Chinese embassy to sponsor education for 108 Rwandan children

Rwanda's First Lady, Jeannette Kagame (L), Chinese ambassador to Rwanda Pan Hejun (R) shake hands at the signing of memorandum of understanding. [Photo/Xinhua]

KIGALI - The Chinese embassy in Rwanda on Tuesday announced it will support education of about 108 needy Rwandan secondary students.

The funding will be channeled through Imbuto Foundation, a charity organization of Rwanda's First Lady, Jeannette Kagame.

Pan Hejun, Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, signed a memorandum of understanding with the director general of Imbuto Foundation, Urujeni Bakuramutsa, at the Chinese embassy.

The deal will run until the end of 2017 with a possibility of renewal.

Imbuto Foundation will be responsible for the management of the funds, including the payment of tuition fees, school supplies and health insurance for the students, and will report to the Chinese embassy.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ambassador Pan said the embassy's partnership with Imbuto Foundation is part of education cooperation between the two countries, which would further boost friendship.

Photo shows refugee children. [Photo/Xinhua]

"We (China and Rwanda) are doing various kinds of corporation projects in manufacturing, agriculture, information and communications technology, infrastructure, and energy, while people-to-people exchange in education and health is also very important corporation," he said.

The ambassador described Imbuto as a reliable organization capable of accounting for the funds.

"We believe they will provide us with all the details of the funding. We worked with them through the years and have already built up trust between each other," he said.

Bakuramutsa said the partnership with the Chinese embassy is very important as education is key to her country's development.

"In Rwanda we believe that education is key for sustainable development. So by enabling these children to finish high school we are providing them a better and sustainable future where they will be able to have progress," she said.