Mt. Muhabura Scholarship Program
Muhabura is one of the highest mountains in Rwanda. The name Muhabura means The Guide in Kinyarwanda. In Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, Muhabura is a natural compass that helps people navigate the geography and guides them when they lose direction.
The Mt. Muhabura scholarship program provides opportunities for children and young adults attending Move Up Global-supported schools surrounding Volcanoes National Park, guiding them to succeed. Many families from this region live in deep poverty with limited or no financial resources. Financial hardship reduces the prospects for children to attend or complete high school.
The Scholarship program helps fund tuition, school transportation, uniforms, and basic supplies for those families whose children show great promise and score well on exams but might otherwise be unable to pursue educational opportunities.
Getting started…
Board members Anatole Manzi and Kevin Batt helped initiate Move Up Global’s scholarship program with our local partner IREME in October 2022 when they visited the Rwinzovu School. The headmaster introduced them to several students who had made top scores in national exams taken at the completion of sixth grade.
One student, 13-year-old Patrick , had scored 100 percent and placed among the top scores in the nation. But, his family was too poor to pay the tuition fees for Patrick to accept his invitation to a prestigious public boarding school.
Tuition fees for boarding schools range from $250 to $300 USD per year. In addition, students need send-off kits, including a mattress, uniforms, shoes, bedding, school materials, and personal hygiene items, for one-time costs of $100 to $150 USD. Kevin offered to cover these costs for Patrick. The next day, IREME’s special projects manager Nicole accompanied Patrick to his new school and settled him in.
Since then, Patrick has excelled. He now wants to set an example for other Rwinzovu students and inspire them to work and study hard in school. We are confident other young people will follow his example.
Moving Up and On…
In the summer of 2023 after national exam scores were released, IREME convened a local committee of school headmasters and teachers, parents and local officials to review the performance of students and assess their families’ circumstances. Thanks to donations from Move Up Global supporters, scholarships were awarded to 35 needy sixth-grade students to attend secondary school, 4 of whom now attend public boarding schools, while the others attend public day schools in their communities with school fees at about $60 USD per year.
One student, Innocent, ranks first in his class of 103 students after two trimesters at his boarding school. Eight ninth graders received scholarships. One eleventh grade student would have left school one year before graduating due to his parent’s illness, but for a Muhabura scholarship that will allow him to complete his schooling. Scholarship amounts varied depending on need as shown in the chart below.
Meet Some of Move Up Global Scholars
I am Emerance. There are 6 in our family and I am the last in the family. I like to play and to study. Once I finish school, I would like to become a teacher so that I will teach my community. My father had an accident so he is unable to work. Only my mother and my sister take care of the whole family. Thanks Ireme for giving this opportunity. I will do my best to finish my studies and help my family and my community as Ireme does.
My name is Chance. I am 16 years old and live with my family of 4 siblings and my father and mother. Once I finish my school i would like to become a police woman. My mother and father are jobless. We do not have a house and we live with my uncle. I appreciate Ireme who selected me for a scholarship. I promise that I have to study with all my effort so that i will help my family and my community. Thank you!
I am Edouard. I am one of students who were selected to be in Mt Muhabura scholarship program. I am in the fourth year of Secondary 4 and I study Math, Economy and Computer option at Rwinzovu day school. I would like to become an economist in order to help other students like Ireme does. One day I was sleeping and dreamed that I have enough money in my account. The first thing I would do is to build a house for my parents, then help my relatives and neighbors or other citizens to study like me in order to have a good life.
My name is Ange. We are five children in our family and I am the first born. I like to study, to pray and I love my parents. Once I finish my school I would like to become a police woman. When I was 1-4 years old, I often got sick. I thank Ireme for the great idea to support students from poor families, we believe that tomorrow will be better than today.
A transformative gift
Mt Muhabura scholarship will benefit the students supported through secondary school, both in boarding and day schools. We anticipate that beneficiaries of the program will also include additional students motivated by the promise of financial assistance to improve their school performance, even if they do not achieve scores high enough for a scholarship. Over the long run, tuition support for students’ completion of secondary school enables them to pursue university education and trades, and promotes a new generation of community leaders
