The “Forum pour la Mémoire Vigilante”, FM, in collaboration with an American NGO “Spirit in Action” has visited the schools where more than thirty children who are taken in charge by FMV, an NGO under Rwandan law study.
The FMV supports those children in paying school fees and buying school materials with the help of its partners in education which are Flaming Chalice International (FCI) and Burundian Community of Texas (BTC).
The aim of that visit was centred on the mid-term evaluation, getting information on the problems faced by these children which can be the source of their failure, getting familiar with the teachers and the schools authorities and reinforcing the contacts between teachers and parents.
According to the FMV legal representative, Ferdinand Ndayiragije “It is better to evaluate before the beginning of the third term to prevent the majors causes that can lead to school failure when they could be avoided”
Three agents, members of the forum, who did this visit affirm that the results of the two terms are good. “The children receiving the scholarship of FMV in collaboration with its partners in Education follow well their studies, have good marks, are determined to succeed in class and are driven by love and human spirit” they described in their final report.
They added that they have a kind of behavioural follow up. “the purpose of that activity was in fact to visit the child and encourage him, then talk with teachers to be aware of the evolution of the child at school, to know his marks, the perception of the refugee child at school and if the school environment help the child to study well.” Explain the chief of the delegation Mr Freddy Niburana before adding that the visit helped to analyse the causes of the prospective school failure, to evaluate their schooling and then morally support them and take notice if they are not discriminated.
Many of the children have declared that the environment at school is favorable because they are not discriminated for being refugees. “Other children love us; we don’t have any problem with them.’ They said.
On their hand, the teachers admitted that the Burundian children are intelligent, emphasising that the only problem is the lack or the delay of adequate school materials. It has been observed that the children who get the scholarship fees thanks to FMV succeed well at school but that the failures that exist are mainly caused by the difficult conditions that the children face at home. “If the child didn’t eat, he risks to fail in his exams”, the investigators of FVM mentioned one by one.
“Some are orphelins, others do not have means to obtain all the school materials needed, and others would like to study short courses to get job in order to support their brothers and sisters.” They noted.
As recommendation, they wished that the visits should be regularly organised so that the children feel as they are not alone in exile and at their schools.
More than 15 schools were visited, in February in the districts of Huye, Muhanga, Nyaruguru, in the Southern province of Rwanda as well as in the capital city Kigali.
FMV note that it is very grateful to an American NGO SIA which supported the visits considered to be of capital important by the children, the parents and by the teachers.
This is such inspiring work! We send our encouragement to each student working to adapt to a new location while continuing their studies. Keep up the excellent work, FMV!