On 8 June 2024, at Cenetra Hotel, Kabuga, Director General of Rwanda Basic Education, Dr. Mbarushimana Nelson spoke at the Competitions Student’s Business-Club National 2024 whose main goal is to initiate a platform where learners can showcase their entrepreneurial competences they acquired from school.

These competitions are prepared and supported by Educate! in partnership with Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) to support and implement of the Entrepreneurship Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) rollout through teacher training, skills Lab pedagogy and Business Clubs.

Speaking at the event, DG REB, Dr. Mbarushimana Nelson said: “Next year, we will partner with Educate! as usual to expand these competitions so that schools declared winners will be provided with mentors who will guide them to a business plan. Students with top 10 good projects valued either from 1 million Rwf and above will receive funds from donors which will provide them a source of and profits who will be here at the panel will be connected with financial donors to support their projects.”

He also continued by referencing the role that the education sector has to play in order to support students in their innovation initiatives.

“Students have a variety of talents, ideas and in case those ideas are set in the right way, they can produce what we are seeing here. That is why we who are in charge of education have a responsibility of finding a conducive environment for students in order to nurture their talents and ideas.” DG REB, continued

“The Ministry of Education through Rwanda Basic Education Board in partnership with Educate! we promise you that we will keep advocating so that next year these competitions will go beyond this level.” He noted

Dr. Mbarushimana Nelson concluded his remarks by once again thanking creativity and talents displayed by students through their exhibited projects.

The Managing Director of Educate! Aisetou Sanogo, added, “This event is one of the favorites we hold throughout the year whereby we get to truly see the passion, creativity, innovation and inspiration of our incredible students.” She said

Mrs. Aisetou embarked on the commitment by teachers whereby she expressed her gratitude towards them because they are a big factor for students to achieve what they have did. “I am so proud to be standing in front of you to recognize and celebrate the amazing things you have accomplished as students.”

Viateur Uwiringiyimana, District Director of Education (DDE) in Kirehe district said that these competitions do not only pose as a contest but also good moment for students to learn from each other: “It is obvious that all participants cannot win because there happens to be a selection of one winner. On the other hand, when students look around at the exhibitions of those who they are competing against each other, they earn knowledge and get exposed to new lessons.”

“Entrepreneurship Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) helps students create jobs without going elsewhere to find opportunities and I do also hope that this competition will leave a homework for us to engage in a room for improvement next time.”

Joshua Niyigena, a student from GS Saint-Pierre Nkombo which won the Competitions through a “white cane” they invented stated that the reason behind their victory was due to how problem solving their innovation is

“If there is an obstacle in the way of a blind or visually impaired person, this white cane will alert it because of its sensors.”

Niyigena remarked that the idea behind this project was due to a fellow student who had a blind mother and couldn’t be able to visit her child without the intervention of people who could assist her at school.

“At the time we thought how we could come up with a solution of a white cane that is not traditional one but one that can sense and detect danger through programming of the wires we interconnected.”

Nyirasikubwabo Dianne who has taught Entrepreneurship for 11 years at ES Saint Vincent de Muhoza in Musanze district says that students can consider themselves businessmen once what they produce is able to generate a source of income.

Alfred Niyigena, Program Officer at Educate! participated in these competitions as a judge and he said that new innovations like machines which dry clothes, make irrigation, among others highlight uniqueness.

Commenting on those with projects that were not able to make it through he said: “You have both plenty and good projects but they have to be guided with each and everything an entrepreneurial initiative is associated with such as supporting a particular cause.”

528 schools from 30 districts participated in this year’s Student’s-Business Club National Championships that were taking place for the 5^th time.

Groupe Scolaire Saint Pierre Nkombo from Rusizi district finished as winners of the competition and was later awarded 350,000rwf whereas GS Kiyonza from Nyaruguru district and ADEC Ruhanga from Ngororero finished second and third respectively each with a cheque of 300,000Rwf.

Educate! is an organization that prepares youth in Africa with the skills to succeed in today’s economy whereby they tackle youth unemployment by reforming what schools teach and how they teach it so that students in Africa have the skills to start businesses, get jobs and drive development in their communities.

Since 2016 Educate! has been working with Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) on the implementation of Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) supporting Entrepreneurship CBC roll out through teacher training, skills lab pedagogy and business clubs set up.