SOS Schools in Rwanda

SOS Nursery School Byumba

During the year 2008, the SOS Nursery School Byumba has taken care of 75 children including 21 children from SOS Children's Village Byumba. The nursery school is a place where children enjoy the child development programme planned for them. During the year 2008, children showed their talents through various achievements including writing; coloring, painting and other do it yourself activities. By the end of each term, children’s achievements are used to evaluate their academic performance which shown to the parents.

These small children have always interesting presentations to perform during the school or village feasts. Their performance is always sensational.

Our teachers from the SOS Nursery School are highly appreciated for their professional experience. Education officials at province level request their skills to train nursery school teachers. We received visitors from other schools and our teachers had to train nursery schools teachers from the neighboring regions. 

SOS Primary School Byumba

The SOS Primary School opened in 1997.  Scholarships are given to children from poor families in the local community.

During 2008, the SOS Primary School Byumba had taught 409 pupils including 117 children from SOS Children’s Village Byumba. There have not been cases of drop out during this academic year. This school comes always in the first position during the competitions organised by Gicumbi district.
 
However, some children from the SOS Primary School have learning difficulties which require special follow-up and attention. Most of them are in Primary 2 and 4. The cases that need special attention are about 40, but those which are more in need are 5, with 3 cases in P2 and 2 cases in P4. Sessions for their capacity reinforcement were regularly organised.

Pupils belong to various clubs. The knowledge acquired during these club activities supplement the lessons taught in class. Although children are still young, they contribute to the development of their communities. The clubs include child rights protection club, environment protection club, scientific club and the fight against HIV-AIDS club and the fight against genocide ideology club. The club activities are organised by pupils assisted by our teachers.

During the year 2008, the school has organised an IT training for the teachers. The training will help the teachers develop IT skills and train their pupils.

The buildings and school facilities are in good condition and well kept. 

SOS Nursery School Gikongoro

During 2008, the SOS Nursery School at Gikongoro had 125 children including 19 children from the SOS Children's Village Gikongoro, 9 children supported by the Family Strengthening Programme and 97 children from the neighboring community. Child care was ensured by 5 educators in 3 classrooms. The 1st section has one group of 25 children while the 2nd and the 3rd sections have each 2 groups of 20 to 25 children each. 

The activities that are regularly organised at the SOS Nursery School help children to develop their language skills and prepare them to social life. Learning is based on practical life activities. During the open day organised on 14/06/2008, the parents were amazed by children’s achievement.

3rd year nursery school children have performed well during the African Child day ceremony. Their marching like soldiers is always requested by the district authorities during the national feasts. Two study tours have been organised at Salus radio station and tea factory. They helped children to understand and when they were back, their oral expression or gestures were full of significant message about what they had seen during the study tour.

The teachers have continued to share their experience with other teachers in their federation of associations for the promotion of nursery education (Fédération des Associations pour la Promotion de l’Education du Préscolaire; in abbreviation FAPREP). Collaboration in the daily follow-up of children’s education has been reinforced by the meetings, day off where teachers prepare their lessons and meetings with parents.

The end of year celebration has been organised in order to present the best wishes for 2009.

SOS Primary School Gikongoro

The SOS Primary School opened in 1992. The capacity is for around 430 pupils and in 2008, the SOS Primary School had 393 pupils in 12 classrooms. Children from the SOS Children's Village Gikongoro totalled 94 made up of 49 girls and 45 Boys.

The assessment of what has been achieved in 2008 is very encouraging: the performance rate is 85%, thanks to the collaboration between the staff, family support to children especially the ones with serious learning difficulties. Parents whose children do not live in the village have also supported the school. During the open day organised on 14/06/2008, the parents admired the computer skills their children have got and decided to buy 12 computers for our computer room in addition to 6 ones provided by the President of SOS Children during his visit to Gikongoro on March 19th, 2008. 

Staff development programme has been organised for all the teachers together with monthly meetings and days dedicated to sharing experience. Teachers have been trained in IT and English courses have been organised. These trainings will continue and be reinforced in 2009 in preparation for the new academic year where some lessons will be taught in English. The introduction of a new planning methodology has helped us to think about our priorities until 2016.

Clubs activities have been successful: in addition to the contribution of the environment protection club in keeping hygiene within our school, this club has cultivated a piece of land where various tree fruits have been planted. The sketch performed by the fight against AIDS club in front of their parents during the open day reveal children’s commitment to sensitize people on HIV. Sports and leisure activities have been developed, our basket ball feminine team has reached the quarter final at national level and has won NYAMAGABE district cup.

By the end of the academic year, all the stakeholders shared about the achievements. The volley ball cup has been won for the second time by the teachers’ team in a competition opposing them and the parents. This competition has contributed to a greater collaboration and unity in promoting education.
 
 

SOS Nursery School Kigali

In 2008, the SOS Nursery School catered for 109 children at the beginning of the academic year: 10 children from the village including 5 girls and 5 boys. The number of children was 105 at the end of the academic year. Some parents shifted far from school, and this contributed to the decrease of figures at nursery school.

The activities carried out in the SOS Nursery School include:

• Group activities such as psychomotor activities, open air games, visiting and welcoming other children, playing with sand, leisure, walking, chatting, singing, free discussions, songs, riddles, stories, reciting poems
• Semi-directed activities such as free drawings
• Monitored activities: drawings, coloring, painting, the pre-writing and the pre-calculation
• Swimming is the activity most of nursery school children like
  

English is taught since the grade one of the nursery school.

In October, an outing has been organised for all the children and parents’ committee. This was a good opportunity for parents, children and teachers to come together, share and relax.

The celebration of the end of 2008 academic year was organised by the SOS Nursery School on October 31st. Children performed various games and shared with their parents.

SOS Primary School Kigali

The SOS Primary School opened in 1997.  The SOS Primary School Kigali welcomed 638 pupils at the beginning of the 1st term 2008 and ended the academic year with 630 pupils because some children went with their parents who shifted from the neighborhoods of the school. These pupils study in 18 classrooms. We have welcomed two children who are assisted by Family Strengthening Programme.

There has been a considerable collaboration between the parents’ committee, the parents and the teachers which have contributed to quality education. The performance rate of all the pupils reached 91%.  There have been regular meetings between teachers and mothers and/or aunts which have contributed to this performance rate among children from the SOS Children's Village Kigali, especially the ones who had serious learning difficulties. Computer lessons have begun and children enjoy it. Our school has 20 computers which can be used on full time basis. Teachers have benefited from IT training which will help them to train their students.  Teachers have also received English lessons which will help them teach mathematics in English in accordance with the government education policy.  These trainings will continue in 2009.

We have supervised children’s clubs: to fight against AIDS, child right and Environment protection. We are planning to sensitise people on child rights through songs and we are planning to produce a CD during 2009 academic year if we get means for that. 

We focused very much on sports and our girls’ basketball team has performed well up to the final game 2008 opposing various schools.

SOS Technical School Kigali

The academic year 2008 started on January 7th, 2008 at the SOS Technical School according to the school calendar of the Ministry of Education. The school welcomed 194 students including 144 boys and 50 girls. The school has 4 sections: Electricity, Computer Science, Carpentry and Accountancy.

By the end of the academic year, the school had 189 students including 141 boys and 48 girls. 25 children including 17 boys and 8 girls are assisted by SOS children’s villages.

The performance rate at the end of 2008 academic year is as follows:

• Accountancy section:      77. 1%
• Electricity section :          84.8 %
• Computer Science:         95.3 %
• Carpentry section:           100 %

The performance rate of SOS children has been 88 %.

Various events have occurred during this 2008 academic year:

• The national examinations results revealed that the SOS Technical School is the best secondary school in Kigali City and tenth among 20 best schools in the country. All the 36 students were graduated. Various higher authorities including the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education attended the graduation ceremony. 
• The open day was a good opportunity to show to partner companies and potential partners the quality of education we provide. It was also a good opportunity to prepare labour market opportunities for our first graduates.
• The organisation of the Regional Practical Skills Competition involving vocational schools of the whole country and SOS vocational schools in Kenya and Ethiopia. The Minister of Education was the guest of honour who awarded the best competitors in collaboration with the Ambassador of Kenya in Rwanda present at the ceremony.
• Participation in the Regional Practical Skills Competition involving SOS vocational schools from Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda. The competition was organised in Kenya.
• The training of trainers has been organised for all the vocational schools countrywide
• Follow-up of the work experience done by senior 5 and 6 in various industries
• Organise the training of for the informal sector
• Organise the general assembly of vocational schools in Rwanda ADET/TEVSA 
• Organise the employers’ conference and the vocational schools association
  

The greatest event during this year is the certificated awarded to the SOS Technical School as the best secondary school in Kigali City. The school was encouraged and awarded a computer. The academic year ended officially on November 14th, 2008 when senior 5 and 6 students were still doing their work experience.

The school received ISO 9001:2000 (International Standards Organisation) certificate for its excellent management and quality education.