Source: The New Times
Effective mechanisms are needed to prevent child pregnancies that threaten the Girl Child education in the country, the chairperson of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (Fawe), Rhona Nyakurama, has said.

"Teachers, parents as well as the general public must take personal responsibility in preventing students from getting pregnant as this is increasing school dropout rate," Nyakurama,

who was speaking to this paper after the ninth general assembly of the organisation at the weekend, said.

Her call comes in the wake of a recent pregnancy scandal at Groupe Scolaire Nsinda in Rwamagana district, where 26 girls are alleged to have been impregnated and dropped out of school.

Nyakurama said parents and teachers must take action against the habit through effective educative programmes mainly focusing on the effects of early pregnancies.

The annual general assembly is one of the ways that the organisation initiated in an effort to achieve its core objectives.

It is at the assembly that members discuss challenges and seek solutions on strengthening the Fawe girls' schools in Kigali and Gahini.

Nyakurama called upon students to aim higher and avoid actions that might ruin their future.

Eugenie Mukanohere, the Fawe national coordinator, affirmed the organisation's commitment to advocate for the integration of reproductive health education in general school curriculum.

It is one of the mechanisms through which students will acknowledge and avoid actions that can lead them into getting pregnant, she said.

Fawe Rwanda officials say the organisation is focused at contributing to the development of education; and that this has been demonstrated by the establishment of centres of excellence which are said to be promoting girls' education at primary and secondary school levels.

The organisation is currently sponsoring 6,555 students in 62 schools across the country.

• Rwanda