Rwanda National Police

Students of Nyanza Technical School in Nyanza District, on March 24, formed an anti-crime club as part of their effort to put ideas together against abuse of drugs.

The club was formed during a meeting of over 700 students that was also attended by the District Police Commander of Nyanza, Supt. Athanase Ruganintwari.

The club also established its leadership structure that includes the coordinator, secretary and communication, among others.

According to the students, they borrowed a leaf from other schools where the formed active clubs are instrumental in debating, understanding and fighting against drug abuse among the youth and in the school in particular.

With about 900 anti-crime clubs established countrywide so far, majority are in schools.

Claire Mutesi, who was elected the coordinator of the club, pledged to bring students together to partner with police to build a generation free from drugs.

Supt. Ruganintwari thanked the residents for the initiative to put their ideas together through the created club, to raise their voices collectively against the vice and criminality in general.

He was quick to note that some of their colleagues in various schools have become victims and addicts of drug abuse thus dropping out of school while others end up becoming thieves and young parents.

“There’s a rare chance of making it in life if at your age, you are abusing drugs. Your parents are doing all they can to nurture you to be important people in the future and you should value that,” Supt. Ruganintwari told the students.

Jean Damascene Harerimana, the dean of discipline in the school, thanked police for the guidance, which the school will build on to make anti-drug awareness part of the school curriculum.

He added that the school is going to work with the students to make their club active and be result-oriented.