OLE Team in Rwanda
OLE Rwanda is hosting a meeting of members of the Rwanda Ministry of Education and other key NGO’s in Rwanda with Robyn, Chris and Richard from OLE International and Mark Horner from Shuttleworth Foundation. They are pictured here with Mr. Bizimana Muhebera, Chair of the Board, OLE Rwanda and Chief Librarian, University of Rwanda. 
The OLE team is working closely with Ministry officials to develop a pilot project for introducing the Shuttleworth k-12 open source courseware to Rwanda. This will include adapting the Shuttleworth curriculum content for local Rwandan conditions and standards, preparing teachers to use the courseware effectively, providing ongoing in-service support for the teachers in their schools and assessing the effectiveness of this approach in improving the quality of basic education in Rwanda.
Rwanda is deeply committed to employing Information and Communications Technologies (ICT’s) in virtually every aspect of their society and economy. The long awaited SeaCom undersea fiber optic cable was placed into operation in Kenya this past week. It connects East and South Africa to the rest of the world by a huge highspeed Internet link. In Rwanda the SeaCom cable will be connected to a fiber optic network that is being laid throughout the country. The government has announced that it will provide every school in the country with a broadband connection in the next two years. They have said they intend to become “the Singapore” of Africa.
“I am extraordinarily impressed with the strength of the commitment in Rwanda to major improvements in basic education,” said Dr. Rowe. “It is impressive how much the country has changed in the past few years, especially given the violence that ravaged the country just a few years ago. The mood here combines a sense optimism with a determination to implement their ideas quickly and effectively. Nearly half of the population is under 20 years of age, making their education a cruciald part of Rwanda’s future.”
OLE Rwanda is seeking the support of the government for this project with the understanding that they will expand it significantly if there is evidence that it is a cost-effective approach. The OLE International team will return later this week, via Dubai, to North America.
