Ntakinanirimana Elisa,(2nd L) accompanied by a relative and his school ditector(R) receives his award
The ministry of education has released results of national exams, advanced level for the year 2022-2023 with seventeen best candidates taking home their awards.
The list include students who have a tradition of winning since Primary School, even though their being allowed to sit in class was never something to take for granted.
In Education, there is basic package to offer to a child to ensure their success and this include but is not limited to adequate feeding and offering essential scholastic material on top of school-fees.
Ntakinanirimana Elisa from Centre for Champions TSS in Rwamagana district, Eastern Province who hails from Gatsibo district is one of those students who needed such cares, but there was no one to give them.
He was awarded as best candidate in the national exams after scoring the highest marks in Industrial Electricity, but the journey was full of thrones.
“I worked really hard in revising my courses. I was not fortunate to be born in a well-to-do family; from time to time, I had to drop out of school for domestic works that would allow me to buy basic materials,” Ntakinanirimana said.
One recent case in Senior 6, when the second semester started, Ntakinanirimana did not report to school. After several weeks, he surfaced as his classmates were registering for the national exams.
“I was working as mason helper to raise some little money. I even worked in rice plantation to guard rice field,” Ntakinanirimana further said, adding that his father has severe disability to an extent that he cannot afford to do some works whatever little.
This however, does not deter him from pursuing his dream where he says he wants to be the best in electricity. “I prefer to pursue Engineering in Electricity and Electronics. I will not break until I finish all levels of Education the world can offer,” he said adding that discipline, collaboration with classmates and focus is the way to go.
My Son Has Little Chances to Proceed-A mother to best candidate
Ntakinanirimana is one among the candidates who are academically bright but whose family’s economic challenges have grown to become a burden.
Cyubahiro Emile from Saint Jean Paul II Minor Seminary of Gikongoro in Nyamagabe district who emerged the best candidate in General Education-Science combination is not different.
Cyubahiro Emile accompanied by his mother and his brother receives awards from Minister of Education Gaspard Twagirayezu(L)
Second in a family of four children raised by a single mother, Cyubahiro was happy to be awarded with a laptop and a cup from East African Community.
“Since Senior 4, my thinking was that standing on the podium on a day like this for recognition is a big thing. Now I made it,” Cyubahiro said.
His dream is to study in Medicine and to become a doctor “because there is no better reward than contributing to the well-being of a community.”
At this event however, Cyubahiro was accompanied by mother Sindushimana Vestine, who is in charge of upbringing of four children because the husband divorced her.
“My four children including Cyubahiro are challenged. Sometimes they go to school without school-fees. I plead to well wishers to kindly help me take my children across this crisis until they are able to walk by their own legs,” she said.
