Education Ministry supports cow distribution initiative to high performing schools

Elias Hakizimana Oct 6, 2019Oct 6, 2019 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana.

Rwanda’s Minister for Education Dr Eugene Mutimura said that the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) will adopt the good initiative of giving cows to high performing schools in order to supplement teachers’ salaries and fight malnutrition as children will get milk.

The message was given on October 5, 2019 in Kamonyi District during the celebration of Word Teachers’ Day after the teachers’ union represented by Mrs. Stephanie Mukangango awarded one of high performing schools called ‘Groupe Scolaire Mugina’ with 9 cows including three breast feeding ones and their calves as well as three pregnant cows.

The Minister said that MINEDUC will adopt and sustain this initiative to ensure teachers are motivated to deliver quality education to students.

**Minister for Education Dr Eugene Mutimura speaking during World Teachers’Day in Kamonyi District on October 5, 2019.**

“This is a good initiative and we are going to make it our own responsibility to recognize high preforming schools. It also reflects the national vision of one cup of milk per a child because children will be able to drink milk at school,” Mutimura said.

Stephanie Mukangango is the Secretary General of teachers’ union, Syndicat National des Enseignants au Rwanda (SNER) and started this programme to recognize high performing schools as a project that benefit over 90 schools. The pilot phase will give cows to 68 schools that will also give back the young calves to 30 schools.

The cows will help schools to have biogas energy, improve school feeding, protect environment and support teachers’ salaries when they are given cows.

*Stephanie* Mukangango , *the Secretary General of* *teachers’ union,* *Syndicat National des Enseignants au Rwanda* (SNER)

Mukangango advised teachers to love their profession and help the country to raise quality of education.

“For us, as teachers’ union, World Teachers’ Day means a lot. We remember and recognize their achievements. We decided to give them cows to supplement their salaries which are still not sufficient and we want to improve children nutrition as they will get milk to drink at school and when they are in holidays, the milk will be sold to Milk Collection Centres (MCC) so that the money supports a school in other activities.” She said.

Mukangango said that when cows give birth to young calves, they will be given to teachers and young bulls will be sold to support the budget of a school.

This project, she said will be spread to all districts where two schools in every district will be given cows.