Director General of REB Dr. Nelson Mbarushimana awarding Moise a trophy. The student is accompanied with his teacher
Moise Nahimana has been crowned the national winner of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Scratch Competition this year after presenting his project about “online teaching children with hearing disability.”
The sixteen-year-old from GS Murambi, Rulindo district, Northern province outshined 60 students across the country, who pitched their projects at Hilltop Hotel in Kigali on June 7, 2022.
His project aimed at helping students with hearing disabilities. It includes animation videos where a teacher can deliver a course online, including giving exercises, and marking.
“It is a big win which reminds me that I have to work really hard for this project to reach application stage where it would help our colleagues with hearing disabilities,” Nahimana said.
Nahimana’s first runner-up was Emanuel Kwizera from GS Gisenyi – Rubavu district who pitched a project about climate change and fighting pollution.
Andre Gashagaza from ES Marie Adelaide located, Kamonyi district, Southern Province was the second runner-up.
Winners were treated with several awards
OLPC scratch competitions targets to build the capacity of students to think creatively, evaluate the level of usage of XO laptops, and motivate young students to use ICT. It also aims to promote digital literacy and programming skills among young learners and to prepare future engineers.
The competition started at the school level where 416 students competed to represent their districts with two students representing each district
For the Primary school category, Bruno Gihozo Yvan from EP Gafunzo located in Ngoma district, eastern province emerged the national winner, after presenting his project about the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The project aimed at raising awareness of a high-end summit to take place in Kigali city this month.
He was followed by Bellamy Niyogisubizo from GS Nyabigega, Kirehe district also Eastern Province. In the third position was Zachee Iranzi from GS Gisozi, Gasabo district, Kigali City.
The winners were awarded with Positivo laptops, exercise books, laptop bags, and trophies.
“All the competitors exhibited amazing skills in ICT,” Dr. Nelson Mbarushimana, Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) said.
“The winners of this competition serve as a good example to the rest of the students, but also teachers.”
The annual OLPC Scratch Competition is a partnership between Right To Play and Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB), a nonprofit organization that aims at supporting education.
The OLPC Scratch Competition is among several platforms that target to promote ICT including EdTech Monday. The latter is an education program sponsored by Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT and Rwanda ICT chambers and aired on KTRadio and KigaliToday YouTube channels every last Monday of the month from 6-7 PM.
