,400 girls have been awarded nation wide and this year more 433 will be awarded.
This year, the campaign was launched on March 1, in Gisagara District. It has run through Gasabo, Nyabihu, now Gatsibo and the next such functions will be held in Karongi and Ngoma districts.
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