Students are actively leading initiatives to improve hygiene and sanitation within their schools.
Kigali – Schools are more than centers of learning; they shape future citizens, and in Rwanda, the Ministry of Education has launched Fresheri Ku Ishuri, a nationwide initiative promoting hygiene, sanitation, and personal discipline among students.
Campaign at a Glance
The campaign, which translates to “smartness at school,” emphasizes that cleanliness is essential—not optional—for learning, wellbeing, and shaping responsible citizens. It sets clear expectations for schools: toilets must be clean, functional, and secure; floors sturdy; and water consistently available for cleaning.
“Being clean doesn’t require anything extraordinary. It starts with simple routines like brushing your teeth, keeping your desk organized, and caring for your environment,” said Claudette Irere, State Minister at the Ministry of Education, during a recent awareness drive with school officials and pupils.
“We guide students in rotating responsibilities for cleaning school spaces. Once these habits are internalized, they naturally extend to homes, creating a ripple effect of hygiene and health in communities,” she added.
Teaching Cleanliness, Shaping Citizens
Students are taught to use school facilities responsibly, avoid littering, and wash their hands regularly—measures critical to safeguarding health and preventing disease in crowded environments.
The campaign also encourages children to maintain tidy personal spaces at home. Bedrooms are to be neat, beds properly made, clothes stored, shoes organized, and floors swept and mopped regularly. Caring for personal spaces reinforces both self-respect and respect for the environment.
Students Speak Up
Ten-year-old Ella Isimbi Rwalinda, a P5 pupil at Groupe Scholaire APACOPE, says maintaining personal hygiene shows a student’s discipline:
“Clean uniforms, organized desks, and proper waste disposal reflect not just tidiness, but respect for oneself and others,” she explains.
Cleanliness, she adds, also builds confidence, respect, and pride among peers. “What we learn at school, we carry home, and it becomes part of who we are,” she says.
Teachers See the Long-Term Impact
Faith Kwizera, teacher and administrator at Newlife Christian Academy in Kayonza District, highlights the campaign’s long-term impact:
“Hygiene is a habit that shapes the future. Teaching children to value cleanliness today ensures our communities enjoy better health tomorrow.”
He emphasizes that clean schools cultivate disciplined, responsible, and environmentally aware students.
From Schools to Communities
Across the country, local leaders and school authorities monitor and support these efforts through regular inspections. Every school space becomes a learning opportunity, where students internalize lessons on hygiene, responsibility, and the dignity that comes with caring for oneself and others.
By embedding cleanliness into everyday routines, Rwanda is shaping a generation that values health, embraces responsibility, and carries smartness far beyond the school gates.
