St. Ignatius School, Kigali

St. Ignatius School, Kigali
Location
Kigali, Rwanda
Information
Type Jesuit, Catholic
Established 2006 (2006)
Headmaster Fr Olivier KAYITARE, SJ
Grades K through high school
Gender Coeducational
Campus 7 hectares
Website IgnatiusRwanda

St. Ignatius School, Rwanda, was founded by the Society of Jesus in the capital city Kigali in 2006. It is coeducational and includes kindergarten through high school. It relies heavily on funds from abroad, with a major benefactor being the Grace Foundation which was founded to support Jesuit schools in Rwanda.[1]

History

In the wake of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the Jesuits determined to use education to help build a prosperous, peaceful, and harmonious future. In 2003, they received seven hectares of land in the heart of Kigali, the capital, where they began construction of St. Ignatius School in 2006. The primary school opened in 2008 and high school was complete in 2016. The enrollment is over 800 with a projected target of 1,200 by 2020. The emphasis is on STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math) with the help of an 11,000 square foot laboratory building inclusive of biology, chemistry, and physics.

In 2015, Ignatius ranked second in the nation based on the performance on the National Exam.[1][2][3]

Foreign assistance

The Grace Foundation was established in 2014 precisely to build and endow Jesuit schools in Rwanda.[4] Jesuit Fr. Jean Baptiste Ganza helped found the Foundation and the school, and is headmaster.[5] He barely escaped the genocide that claimed seven in his family; he had just left for Jesuit studies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the time.[6][7]

Volunteers have included nine students from Mercer Island, Washington, who helped build a classroom at St. Ignatius in 2011. They note that Hutus and Tutsis of all backgrounds are integrated into the school.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "St. Ignatius School". The Grace Foundation. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  2. ↑ www.immaculee.com. "Immaculee Ilibagiza Author of New York Times Best Seller Left to Tell". www.immaculee.com. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  3. ↑ "Molly Goes to Africa". teachrwanda.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  4. ↑ "Home". The Grace Foundation. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  5. ↑ "Founders". The Grace Foundation. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  6. ↑ "Seattle University Magazine". Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "News + Events". The Grace Foundation. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  8. ↑ "Healing in Rwanda | Mercer Island Reporter". Mercer Island Reporter. 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2016-12-26.

Coordinates: 1°56′8.89″S 30°7′7.37″E / 1.9358028°S 30.1187139°E / -1.9358028; 30.1187139

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