Support for schools on the Musenyi site through the provision of fun learning kits.
UNICEF has distributed educational and recreational kits to schools in Musenyi and Nyagahara to promote learning, play, and the well-being of refugee children living on the Musenyi site.
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Emotion was palpable that morning on the faces of preschool pupils at the Musenyi refugee site, in the commune of Giharo, Rutana province. The eagerly awaited arrival of the UNICEF team was marked by a special sense of excitement, curiosity, and, above all, hope among the little ones. In a context where educational needs are immense and urgent, this visit was highly significant.
In partnership with the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, through its emergency unit, and in close collaboration with JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service), UNICEF distributed educational and recreational kits to the children of ECOFO Musenyi and ECOFO Nyagahara.
The kits contain a variety of items to promote learning and fun, including balls for games, slates, chalk, notebooks, pens, and portable blackboards - simple yet powerful tools that are transforming the daily lives of children and their teachers.
“I'm going to use this notebook to write the alphabet,” says Emelyne Kitalopita, a little girl from the site with a radiant smile, clutching her new treasure, a notebook and pen.
With over 400 children being taught by Congolese and Burundian teachers in only three functioning classrooms, this donation is a breath of fresh air. Five tents have been set up on the site and fitted out as additional learning spaces. They have been equipped with blackboards to make them fully operational.
Christine Dayima, a Congolese teacher in the third year of nursery school at ECOFO Musenyi, makes no secret of her delight: “It was tough to get all the children to use the blackboard. Now they can learn, each with their notebook. It's a relief for me.”
For Congera Innocent, headmaster of ECOFO Nyagahara, this support is doubly important: “We have around 647 pupils, 213 of whom are Congolese refugee children. Kirundi is a barrier for them, but with these new tools, they can play and learn together. This will promote inclusion and facilitate learning.”
True to its mandate, UNICEF reaffirms that every child, whatever their status or situation, has the right to a quality education; education in emergencies remains an indisputable priority. In Musenyi, this promise is coming to life. Because education is not a luxury, it is a right.
