CITW’s scholarship programme currently sponsors a total of 177 students for six years of schooling – at Bisate Secondary School near Wilderness Bisate, Rwabiharamba Secondary School in the area just outside Akagera National Park, where Wilderness Magashi is located, and Kinihira Secondary School, close to Gishwati Forest. However, since the programme has been running the longest in the Bisate area, the secondary school here has the highest number of scholarship students. A total of 112 students from Bisate received the scholarship, with four new students in Senior 1, 37 students in S2 and S3, and the remaining 71 students divided over 34 secondary schools for Senior 4 and Senior 5.
In Rwanda, secondary school years run from Senior 1 to Senior 6, or Grade 1 to Grade 6. When in Senior 3, or S3, all students need to sit national exams. The results of these exams determine where the student will continue their remaining school years of S4 to S6. Depending on their school results and study direction, many of our scholarship students are now placed in different schools in Rwanda. This means that our CITW students who are continuing in S4, S5 and in future S6, are branching out all over the country, and of course, still flying the CITW flag high. So, besides the seven schools that Wilderness and CITW have partnered with, we now have students in an additional 34 schools all over the country!
In November Aline and Damascene, our two loyal and hardworking CITW and community employees, made it their mission to visit many of the S4 and S5 students that are studying all over the country. These students have been part of the CITW programme since it started in the Bisate area, and of course have known Aline and Damascene for many years now. They loved that Children in the Wilderness paid a special visit to their school. Most of the students are now taller than Aline and Damascene! CITW is literally growing in Rwanda!
Through the generous donations of guests visiting Wilderness Bisate we have been able to support Bisate Primary School and the surrounding community with a brand-new sports field to play volleyball and basketball. The construction commenced in November. In the coming months, the sports field will be in use, and we will make sure to keep you up to date!
