Mt. Muhabura Scholarship
Muhabura is one of the highest mountains in Rwanda. The name Muhabura means The Guide in Kinyarwanda. In Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, Muhabura is a natural compass that helps people navigate the geography and guides them when they lose direction.
The Mt. Muhabura scholarship program provides financial support for students attending Move Up Global-supported schools surrounding Volcanoes National Park, guiding them to succeed.
Many families from this region live in deep poverty with limited or no financial resources, reducing the prospect for children to attend or complete high school.
The Mt. Muhabura Scholarship helps to fund tuition, school transportation, uniforms, and basic supplies children who show great promise and score well on exams but might otherwise be unable to pursue educational opportunities.
Recognizing an unmet need
Board members Anatole Manzi and Kevin Batt helped initiate Move Up Global’s scholarship program with implementation partner IREME in October 2022. When they visited the Rwinzovu School, the headmaster introduced them to students who earned top scores in national exams taken at the completion of sixth grade. Never before had so many students succeeded, yet none could afford tuition to continue their education.
In 2022, 13-year-old Patrick, a student at Rwinzovu School scored 100 percent on his national exam placing among the top scores in the nation. Yet, his family was too poor to pay the tuition fees for Patrick to accept his invitation to a prestigious public boarding school.
Recognizing a critical need for modest financial support, Dr. Manzi and Kevin Batt created the Mt. Muhabura scholarship program. Kevin immediately covered these costs for Patrick who, accompanied by IREME’s special projects manager Nicole, quickly moved to his new school and thrived.
Tuition fees for boarding schools range from $250 to $300 USD per year. Students also require send-off kits, including a mattress, uniforms, shoes, bedding, school materials, and personal hygiene items, for one-time costs of $100 to $150 USD. Less than $400 USD transforms the lives of Mt. Muhabura Scholars.
Since 2022, Patrick has excelled in school and aims to set an example for other Rwinzovu students, inspiring them to work and study hard.
From one to many
Building from Patrick’s success, now increasing numbers of Rwinzovu students are excelling on the national exam. Each year, a local committee of school headmasters and teachers, parents and local officials and Move Up Global Ireme partners review the performance of students and assess their families’ circumstances.
With donations from Move Up Global supporters, scholarships have been awarded to 35 sixth-grade students to attend secondary school, four of whom now attend public boarding schools. Others attend public day schools in their communities with school fees at about $60 USD per year. Boarding school student Innocent, ranked first in his class of 103 students after two trimesters.
Mt. Muhabura Scholarships do more than address predictable financial needs. They avert crises in the lives of students. One eleventh grade student would have left school one year before graduating due to his parent’s illness. An emergency Mt. Muhabura scholarship allowed him to complete his schooling.
Meet Mt. Muhabura Scholars
I am Emerance. There are six in our family and I am the last in the family. I like to play and to study. Once I finish school, I would like to become a teacher so that I will teach my community. My father had an accident so he is unable to work. Only my mother and my sister take care of the whole family. Thanks Ireme for giving this opportunity. I will do my best to finish my studies and help my family and my community as Ireme does.
My name is Ange. We are five children in our family and I am the first born. I like to study, to pray and I love my parents. Once I finish my school I would like to become a police woman. When I was 1-4 years old, I often got sick. I thank Ireme for the great idea to support students from poor families, we believe that tomorrow will be better than today.
My name is Chance. I am 16 years old and live with my family of four siblings and my father and mother. Once I finish my school i would like to become a police woman. My mother and father are jobless. We do not have a house and we live with my uncle. I appreciate Ireme who selected me for a scholarship. I promise that I have to study with all my effort so that i will help my family and my community. Thank you!
Student support is allocated based on a assigned category associated with financial need and the academic opportunity the student as been offered.
I am Edouard. I am one of students who were selected to be in Mt Muhabura scholarship program. I am in the fourth year of Secondary 4 and I study Math, Economy and Computer option at Rwinzovu day school. I would like to become an economist in order to help other students like Ireme does. One day I was sleeping and dreamed that I would have enough money in my account. The first thing I would do is to build a house for my parents, then help my relatives and neighbors or other citizens to study like me in order to have a good life.
How the model works
