Credit: @ Mike Urinzwenimana
By Staff writer
Rwanda, in collaboration with Huawei Technologies,on Friday, launched phase II of Rwanda Smart Education at Kagarama secondary school in Kicukirodistrict on the outskirts of Kigali city. Phase II of the project will connect additional 2,500 schools, establish 100 smart classrooms as well as putting up a national education cloud platform, which will promote digital learning. During phase I of the project, 1,500 schools were connected to high speed internet and two data centres were built.
During the event, a mobile solar powered classroom fitted with laptops and internet connection dubbed DigiTruck was also launched. Virtual class sessions connecting various schools spread in all provinces of the country were conducted aimed at testing the quality of internet which proved to be in excellent working condition.
The DigiTruck is expected to move across the country providing digital skills to communities including youth, women, and rural farmers. The initiative aims to empower over 5,000 Rwandans in three years, supporting NST2’s goal of equipping one million citizens with digital skills. The Occasion was officiated by the minister of education Joseph Nsengimana, and also attended by The RPF Secretary General Gasamagera Wellars, Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, H.E Gao Wenqi, Huawei Technologies Managing Director Jin Jiqing, Eraste Rurangwa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Kicukiro district Mayor, Mutsinzi Antoine among others.
Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana emphasized the role of technology in education, saying, “We must equip our youth with tools for the digital age.” He thanked Huawei and China’s International Development Cooperation Agency for their support, pointing out that the initiative aligns well with the National Strategy for Transformation II (NST2). Under the strategy, Rwanda envisages tone million people in digital skills. “Let us reaffirm our resolve that to ensure that no Rwanda is left behind in the digital transformation journey, minister Nsengimanaemphasized.
Chinese Ambassador H.E Gao Wenqi, reaffirmed China’s commitment, to Rwanda’s development, noting that “the successful completion of the Smart Education Phase I, vividly demonstrates the profound significance of integrating technology with education, building a digital bridge connecting over 1,500 primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, empowering more than 1.5 million students through digital enablement.” Ambassador Gao further noted that the launch of the Huawei DigiTruck project marks a new paradigm-shifting from fixed-point knowledge empowerment to mobile, inclusive educationaloutreach.
Ambassador Gao also highlighted the continued expansion of cooperative educational initiativesbetween Rwanda and China such as the LubanWorkshop at IPRC Musanze, and Heng Hua VacationalSchool. “Chinese enterprises operating in Rwanda have created over 18,000 local jobs, serving as vital platforms for cultivating scientific and technological talent in the country. Moreover, exchanges between universities and research institutions of the two countries have been growing steadily”, he said.
“To build a good state and lead the people, education comes first,” Ambassador Gao said quoting an ancient Chinese proverb, further adding that knowledge illuminates the path of the mind, and education lays the foundation for the future. He emphasized that the Chinese embassy stands ready to work with all sectors of Rwanda to deepen the implementation of the strategic consensus reached by China and Rwanda leaders and the outcomes of FOCAC, further advancing cooperation in education and other fields forthe benefit of the two nations and peoples.
Huawei Rwanda’s Managing Director Jin Jiqing,highlighted their youth programs, including Seeds for the Future and ICT Academy, which will enable to close the digital divide. He also highlighted that with support from the Ministry of education, Huawei has helped establish a nationwide network and advanced data centres connecting more than 1,500 schools including 270 in remote areas. “A girl in a remote village can explore the world’s most advanced knowledge with a tablet in her hands. These are the real impacts of digital inclusion, bridging distances, breaking barriers and giving every child to dream bigger,” Huawei Managing Director Jin Jiqing said.
Eraste Rurangwa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, said, that the DigiTruck project is a gateway to opportunities, driving Rwanda’s vision of a knowledge-based economy.
Some of the students interviewed praised the project pointing out that technology is essential in the 21stcentury not only for learning purposes, but also to bring them to international levels and opens doors for them on the international stage to compete on the job market.
The Smart Education Phase is funded by preferential loans from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China.
