ESCR
France
Birth of a twinning between France and Rwanda
In 2017, the Ensemble Scolaire Catholique de La-Roche-sur-Foron (74), a primary to secondary school, initiated a twinning with the school in the small village of Magi in southern Rwanda.
The solidarity project with Rwanda has awakened a spirit of friendship, sharing and fraternity in both establishments that enthuses French pupils, from the youngest to the oldest. As a result, they have embarked on a series of exchanges and fund-raising initiatives for emergency relief at the Magi school.
Since 2020, this twinning has become an integral part of ESCR’s educational project, enabling all families to be involved in and aware of the partnership.
This special relationship between the two schools is manifested by:
- Reciprocal correspondence between French and Rwandan students, to forge closer links and exchange views on their very different daily lives.
- Annual visits by ESCR delegations to Rwanda, and by Rwandan representatives to France. Young French students usually take part in these trips with their families.
- Sponsorship of 3 young Magi students in their secondary studies, up to their baccalaureate, by covering not only their tuition fees, but also ancillary expenses.
- Providing teaching materials to improve teaching and working conditions for the children. Some of the materials are brought in from France, while others are purchased locally to support the local economy.
- A project to renovate the Magi school buildings to improve schooling conditions for the village’s children.
