Meet primary school teacher, Olivier

A summer of celebrations

What a few weeks it has been! It's the summer holidays in Rwanda, and as a mum of two young children, you can imagine the excitement (and chaos!) around our home. It’s getting warmer here too, so we've been spending lots of family time outdoors. 

We recently visited relatives near Lake Kivu, which is in a volcanic national park on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. We went on a fun boat trip and attended the annual gorilla naming ceremony - "Kwita Izina " (“to give a name”) – a special celebration of our great apes. 

Summer holds several national holidays for us too. Rwanda Independence Day on July 1st is an important day of national pride, where communities gather to hear the president’s speech and watch traditional dances. We've also just celebrated Umuganura - National Harvest Day – which is a time to come together with our neighbours to give thanks for the crops. This year I cooked a big meal for 15 guests. It was a lot of work but a joyful day as I love cooking and entertaining. 
 

I also helped introduce "creative corners" into the classrooms. These are special spaces filled with puppets, puzzles, dolls and other materials that encourage creativity. I love watching the children's faces light up when they use these areas. It’s wonderful to see their confidence, independence and social skills growing as they play. With children starting school at just 3 years old in Rwanda, it’s essential that we bring play into the classroom - It’s not just a joyful time, it’s the foundation for how young children learn.

None of this would be possible without your support. Thanks to your generosity, young children of all abilities are getting the inclusive, age-appropriate education they need to learn and thrive.  

“Hi, I’m Olivier. When I was a boy, I liked school, but I still remember the challenges. The classes were so crowded, and we often didn't have enough learning materials. Sometimes, we could go a whole semester without touching a single book. Many parents didn't see the value in education, so they didn't encourage their children to come to school.

Today, we still face some of these problems. Our class sizes are very big, and the dropout rate can be high - especially for children with additional needs, or those whose parents don’t see that school is important. But things have started to change since the VSO team arrived.  

Diane has shown me that children learn when they're playing and having fun – especially those who struggle the most. She’s taught me new ways to teach lessons using games, songs and activities. VSO also brought us practical resources like mats, toys and books, which have made a huge difference.

Before VSO’s support, I used to teach my students like they were adults. But Diane showed me that young children learn through play – and that’s how they build important life skills like problem solving, creativity and teamwork.

I feel more confident than ever in my teaching and I’m so proud to see all my students doing so well. The changes we’ve made mean children have the chance to reach their potential and can go on to live happy and independent lives.”

We couldn't do it without you

As I reflect on these past months, I’m filled with gratitude. Your kindness is changing lives here in Rwanda every day. Teachers like Olivier are gaining confidence, children are thriving, and volunteers like me are getting the chance to create lasting change in our country.

Thank you for standing with us. With your support we’re laying the early learning foundations that will help children across Rwanda fulfil their potential and move on towards brighter futures. Murakoze cyane - thank you so much!

Remember, you can come say hello or ask me any questions by leaving a message below - I'd love to hear from you! 

Until next time, 
Diane

P.S. Enjoyed finding out more about my day-to-day as a VSO volunteer? Hear about what fellow VSO volunteer, Mary, gets up to here.