AFRICA/RWANDA - Superior General of the Josephite Brothers of Rwanda tells Fides: "New technologies are an integral part of the education provided in our schools"

Kigali (Agenzia Fides) – "The Rwanda is undergoing a phase of development, including technologically, which is very important. We want to continue making our contribution to this development with our educational activities," Fides was told in an interview with Brother Justin Rutanganda, Superior General of the Josephite Brothers of Rwanda (Bayozefiti, Frères Joséphites).
"Our congregation," says Brother Rutanganda was founded in 1929 by Bishop Léon-Paul Classe, Bishop of the then newly-established Apostolic Vicariate of Rwanda. Our charism is teaching, manual labor, catechesis, and charity."
"Currently, the congregation has 157 brothers. In Rwanda, we run two primary schools, eleven secondary schools, and a university in Cyangugu. The latter has a School of Civil Engineering. The schools are divided between technical institutes and schools of science. In the former, pupils learn trades such as carpentry and bricklaying. In the latter, a great emphasis is given to mathematical studies, physics, and biology," says Brother Rutanganda.
"The faculty is composed largely of lay people. Our Brothers take care of the administration and teaching religion. The two largest schools have 1,400 pupils each, while others have a capacity of 600 students each. We provide students with room and board. Student numbers are equally divided between males and females," specifies the Superior General of the Josephite Brothers in Rwanda.
In recent years, Rwanda has seen a sharp increase in the use of information technology. "In our country, even the farmer who plows the field carries a cellphone in his pocket with Internet connection," says Brother Rutanganda. "In Rwandan cities, Internet connections are possible through urban wireless networks and in rural areas there are long-distance wireless networks, which allow connection to computers equipped with a USB for Internet. The hills for which Rwanda is famous, now hold a growing number of communications towers.”
"These developments have not found us unprepared. All our schools have a computer room, where young people learn the use of computer systems. We want to continue to offer young Rwandans the opportunity to work towards their own future in the light of Gospel teaching," concludes Br. Rutanganda. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 06/07/2010)