In January 2010, Wisdom Primary first opened the doors of its newly built school to 220 children. We felt pleased at this achievement of having built our new school so quickly: from laying the foundations to welcoming its first students took less than two years. Yet we could not afford to stop there. Increasing the amount of basic schooling for Musanze's children remains a top priority for our community and we also believe that all our students have the right to a high quality and loving education. 

And so building has continued since 2010, in order that extra facilities and new classrooms could be added. Classes have multiplied as our children have grown in age and the number of student enrollments has increased rapidly as Wisdom's reputation has spread. By the end of 2010 the school had already attained number 1 position in District Primary School exams and there were 300 registered primary students. As the 2011 school year drew to its close, that number had almost doubled to 595 children, with many of them residential in term time. 

School Syllabus

School lessons are taught primarily in English, as this has become an official language in Rwanda, and we wish all our children to be able to enjoy and play a full part in social, economic and civic life as they mature toward adulthood.

Our children learn a varied syllabus, which includes English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Reading, History and Computer Studies. P5 students and above also learn French and Swahili

Sports, Debates and School Trips

On Wednesday afternoons we go on school excursions as part of our active and practical learning program. Past visits in and around Musanze include the Court House, the Hotel Muhabura, a carpenter’s workshop, Ruhengeri Hospital and the National Police Academy.  Classes have visited Gisenyi on the shores of Lake Kivu by bus on a day trip, which included seeing the Serena Hotel, the Marine Forces, the hot springs and the Congo-Rwanda border.  

School trips are exciting and educational and are enjoyed by all.

Debates and sporting competitions are also now a regular feature of our Wednesday afternoons at Wisdom Primary. We hold occasional soccer tournaments with our sister FCYF school at Nyange Deaf Children Center, and friendly matches and debate with our Musanze neighbors in Sonrise School. 

Wisdom Nursery School

The Nursery School has enjoyed another successful year.  Headmistress Bernadette Nyiraburabyo, and her teaching staff continue to work tirelessly to provide a high standard of teaching and supervised play to our youngest children.  

In October, 75 children celebrated their graduation from Top Class, and  will be attending Wisdom Primary School in 2012. Guests at the Graduation Day celebrations included Musanze District's Mayor and Head of Police. They joined with Nursery school staff, parents and friends in enjoying a glorious day of entertainment and happy laughter, provided for them by the children, who acted, danced, sang and showed off their growing proficiency in English language.  

 Recent Developments

Wisdom Primary students have continued to make strides in academic ability throughout the year and also with their English language skills. In the final exams more than 50% achieved promotion to the next class and a remarkable 105 children achieved pass marks of 95% and more. 

The number of high scores in examination passes were particularly elevated among the first three grades, reinforcing our belief in the importance of early childhood development. We see clear evidence of academic as well as social benefits enjoyed by those children who have already been able to secure a basic grounding at Wisdom Nursery before they graduate to the primary school. 

What's Next?

2012 will see further expansion and the opening of a new building of classrooms that has been under construction since April. As we add a new P1 intake and our existing students move up a year, we are at last able to offer classes up to and including P6. We are also welcoming a new Head of School Studies, Mr. Noah Kakemo, to our hardworking Wisdom teaching team.     

We will also repeat and extend our successful 2011 pilot experiment of integrating those children from the Nyange Deaf Children Center (DCC) who are ready for mainstream primary schooling. During 2011 our first six young hearing-impaired pioneers showed themselves well able to cope with classes and daily life at Wisdom. We were also delighted to observe the way in which they have been welcomed in and supported by their hearing peers. In 2012. 13 deaf children will participate in mainstream primary schooling and, in order to facilitate their smooth transition from DCC to Wisdom, we have arranged sign language training for all our teachers before the new school year begins.

Our Thanks to You!

We thank our many friends and donors for all your support and encouragement as Wisdom Nursery and Primary School has grown and developed. Since half of our students are orphans, which means that their uniforms are provided and their residential fees are also covered by the foundation, we are deeply grateful for what you make possible. We also yearn to take in even more children, as the need for schooling among orphans, deaf children and street children in the district continues to be so great. 

If you would like to help sponsor a child in great need of formal schooling, click on the DONATE link in our sidebar and follow the simple instructions on that page.