Witchcraft Orphan Desperate for Education

ORPHANED by “witchcraft” this desperate Rwandan teenager would give anything to finish her basic education.

But the shy 16 year old, who dreams of one day being a doctor, must stay at home with her older brother to farm for food to survive.

Alice Dushimiyunurennyi, who has never seen X-Factor or heard of Facebook, lost her mother when she was just nine and father at eleven.

She told The Star and members of the Irish aid agency Concern at the Cyendajuro primary school in Rwanda's rural Huye district, about 150km southwest of the capital Kigali, that her parents died of “witchcraft” - which can be the deadly AIDS virus.

Wearing an old Mickey Mouse t-shirt and sandals, Alice explained that she attended primary school for six years, but was forced to drop out by her older brother, who had become her guardian.

“I want to go to school and receive a good education to help build Rwanda, but my brother says I have to stay at home and work on the farm,” she said through an interpreter.

“I have to do the housekeeping, and harvest vegetables like sweet potatoes and beans for me and my brother to eat.

“I also do not have the means to pay for the materials I need for school, but would really like to finish my education and become a doctor to treat malaria and help others who are sick,” added the troubled teen.

Alice, who lives in a small home with her brother, said her older married siblings also want to try and sell their parents house so they can share the profits – which could leave her homeless.

School Principal Monique Mizitegeka said she will try and talk her brother into letting Alice attend school, through the Parent Teacher Committee - who are trained and supported by Concern, thanks to donations from people in Ireland.

She is one of tens of thousands Rwandan children who can't attend school because their families need them to work on their small patches of agricultural land in what is the most densely populated country in Africa.

Many children who do attend school rely on 'food aid,' while others are forced to collect grass so they can sell it to neighbours for their cattle or goats, so they can buy dinner with the earnings.

Everest, a 17 year old student head at Cyendajuro school, had to drop out of school in 2007 due to extreme poverty.

“I was living on the street and my parents wanted me to be at school, but could not support me,” he said.

He was brought back to school with the help of education representatives in the community trained by Concern.

He now expects to finish school to get a job so he can support his family, and also plans to get involved in politics and one day become the country's president.

Everest, who has never used a computer and who has never travelled outside his home district, said: “I want to help poor children get an education.

“My parents are happy that I am at school again, but it is a problem when the family has to pay for materials.

“Someday I would love to travel, but cannot right now.”

His school friend Edilonie Kuigirae (13) told The Star that to her being at school prevents her from having to fend for herself on the streets, and possibly get involved in prostitution.

Rwanda provides free education for nine years for its children, but they must pay to complete their secondary education and to attend university.

One of the countries main problems with getting children to school is the people's reliance on subsistence agriculture.

Over 80 per cent of people there live off the land, and rarely have any surplus left to sell, and even children who do attend school must go home to work on the land.

Cyendajuro School Principal Monique said Concern have hugely helped them reduce the high level of children dropping out or being forced to stay at home instead of going to class.

“There are many children who now attend school and will have a better future thanks to Concern,” she said.

The agencies assistant country director, Joanne Smyth, explained that they have funded the training of parents and teachers who act like supervisors ensuring children are in class and have the materials and assistance they need, such as uniforms and copy books.

“Our education programme of training Parent Teacher Committee representatives created a bridge between schools and communities to support better education for children,” said Ms Smyth.

The school

The new Cyendajuro primary school building has 965 students and 17 teachers in classrooms that have old strong wooden desks similar to what would have been used in Irish schools in the early and mid 20^th century.

There are often about 55 pupils in one class, and the school has limited resources, despite teaching a variety of subjects such as science and technology.

It also has no computers, despite the Rwandan government's aim for the country to become a knowledge based economy.

The school was built just after the end of the 1994 genocide that took 800,000 innocent lives and made 2 million people refugees in their own country.

Pupils there have reieved huge support due to the funds donated to Concern in Ireland, and yesterday they clapped and sang in thanks to their Irish donors.