Late July marks the beginning of a long break from school
for children in Rwanda. Many of our students at Imbabazi return from boarding
school excited to reunite with their friends and share stories from
school. While there are plenty of chores
to do, they find time to do what teenagers worldwide do: nothing! Or in
Kinyarwanda: “Nacho.” After only two
weeks of vacation, many students are off to summer internships. We have three
students in a restaurant and food service internship in Musanze, one interning
in masonry and one in accounting also in Musanze, four in Gisenyi interning in
electrical and mechanical work, and one at an entrepreneurship camp in Gitarama.
We caught up with three who are remaining at Imbabazi for short interviews
about the summer break:
Rose is sixteen years old
and studies in Senior Two in the Rwaza secondary school in Musanze. After finishing school she hopes to continue
studying in university and medical school and become a pediatrician to help
children.
Are you happy to
return home from school?
Yes, but I miss my
friends.
Can you tell me what
you do day to day on vacation?
I wake up, I mop in
the room or clean the bathrooms and showers. I help wash dishes in the
afternoon and help to peel potatoes. We eat corn or rice at lunch. After
chores, we chat and play.
What do you like to
do on break:
I like to play monopoly and mancala.
Do you like to be at
school or on break more?
At school. Because I like studying.
Rukundo is also a student
at the Rwaza secondary school in Musanze. He studies in Senior Six and will be
graduating this November!
Do you like to be at
school or at home more:
I like to be at school. Because at school there are more
people to see and things to do.
Can you describe a
typical day on break?:
On break, I like to wake at 5AM and find some water to
drink. When I finish at 5:30AM I go to pray. I return at 7AM. I start to do
normal chores: mop in the dining room or dormitories, clean the bathrooms and
sweep up or cut grass. We finish at 9 or 10AM then sometimes I do laundry. When
we finish work early I go to play soccer at 10 or 11. Then we come back and eat
lunch and rest for an hour. In the afternoon sometimes I go use the computers
in the computer room or play music in the music room. If I have time I’ll read a book or review
from school.
Is it good to see
your friends here on break?
Yes it is good. But
it’s better to visit my friends from school on break!
What else do you want
to say:
In general, I like to play soccer. I like to watch films.
In particular action films: ones that are scary or have high technology. I like
to pray. I pray on the Sabbath. But I’m not an Adventist; I’m in the Temperance
movement. Also, sometimes I think of Madame Carr and what she did. Sometimes we
help in the fields planting onions and cabbage, but we only help plant
vegetables. Sometimes I go to visit my friends. I take a bus when they live
far. I like to visit friends.
Hakizimana is a student
in the Kanyundo Primary school next door to Imbabazi. He is a student in P5 and
lives at Imbabazi year round.
Do you like to be at
school or on break more? I like to be at school more. Because at school we
learn a lot!
What do you like to
do on break? I do work. I like to mop in the room or in the bathrooms. You like to mop? Yes very much! Also I
like to play games with the visitors who come and to visit our neighbors
outside of Imbabazi. I like to go walking in the mountains or in the caves
nearby. We tried to walk to the volcanoes.
What else should we
know: I use the computers, I like
typing on the computers. I play football and I really like hiking in the
mountains! I like studying and listening to the radio!
