May 1, 2021, Kigali, Rwanda — The U.S. Embassy hosted a virtual graduation ceremony Saturday in honor of 150 students from Rwanda’s Southern Province who recently completed the Embassy’s two-year “English Access Microscholarship Program.” The secondary school students began the English enrichment course in 2018 at three different sites: College Immaculee Conception, Save, in Gisagara District; Groupe Scolaire Mater Dei in Nyanza District; and Groupe Scolaire Mere du Verbe Kibeho in Nyaruguru District.
U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Peter H. Vrooman recognized the students’ hard work and their perseverance through a long delay in class sessions because of Covid-19 restrictions.
“I congratulate all of the students who have successfully completed the intensive two-year English Access Microscholarship program,” Ambassador Vrooman said. “The United States has invested in you because we believe in you and because we believe in the power of education to open new doors for you and your families.”
The English Access Microscholarship Program is a two-year English enrichment program funded by the U.S. Embassy that provides students with 400 hours of supplementary English instruction and educational activities. The program helps develop the capacities of rural Rwandan youth through English teaching and educational, cultural, and personal development activities, providing talented youth with the English language skills they need to achieve academic and professional goals. Since 2015, the U.S. Embassy has partnered with Congrégation des Soeurs Benebikira to implement the program, focused primarily on rural students in the Southern Province.
Since its inception in 2004, over 110,000 students in more than 80 countries around the world have participated in the U.S. government-funded English Access Microscholarship Program. In Rwanda, the Access Program began in 2010 and more than 1,000 Rwandan students have participated in the program since then.
# # #
(Kinyarwanda Translation)
Abanyeshuri 150 basoje gahunda yo kwiga Icyongereza ya
“Microscholarship Program” yateguwe na Ambasade y’ Amerika mu Rwanda
Taliki ya 01 Gicurasi, 2021 Kigali, Rwanda — Kuri uyu wa gatandatu, mu Ntara y’Amajyepfo, Ambasade y’Amerika mu Rwanda yashoje ku mugaragaro gahunda y’imyaka ibiri yo kwiga Icyongereza “Microscholarship Program” ku banyeshuli 150 b’abanyarwanda. Aba banyeshuli batangiye amasomo y’Icyongereza mu mwaka wa 2018, bakaba barayakurikiriye ku bigo bitatu, aribyo: Conception ya Immaculee, Save, mu Karere ka Gisagara; Groupe Scolaire Mater Dei, yo mu Karere ka Nyanza; no kuri Groupe Scolaire Mère du Verbe, i Kibeho, mu Karere ka Nyuruguru.
Ambasaderi w’Amerika mu Rwanda, Peter H. Vrooman yashimiye aba banyeshuli akazi gakomeye n’umuhati wabo, ndetse n’ukwihanga kwabo bagiye bagira mu gihe amasomo yagendaga ahagarara bitewe n’ibihe bikomeye turimo bya Covid-19.
Ambasaderi Vrooman yagize ati: “Ndashimira abanyeshuri bose basoje iyi gahunda y’imyaka ibiri yo kwiga icyongereza ya “Access Microscholarship”. Yongeraho ati: “Amerika yabafashije muri iyi gahunda kuko twemera imbaraga z’uburezi mu kubaha, mwe ubwanyu n’imiryango yanyu amahirwe mashya.”
Gahunda ya English Access Microscholarship Program ni gahunda y’imyaka ibiri yo guhugura abanyeshuli mu rurimi rw’Icyongereza, iterwa inkunga na Ambasade y’Amerika. Ikaba ari gahunda imara amasaha 400 yigisha abanyeshuli icyongereza. Iyi gahunda ifasha mu guteza imbere ubushobozi bw’urubyiruko rwo mu byaro binyuze mu kwigisha icyongereza, uburezi, umuco, n’iterambere ry’umuntu ku giti cye. Bifasha kandi urubyiruko rufite impano mu kumenya Icyongereza, bikaba byabafasha kugera ku ntego, zaba iz’amasomo, ndetse n’iz’umwuga. Kuva mu mwaka wa 2015, Ambasade y’Amerika yafatanije na Congrégation des Soeurs Benebikira, gushyira mu bikorwa iyi gahunda, ikaba yaribanze cyane ku banyeshuri bo mu cyaro, baherereye mu Ntara y’Amajyepfo.
Kuva iyi gahunda yatangira mu mwaka wa 2004, abanyeshuri barenga 110.000, bava mu bihugu birenga 80 kw’isi, bitabiriye iyi gahunda ya English Access Microscholarship Program, iterwa inkunga na Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika . Kuva iyi gahunda yatangira mu Rwanda mu mwaka wa 2010, abanyeshuli berenga 1.000 bamaze kuyitabira.
# # #
