Kigali, 25 August 2026; The Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), in partnership with Shenmo Education Rwanda, brought together young learners, teachers, school leaders, parents and education partners at Lycée de Kigali for the National Abacus Mental Math Competition, an initiative aimed at strengthening foundational mathematics, cognitive development and confidence among young learners.
The competition marked the culmination of the Abacus Mental Math Summer Program, a five-week intensive holiday learning initiative that reached 720 children aged 5–9, particularly learners in Primary 1 to Primary 3, from six public primary schools across Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge districts in the City of Kigali.

The national competition brought together the top 250 performers, including learners from seven public schools and eight private schools and centers, to demonstrate their abilities in mental calculation. Selected upper-primary learners also participated by showcasing their advanced abacus skills and inspiring the younger competitors.

Addressing learners, teachers, parents and partners at the competition, Dr. Mbarushimana Nelson, The Director General of the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), emphasized the importance of strengthening foundational mathematics from the earliest years of schooling and creating opportunities for learners to develop their cognitive abilities.

DG REB highlighted the role of innovative approaches in making mathematics learning more engaging and supporting improvements in the quality of basic education. “Today’s competition is not simply about winning prizes; it is about developing skills, building confidence, encouraging excellence and nurturing learners to contribute to Rwanda’s future. REB remains committed to supporting innovative approaches that improve teaching and learning.”

The message underscored the importance of viewing the competition not simply as a platform for identifying winners, but as part of a broader effort to develop confident, focused, creative and capable learners. Speaking at the event, Uwitonze Brigite, Principal of Shenmo Education Rwanda, highlighted the importance of the partnership in advancing mathematics education and supporting the development of young learners. She noted that the collaboration between Shenmo Education Rwanda and REB provides an opportunity to strengthen mathematics education, develop children's cognitive abilities and equip Rwandan learners with skills that can help them excel academically and contribute to the country's knowledge-based future.

She emphasized that initiatives such as the Abacus Mental Math Summer Program provide children with opportunities to develop mathematical abilities while also nurturing concentration, confidence, creativity and other skills that are important for their overall development.

Celebrating the Top Performers
The competition also provided an opportunity to recognize learners who demonstrated outstanding performance in the National Abacus Mental Math Competition.

The top three performers were:

1.    TUYIHIMBAZE Joseph — 1st place, from EP KIRAMBO.
2.    RAGAD Maki Abdalla — 2nd place, from Mother Mary.
3.    MPANO Samatha — 3rd place, from GS Ntora.

Their achievement reflects the commitment, discipline and continuous practice demonstrated throughout the Abacus Mental Math Summer Program. The recognition of the top performers also served as encouragement to other participating learners, demonstrating that dedication and consistent practice can lead to remarkable achievements at an early age. Beyond the individual rankings, the participation of all 250 finalists represented an important achievement. Each learner had successfully progressed through the summer training program and earned an opportunity to demonstrate their mathematical abilities on a national platform.

Strengthening Mathematics from the Early Years

Rwanda's ambition to build a knowledge-based economy and strengthen excellence in STEM education begins with strong foundations in the earliest years of schooling. Foundational numeracy skills; including number recognition, place value, addition, subtraction and mental calculation; provide an important basis for learners as they progress through the education system.
 

The Abacus Mental Math Summer Program was designed to contribute to these foundations by giving young learners opportunities to engage with mathematics through practical, interactive and progressive learning activities. The five-week program was conducted over 20 training days, four days per week, from mid-July to August 2026. During the training, learners progressed from using a physical abacus to visualizing the instrument mentally and carrying out calculations without physically manipulating the beads.

This approach enabled learners to practice calculation while developing concentration, working memory, visualization, fine motor skills and confidence. The program used games, challenges and progressive skill-building activities to make mathematics more engaging and enjoyable for young learners.

From 720 Learners to 250 Top Performers

The summer program reached 720 learners from six public primary schools in Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge districts.
Following the training, the top 250 performers were selected to participate in the National Abacus Mental Math Competition held at Lycée de Kigali on 25 August 2026. The competition provided learners with an opportunity to apply the skills they had developed during the training under timed and supportive conditions.

The participation of learners from public and private schools and centers also created an opportunity for children from different learning environments to meet, compete, learn from one another and celebrate their achievements. The inclusion of upper-primary learners further strengthened the learning experience. By demonstrating more advanced abacus skills, the older learners served as role models and showed the younger participants what can be achieved through commitment, practice and perseverance.

Abacus Mental Math Goes Beyond Calculation

The abacus is more than a counting tool. Its use in early mathematics learning can support the development of several cognitive and personal skills. Through progressive abacus training, learners develop mental arithmetic skills, enabling them to work with numbers with increasing speed and accuracy.

The approach also supports concentration, attention and working memory, which are important for effective learning across different subjects. As learners move from manipulating a physical abacus to visualizing it mentally, they are encouraged to develop visual and spatial thinking. They learn to picture numbers and mathematical operations in their minds and use that mental image to solve problems.
The approach can also help build confidence and a positive attitude towards mathematics. When young learners experience success in solving mathematical problems, they can become more willing to take on new challenges and develop their problem-solving abilities. Beyond mathematics, the discipline and persistence required during regular practice can contribute to broader cognitive and personal development.

Developing Confidence, Discipline and Resilience

The National Abacus Mental Math Competition was designed to transform practice into purposeful performance. For the young competitors, the event was an opportunity to test their speed, accuracy and concentration while experiencing the excitement of an academic competition. However, the competition was not solely about ranking learners. It provided a platform for children to develop healthy competitive spirit, resilience, discipline and sportsmanship, while learning to appreciate both achievement and effort. The experience can also help learners develop the ability to perform under pressure and respond constructively to both success and setbacks. In this way, the competition contributes to character formation alongside academic development.

Supporting a Positive Relationship with Mathematics

One of the broader objectives of the initiative is to encourage children to develop a positive relationship with mathematics from an early age.
Mathematics can sometimes be perceived as difficult or intimidating by young learners. Through practical activities, visualization, games and progressive challenges, abacus learning provides an alternative way of engaging children with numbers.

The program seeks to encourage learners to move from a mindset of “I can't do mathematics” towards the confidence to say “I can solve this.” Previous Shenmo Rwanda program experiences, as highlighted in the initiative's background, indicate that children participating in structured abacus programs and competitions have demonstrated improvements in calculation speed, concentration, enjoyment of mathematics and confidence, with parents and teachers also observing positive changes in learners' daily school performance.

A Partnership Supporting Quality Education

Shenmo Education Rwanda is the first African branch of Shenmo Education International, an educational organization founded in China in 1998. Shenmo Rwanda was established in 2019 with a commitment to nurturing young minds and promoting excellence through innovative learning programs. Since its establishment in Rwanda, the organization has worked with both public and private schools and has trained more than 4,700 children and 120 teachers, according to the program information. Its activities have included abacus training, annual holiday camps and national and international competitions aimed at helping children develop mathematical and cognitive abilities.

One of its major initiatives was the 2nd African Shenmo Cup Abacus Mental Math Olympiad 2025, held in Kigali, which brought together nearly 600 learners from more than 30 African countries. Through such initiatives, Shenmo Rwanda continues to create opportunities for learners to challenge themselves, develop confidence and discover their potential.

Alignment with REB's Education Mandate

The Abacus Mental Math initiative is closely aligned with the mandate of the Rwanda Basic Education Board, particularly its commitment to promoting quality education and strengthening basic education programs. Supporting innovative approaches to mathematics learning from the earliest grades contributes to building strong foundational competencies and preparing learners for higher levels of education.

The initiative contributes to this mandate by:

•    Strengthening foundational numeracy and mental calculation skills;
•    Supporting learners to develop concentration and working memory;
•    Promoting visualization, logical thinking and problem-solving;
•    Building confidence and a positive attitude towards mathematics;
•    Encouraging discipline, perseverance and resilience;
•    Providing platforms for learners to demonstrate their talents;
•    Creating opportunities for learners from different schools to learn from one another; and
•    Strengthening collaboration among schools, teachers, parents and education partners.

The initiative also supports Rwanda's broader priorities in STEM education, human-capital development and the development of a knowledge-based economy.

Competition as a Catalyst for Learning
The National Abacus Mental Math Competition demonstrated how academic competitions can become powerful tools for reinforcing learning. For young learners, the opportunity to compete provides a meaningful motivation to practice, set goals and apply newly acquired skills. When conducted in a supportive environment, competition can encourage healthy ambition while developing resilience, confidence and sportsmanship.

The event therefore served as both a celebration of learner achievement and a demonstration of what is possible when young children are provided with appropriate learning opportunities and encouraged to develop their abilities. The 250 participants were not simply competing for prizes; they were demonstrating the results of commitment, practice and supportive learning environments.

Investing in Rwanda's Future

The Abacus Mental Math Summer Program and National Competition form part of a broader effort to strengthen foundational learning and cognitive development among Rwanda's youngest learners. The program's objectives include building strong numeracy skills, developing concentration and working memory, strengthening visualization and fine motor skills, cultivating creativity and precision, and promoting confidence and a lifelong positive relationship with mathematics.

The initiative also seeks to generate evidence that can inform future approaches to strengthening mathematics learning and supporting national education priorities. By developing strong numeracy and problem-solving abilities at an early age, learners can be better prepared for future academic challenges and potential pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Nurturing Confident and Future-Ready Learners

The National Abacus Mental Math Competition was ultimately more than a day of calculations and competition. It was a celebration of young learners and the collective effort of schools, teachers, parents and education partners to support their development.
For the P1–P3 learners, participation provided an opportunity to challenge themselves, demonstrate their progress and build confidence.
For the upper-primary learners, the event provided an opportunity to lead by example and inspire younger children.

For teachers and school leaders, it offered an opportunity to engage with innovative approaches to mathematics learning, while parents were able to witness the abilities and progress of their children. The event also demonstrated the value of partnerships in creating additional opportunities for learners to develop and showcase their talents.

As Rwanda continues to strengthen the quality of basic education and prepare young people for a knowledge-based future, initiatives that build strong foundations in mathematics, cognitive skills, confidence and problem-solving remain important.
The National Abacus Mental Math Competition therefore leaves a message that extends beyond the results of the competition: investing in young learners' mathematical abilities, confidence and cognitive development today contributes to building a generation of capable, innovative and future-ready Rwandans.

Through continued collaboration with schools, teachers, parents and partners, REB remains committed to supporting innovative approaches that improve teaching and learning and create opportunities for every learner to discover, develop and demonstrate their abilities.

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