A large part of the work done by Mission Rwanda revolves around sending children to school. Our children had not long started the first term of 2020 when Covid arrived in Rwanda and lockdown was imposed across the country. Schools have been closed for much of the year.
In Europe many schoolchildren have been sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop listening and watching their teacher online. If this is happening in Rwanda it is a privileged few. Many houses, particularly in rural areas but also in Kigali city, have no electricity. However, school lessons are being delivered over the airwaves by radio.
A common sight in Kigali and the Rwandan countryside is young people listening to music or a football match on their mobile phones. That is fine for the latest score but not so practical for serious homework. So along with our latest emergency supplies of food we have funded the purchase of radio sets for all our children.
The schools were to have reopened in September but this is no longer going to happen. Covid cases are starting to tick up again and local lockdowns are being imposed. At least from home our children will be able to keep up with their homework.