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Kinyarwanda
The Mayor of Rutsiro District, Emmerance Ayinkamiye met with students of Groupe Scolaire de Kigeyo on Thursday and tutored them on dangers of drug abuse.
He also advised them to champion community policing within the school and communities by reporting drug dealers.
During the meeting held at the school, Mayor Ayinkamiye urged students to desist temptations fro. people who give them wrong information and lure them into abusing or selling narcotic drugs.
“They will tell you that drugs will give you more energy, make you intelligent but is it is totally a lie, drugs can destroy your body and mind...your whole life,” the mayor said.
The meeting that drew 718 students, was also attended by 42 teachers whom, the mayor told that; “You are responsible to guide, prepare and turn these children into good citizens and leaders of tomorrow.”
He urged the students to report people that try to lure them into unlawful and other malpractices like sexual behaviors, which lead to unwanted and child pregnancies, and those that try to get them out of school promising them jobs, which is an act of child labour but also a trick used by human traffickers.
In a related development, at Amizero Secondary School in Muhanga, police officers also met with handreds of students and tutored them on road safety, their role in fighting gender based violence as well as enlightening them on children’s rights.
In her address to the students, the District Community Liaison Officer, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Angelique Abijuru urged them to stand up for their rights and report any abuses they face or witness.
“Government has put in place numerous measures to protect and promote the rights of children in all spheres, with the priority put on education and health. This is why we are requesting you to be ambassadors in promoting and advancing these measures by breaking silence,” she said.
She went on to say that, there are times when parents or guardians abuse the rights of children under the pretext that they are punishing them, and urged them to always report such abuses by calling the police on 116, 112 and 3029 or ho to the nearest Police station.
On road safety, the students interacted with the Officer in Charge of Traffic in Muhanga, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Innocent Kagiraneza and discussed measures of avoiding road accidents. Part of the message delivered to students was about educating them on how to use roads, demonstrated to them which side of the road they walk on, and how to cross the road.
He dwelt most on encouraging students to always use sidewalks and zebra crossing and maximum vigilance whenever they're crossing the road to avoid being hit by automobiles or bicycles.
