The IWAWA Rehabilitation and Vocational Center yields positive fruits

In the Bible Accounts, there is a story of man called Saul who persecuted  Christians but later on changed and become one of the most influential preachers of the Gospel.

The same has happened to Rwandan youth that attend the IWAWA Rehabilitation center. Before they were undisciplined and deviant youth. After an intensive education on civic issues, they changed their former negative mindedness into a positive one.

This Saturday in IWAWA center, students graduated in different professional studies in different areas. The graduates were 655 among whom 360 qualified in Construction studies while other 209 graduated in modern  carpentry techniques and skills.

Other more 86 students developed their sewing knowledge from the center. The Center also provides advanced assistance in IT so to increase students’ chances to get a decent job.

In his remarks the Head of the Center,Niyomzima  told the guests that the youth leave the center with adequate knowledge enabling to survive in the workplace in their respective neighborhoods.

“We strive to  pave a way for them to abandon their former  negative behaviors and adopt new ones from a Saul, the Persecutor, to Paul the Predicator” the Head told the gathering.

Another important contribution the Center provides to Youth relates to Christian education that equips them positive life skills to live better.

The Head of the Center advised parents and the community at large that they should be treating the youth fairly because they have changed for real.

“It is not advisable to parents to treat the newly trained youth as deviant as they were used to be early”. said Niyonzima, the Head of the IWAWA Center.

For the Head, the local administration should be actively participating in the education that the youth undertakes at IWAWA through setting a percentage in District budget so to assist IWAWA Center in case it receives youth coming from a given particular district.

The graduates Representative urged their parents ‘to recognize that they have changed and that they are now newly born so to be positively treated with family members and the community at large’.

The Governor of Western Province ,the Guest of Honor, told the youth that the use of their knowledge is the up mostly required to them by the community.

“ This is the starting of a new way of life for you.We help you to pave a foundation for your own self-reliance.Be committed to achieve this ideal” Mr Kabahizi Celestin, The Governor of the Western Province reminded the youth.

The Center was inaugurated in 2010.Students who attend the school learn reading, writing and counting skills among others after which they undertake professional and vocational trainings relating to each one’s  carrier choice.

So far the Center has trained not less than 2700 in four sessions starting from that very time.Below are some photos of the event:

Vénuste KAMANZI

UM– USEKE.RW