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By Clementine Nyirangaruye
Don Bosco Gatenga Technical Secondary School (TSS), located in Kicukiro District, has highlighted significant progress in promoting gender equality and protecting students from gender-based violence (GBV) as Rwanda marks the global 16 Days of Activism campaign.
On 27 November 2025, the school hosted an awareness session on preventing and combating GBV, attended by 517 students under the theme “Let’s Build a Family Free from Violence.”
Growing Confidence and Participation of Girls in TVET
Niyonsenga Sapuna, a Level 4 plumbing student and head girl, praised the remarkable rise in the number of girls pursuing technical and vocational studies at the school.
“We grew from only 9 girls to 210,” she said. “After graduation, we are given toolkits to start our work, and while at school, we receive hygiene support, including sanitary pads for girls during their periods.”
Sapuna noted that the 16 Days campaign deepened their understanding of GBV and equipped them with skills to protect themselves, including during internships.
Key Discussions: GBV and Human Trafficking
Students were briefed on human trafficking, its warning signs and consequences, as well as different forms of GBV and their impact on young people.
Clementine Uzamureba, the school’s Gender and Equality Officer, emphasized ongoing efforts to instill Christian and Rwandan values that empower students to protect one another.
“Students now clearly understand how to prevent all forms of violence and are committed to being role models. They recognize tactics used by perpetrators and are determined to stand strong against exploitation, including human trafficking,” she said.
Changing Mindsets, Boosting Performance
Boniface Uwizerwa, head of teachers in the electricity department, said training on gender equality has helped staff guide students toward more inclusive attitudes.
“Many students arrive with cultural beliefs that discourage girls from joining technical fields,” he explained. “But after our mentorship, both boys and girls have excelled. In 2021, for example, a female student, Niyogushimwa Diane, ranked third nationally, and we also had a male student who ranked first in electricity.”
Parents also expressed satisfaction with the school’s protective environment. Jacqueline Mukamana, a parent from Gikondo Sector, said she appreciates the school’s commitment to GBV prevention.
“They teach reproductive health, confidence, and equality, enabling girls to pursue TVET fields just like boys, without fear,” she said.
Impact of the “Gender Matters for Green TVET” Project
The achievements build on the ongoing Gender Matters for Green TVET project, a four-year initiative promoting quality education and gender equality across Salesian institutions in Rwanda and Uganda.
After three years of implementation, the project has:
• Shifted mindsets about girls in technical fields
• Conducted extensive GBV prevention campaigns
• Signed protective policies and carried out advocacy
• Built modern girls’ dormitories with upgraded sanitation facilities
• Added two private rooms for girls during menstruation
• Provided school fees for vulnerable students
• Offered toolkits to graduates
• Supported students’ mental health through a Gender Club
Enrollment of girls at Don Bosco Gatenga TSS has grown steadily from 60 in 2022–2023 to 209 girls out of 533 students in the 2024–2025 academic year.
This was made possible with funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation and Jugend Eine Welt.
