| Presents for Exemplary Students |
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Children in Rwanda don’t get presents very often, so even a thing as simple as a pencil for them is very precious. You should see the joy when our students get something! But even presents need to be earned. Now, that might sound a bit too demanding, but believe me it isn’t. Children shouldn’t be taught that, no matter what, they will always get something. In poor countries such as Rwanda handing out things is a double-edged sword. Because, by doing that you teach the youth from onset of their childhood that they don’t really have to work, because someone will always come and give them something. Our students are given presents, but they have to earn them. This way, we motivate them to attend classes, to be active and, ultimately, to compete for the title of the best. Currently in Padri Vjeko VTC we have three hundred and seventy-four students enrolled in six different trades. At the start of the second trimester each and every one of them received one pencil and one ballpoint pen. They were all rewarded for coming to school! However, those among them who stood out during the first trimester got some extra presents. It will also encourage others to try harder during the remainder of the school year. Ninety-six of them who didn’t miss a single class in the school got long-sleeved shirts and, in addition, nine best students (in marks and activity) got T-shirts... We also rewarded parents who regularly came to school to be informed about their children’s progress. We had, however, only two of those, and they got hoodies as a present. Teachers, on the other hand, received gifts of tools as an encouragement for an even more successful remainder of the school year. All these presents came as donations from our good friends from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada and the Netherlands. And we thank them from the bottom of our hearts! Translated by Branimir Mlakić Photo Gallery |
