Through different initiatives, the Eco-Schools Programme organize and participate in awareness activities to highlight its interventions towards the promotion of education for sustainable development. This year 2022, when June was coming down, the Programme participated in the Kirehe district Open Day, an occasion which brings together districts partners to exhibit their work. This year, Groupe Scolaire &TEVT Kiyanzi and Groupe Scolaire Kigarama, two schools out of six schools engaged in the programme based in Kirehe, demonstrated the work of Eco-Schools and how beneficial it has been to them.
Not far from the main entrance, on the right side, a tent with round tables displaying flyers could be seen; two banners on each edge of the exhibition tent and other outreach materials. One thing couldn’t escape participants’ eyes, a very giant banana bunch, papaya and other agricultural produces. Approaching the ARCOS—the NGO implementing the Programme in Rwanda— stand, four persons wearing green t-shirts with ARCOS and Eco-Schools logo could be seen explaining to the participants near the stand about the intervention of Eco-Schools and what the Programme has achieved in the last two years of implementation.
Stepping forward in the stand of exhibition, students from different schools; their teachers and other participants their attention was focused on a small demonstration site—showcasing a green learning zone. The last, is one of the techniques used in the Programme to translate some of the tenets of environment sustainability into practice; namely sustainable agriculture, water and waste management.
Diane Uwimpaye, Eco-Schools Programme Coordinator, uttered that participating in a such event organized at district level served as an opportunity to reach out to the wider community and promote the Programme’s activities among other district partners as well as raising awareness to all participants of the open day occasion.
“I am very excited to take part in this exhibition” said Virginie Uwingabire, Head Teacher at GS Kigarama. She emphasized that as the Programme whose implementation requires a participatory approach, the occasion helped the exhibitors to take home ideas— from people who visited the stand— to be considered in the Programme execution.
