December 2007 Newsletter: Head Teacher and School Lunch.

The Rwanda School Village Project, which aims to support education programmes in Rwanda, has initiated a lunch meal programme for P6 students at our School, MIHABURA.

The genesis of the initiative lies in the fact that many children do not study properly and fail their studies not because of their weakness but because they do not get any thing to eat at lunch time and in some cases they don’t get an evening meal as well.

Consequently, they are not equipped to plan for their own future or their country’s. Thus, the aim of the lunch meal initiative is to allow them to study in better conditions and increase their chance of passing the national test. The first cohort was in their last primary school year.

The leaders of BUGARAMA area, education committee in RUSIZI district, and BUGARAMA parish and its Regional leadership were informed of RSVP plans and acknowledged them.

Steps were then taken to find a caterer either an individual, association or cooperative that could prepare the meals. An open competition was organised and after a review of the tenders by the Rwanda and UK team, on 27th March 2007, Miss MUTESI Chantal was announced as the competition winner.

After signing the contract with the caterer, the Lunch meal programme started on 21st May 2007. Students have received good and enough food, on individual plates, every child had his/her own cup to drink clean water. Students were accompanied by their teacher who also ate from the prepared meals.

They were 39 children in the programme and their teacher, making the total of 40.

Children and their teacher had log books and wrote their daily comments which included the menu of the day, the quality of the food received their complaints, suggestions or appreciation if any.

The school director and the Minister (Pastor) visited the restaurant many times as testified by their log books entries. They also inspected MUTESI Chantal, the caterer, to assess her place of work, its hygienic conditions and that of her staff and the preparation of the meal. They were pleased with and appreciated her work. Indeed, two impromptu inspections carried out were also satisfactory.

The programme was closed with the end of the 2007 school year on the 26th October 2007. For the whole duration of the programme, RSVP paid RWF 300 per day per child.

The caterer was paid every fortnight. In the first months, RSVP made money transfer using either MoneyGram or Western Union and MUTESI Chantal signed a document acknowledging payment.

After opening the School Bank Account in COGEBANQUE, CYANGUGU Branch on the 8th August 2007, Chantal MUTESI was paid by cheque. The School Account Number is 134-1020225 - ECOLE PRIMAIRE MIHABURA.

The cheque given to Chantal required three signatures: the School Headmaster NDAGIJIMANA Japhet, The Minister of ADEPR BUGARAMA-CITE Parish, François NTAZINDA and Fulgence KANEZA, Rwandan Coordinator. This is consistent with the already agreed Account Management Policy, except for minor alterations such as signing the cheque in presence of parents' committee.

In general, the school meal programme, which aims to help children to study in better conditions thus better prepare their own future and their country’s, has been a success for different parties: the caterer, the direct beneficiaries, the inspection committees and the sponsor (RSVP).

The programme has obviously required financial resources, time and efforts of many people to whom we gladly wish to convey our sincere gratitude.

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