Laughter and excitement filled the air at the Assembly Hall of Global Civic Sharing Rwanda (GCS) as over 140 children gathered to celebrate African Child Day 2025 under the theme: “Raise me well for a dignified future.” Through storytelling, dance, poems, and theatre, students from various primary schools expressed what dignity, rights, and dreams meant to them.
This year’s celebration was part of the Samsung Dream Library Project, aimed at enhancing children’s motivation for learning in Nyarubaka Sector.
As the afternoon sun bathed the hillside school compound, a group of brightly dressed students arrived at Nyarubaka sector, many for the first time attending a sector-wide event. Inside, their voices echoed with a hopeful energy.
A Student’s Voice: I want to be a teacher one day.
Sitting on a bench after her role in the storytelling presentation, NIYONSENGA Alice 9year-old fom GS Ruyanza, glowed with joy.
Today I stood in front of many people and told a story about a brave girl who used education to change her village,” Alice shared, holding tightly to her new notebooks, a prize from the literacy competition.
It made me feel proud. I want to be a teacher one day to help children like my teacher helps me.
Asked about the challenges she faces in her education, Alice said:
Sometimes we don’t have enough books at home. But the home reading program helps because my little brother and I now read together every evening. Our parents are starting to help us more.
I want to invent things one day.
HAKIZIMANA Eulade from GS Nyarubaka, was one of the winners from lower primary 2 category. His favorite part of the day was the drama dance, where he played the role of a curious inventor in a village without electricity.
I like reading books about science, he said. When I grow up, I want to invent things like a machine to help my mom fetch water.
Asked what today meant for him, Eulade smiled:
They told us we matter. And that we can dream big. I will remember this day forever.
This is more than a celebration; it’s empowerment” – GCS Rwanda project manager
Richard Shyaka Nayigiziki; the Project Manager at GCS Rwanda, stood near the stage as the children performed a literacy song. He smiled.
This is more than a celebration, he said. It’s empowerment. Our focus is ensuring children especially those from vulnerable families have access to quality education and a supportive environment. 75% of our program budget is dedicated to education for children.
He added that the literacy competition, home reading initiatives, and parental involvement are changing how the community perceives children’s rights and development.
When children are listened to, protected, and given space to express themselves, we build a future that is brighter for everyone.
Local Leadership Speaks: Every child deserves to be heard.
In her closing remarks, Nsabiganze David, the Education Officer of Nyarubaka Sector, highlighted the importance of listening to children:
Article 12 of the UN Convention says children have the right to be heard and today we lived that fully. These voices, their poems, their stories show what potential lies in our sector.
He added:
Education is the strongest tool we have. As a sector, we are working with partners like GCS to ensure that no child is left behind, regardless of their background.
The Final Moments: Sharing Joy and Snacks
As the award ceremony concluded, the children received snacks and gifts. Cheers erupted as winners proudly raised their new backpacks and Notebooks one of the prizes. The hall, once filled with nerves, now rang with songs of celebration and dreams of dignity.
Raise me well for a dignified future: is more than a slogan it’s a promise that the children of Nyarubaka will be nurtured, protected, and educated. With partnerships like GCS Rwanda and the involvement of the community, that promise is steadily becoming a reality.