ETSK educates students in the three professions that offer the most opportunity for employment in Rwanda, Africa: Construction, Computer Science, and Culinary Arts. Each course follows strict government education guidelines, with a new emphasis on practical skills and work internships.
CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION
The largest number of students are in the construction education department. Core subjects include Drawing, Construction Technology, Masonry, Drafting, Plumbing, Building elevation, and Finishing work. Generic subjects include Mathematics, Physics, English, and French.
Construction education workshops: Masonry, Plumbing, Carpentry, Welding, Electrical, and Computer lab (see below)
COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION
The Computer Science department has two Computer Labs with thirty stations each, for advanced MS Office Package, Programming, Web Designing, CAD (Computer-Aided Design), and Construction Software, including ArchiCAD and AutoCAD.
Computer Science Education workshops: Computer Maintenance Lab and an Electrical Workshop.
CULINARY ARTS EDUCATION
Hospitality and tourism are pillars of Rwanda’s development. Though Culinary Arts education is new at ETSK in 2017, there are already students taking advantage of our coursework, as well as a modern industrial kitchen donated to the bordering Youth Village by Italian benefactors.
Internships: Every Culinary Arts student will participate in supervised internships for 2 months per year.
SPORTS
Organized sports and athletics are important education activities, building character, teamwork, and cooperation. The school provides excellent sports facilities with daily sports schedules for the following: football (soccer), volleyball, basketball, and handball. We have competitive men’s teams in both soccer and basketball, and a special Zumba exercise class for the growing number of women at ETSK (now about 1/3 of our student body).
Education Goal: 100% placement in jobs or university
STUDENTS
Student life at ETSK is organized and disciplined, with five school days per week, starting at 5:15AM and ending with lights out at 9:30PM.
Our goal is that 100% of our students are gainfully employed or in University within 6 months of graduation. Our first post-graduation survey confirms that we are close to meeting this goal.
Bizumuremyi Valens, ETSK student (in his own words).
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My name is Bizumuremyi Valens. I was born on the 6th August 2000 in Rwamagana district, Musha sector. I am the youngest of 5 children. My parents are farmers (agriculture).
I studied primary school in Musha and secondary school in the same sector, mainly at ETSK. When I was at the ordinary level at Duha complex school, my dream was to study at ETSK because it is the best technical school.
In Masonry/Construction, I met clever students from the cities and I started competing with them.
I really appreciate my school administration, the teachers, and students because they are friendly and supportive. I also appreciate Father Hermann who brought the school to our village.”
My secret in school is to love and concentrate on my studies and then fight for what I want by working hard for excellence.
I graduated ETSK with the highest government test score in all of Rwanda and am now enrolled in university on scholarship. After University studies, l want to be an engineer in construction technology and come back home and play my role in developing my village.
Let me salute ETSK and my teachers for the knowledge, skills, and right attitude they gave me.”
Batakanizo Renata, ETSK student (in her own words).
“I am the last born child in a family of four children with both parents. I was born July 1, 1999, in Rwamagana town in Rwanda. I am also a Rwandan by nationality.
I am a quiet girl who likes to spend time with my best friends sharing ideas on different topics. I am also a responsible person who dislikes seeing anything go wrong. I like reading and writing novels about discovery.
I completed my studies at the Ecole Technique Saint Kitzito School in 2018 and am now enrolled in University. ETSK is a wonderful school with good nature and a lake nearby called Muhazi which facilities a good healthy life. ETSK also feeds its students with a balanced diet. It has experienced teachers in different subjects. Moreover, we also put emphasis on studying English and speaking it fluently. I study construction where we do many practices, and we have all the required tools thus passing with maximum marks. I am a determined girl looking at being an engineer and looking forward to my future with God’s help.”
Renata is currently studying construction technology at IPRC University while working evenings as a hotel receptionist.
NSHIMIYIMANA Jean Bosco, ETSK graduate (in his own words).
“I am 26 years old, and a graduate of Ecole Technique St. Kitzito.
I was born in Eastern Province, Ngoma District. I am a genocide survivor. I lost my dad in genocide and it was hard to rebuild, but fortunately, I have a very good mother who always pushes me to study and in 2001 I began my primary schooling. I was this kid eager to be helpful to others and also wanted to become a rich man. In 2006, I passed the national exams in order to go to secondary school. It was a challenge but I worked hard to learn English, got good marks, and always fought for my dreams.
In 2010 I came to study at ETSK. It was the first year for the school to admit the advanced level students, and I joined with other schoolmates. I myself went into computer science because I wanted to be a technician and had found computer science was where I fit. We were few students compared to the following years, but the school played a very big role in our studies and tried to give everything it had to help us out, by providing labs, the internet, and providing good teachers.
I was the top student for all of the Rwandan technical schools. I myself was helped by this school to always work towards my dreams. I am now a software engineer graduating in 2018 from Rwanda University, Kigali, and I have a dream of maybe going to work with Google Inc. If possible I would like the chance to build my own company to help the people of Rwanda as a developing country. I am sure they need me to take this country to a higher level like the United States, and with the help, I got from St. Kitzito, the government of Rwanda, and the almighty God, I will get my dreams.”
FACULTY
Our faculty and administration are highly motivated to educate the students for future jobs. Starting in January 2018 we have an English-only policy for the school and faculty. Teachers live on campus and can often be seen nights and weekends in the faculty room with students or preparing their lesson plans.
Theogene Hategekimana ETSK School Manager (Based on Interview)
“Theogene is 39 years old and a genocide survivor. He works hard with the teachers of the school as a team. He knows how to solve problems and his great desire is to provide a high quality of education, especially for poor children. He loves seeing all the success that the school is having, along with a very well-known name, based on the success of the students. And he is proud that the government chooses ETSK teachers to grade the national exams for Rwanda. He is particularly excited about all the new technology that the school has recently installed.
As a child, Theogene said his mother told him that he was the intelligent one and needed to get educated. He was very disciplined and always did his homework at school when he could squeeze it in, as he knew that he would not have time at home because of responsibilities to help his mother. He had polio at two years of age that left him with a slight handicap, but that did not stop him from working to get through secondary school and the university. He received his BA from the University of Kibungo and his masters in Uganda in 2007 after taking leave for two years from ETSK.
Theogene is married to Yvonne, who was raised by Father Herman at the Hameau des Jeunes, and they live in one of the school’s houses with their twin girls. He hopes to be able to buy a house when his school loan is repaid.”
Cyprien NSAIMANA Teacher computer science (In his own words)
“I was born in 1982 in a simple and poor family in the poorest region of Rwanda, and I am the third of six children. After the genocide in Rwanda, with God’s protection, my family survived except for one of us. It was a very difficult period after the genocide and it was impossible to continue to live as a family unit and no possibility to continue studying for the whole family. In 1996, I was given the big opportunity to live and grow up living at the Hameau des Jeunes at the age of 14 by the kindness of Father Herman. I took the opportunity because I had the ambition to finish my studies. I had already lost three years of primary school, but I worked hard and was always first or second in my class. I am the only one in my family that got the chance to go to school or the university because my siblings had to take care of my parents, and they still have a very hard life. I live with my parents because they are now very old and need my help to care for them. As always, I still walk the three miles to this rural school each day for my work at ETSK. I hope to get married someday, but that is not possible at this time.
St. Kizito Technical High School 