INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE’S EDUCATION BRIGHTENS A FUTURE

Shyogwe Anglican Diocese has always been seeking all possible ways of transforming the lives of Rwandans holistically. To get there, three main pillars, namely: Evangelism, Education and Healthcare were developed since the very beginning of the Anglicanism in Rwanda. Besides these three pillars, other programs are in place to make sure that the people of God may have life and have it to the full. Today, we shall focus on one school which offers technical and vocational Skills.

Shyogwe Technical and Vocational Education and Training School is currently a Secondary School but in the very beginning it was the Youth at Risk Project of Shyogwe Diocese of the Anglican Church of Rwanda about the short-term vocational training of vulnerable young people including orphans, street children and others from poorest families who could not afford secondary school education. Youth at Risk Project was founded in 2005 by the Mothers’ s Union which is the Women Department of Shyogwe Diocese and aimed at giving chance to these young girls and boys of training in Tailoring and Knitting and Embroidery, Carpentry, Welding and Masonry to help them to get easily jobs so that they can financially support themselves. As the workshops of Carpentry and Welding developed in terms of equipment, the Youth at Risk Project was named Muhanga Youth Technology Centre (MYTEC) in 2008.

Muhanga Youth Technology Centre developed again in terms of infrastructures and was given by the Government accreditation to offer the Secondary School Certificate in 2020, and was then called Shyogwe Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) School. It has now various trades which are Tailoring, Carpentry, Masonry, Welding, Hair dressing, and Culinary Art. Today, Shyogwe TVET School has 160 students including 36 boys and 124 girls. There is hope that the number of students will considerably increase and help the school to progressively sustain itself as the COVID-19 pandemic slows down. The aim of the Diocese is to keep modernizing and equipping this school to empower its students so that they become well-equipped to shape their bright future.   

A huge thank you to the partners of Shyogwe Diocese for all kind of support. Among many friends and partners, we can recognize Bread for the World, United Evangelical in Mission, EKir Dusseldolrf and Grassroots Rwanda (formerly known as Canon David Dale Shyogwe Trust) for their contribution to the development of this technical and vocational school.

By SEBAHIRE Marcel (Mugisha)

Diocesan Director of Education