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About us

  • Background

    School Equipment Solutions (SES) is a company which was created back in 2009 with the aim of improving the quality of Science Education in learning institutions by providing to them Science teaching and learning lab materials along with appropriate training and support.

    HAKIZIMANA Theodore is the brain behind SES. He is a Physicist  with a vast experience in Science lab materials design and Science Education in general. SES is the outcome of a long journey that started about 35 years ago, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, at ISP BUKAVU(Institut Superieur Pedagogique) where HAKIZIMANA Theodore was teaching Physics. At the time, He was responsible of Leading Final Year Students in their research projects. He thought of developing locally with affordable raw materials, some prototypes of Science Lab Materials that would eventually be produced on a larger scale for being used in Secondary Schools that the Final Year Students were meant to teach in. The aim was to enable Schools to provide a better quality of Science Education through the dissemination of affordable Science lab materials. Prototypes that were designed and  produced were mainly related to Physics. Unfortunately this great initiative could not bear its fruit as those prototypes remained prototypes and there was no follow up due to a poor Institutional support. In the mid 80s, He moved to Ndjamena in Chad where he pursued his initiative with ENS(Ecole Normale Superieure)  final year students. Fortunately, this time around,  prototypes became products and they were produced on a larger scale and distributed in Schools with the help of the African Development Bank and UNESCO.  This was a tremendous success to the extent that some products were showcased in various Scientific and Education conferences in Africa(Nairobi, Dakar, Ndjamena).
     
    Proud of having the opportunity to return in his mother land, he arrived in Rwanda after 1994 with the firm intention of letting his country benefit from his experience. Unfortunately,  the country was in the process of rebuilding itself and Science Education was not the utmost priority let alone Education in general. In this context, Theodore worked in various UNDP projects under MINECOFIN & NISR and was not involved in the Education sector as per say but still had in mind his passion. 
    In 2009, The strong will of the government to promote Science and technology reenacted his enthusiasm and he thought  it was the right time to awaken his precious project and play a role in this. His baby “SES” was born.

  • What we do

    At SES we believe that Science is best learnt by experimenting, gone are the days where pupils had to grasp some abstract concepts. We aim at Providing science education through hands-on learning, as well as Elevating the level of Science literacy.  Laboratory experiences can help to enhance national scientific literacy and prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers as well as lawyers and managers by supporting students in attaining several educational goals:
     
    • Enhancing mastery of subject matter.
    • Developing scientific reasoning.
    • Understanding the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work.
    • Developing practical skills.
    • Understanding of the nature of science.
    • Cultivating interest in science and interest in learning science.
    • Developing teamwork abilities.
     
    Our products ensure that pupils experiment Science in such a way that their subject understanding and retention capabilities are improved. Our products cover different Science subjects including Physics, Chemistry, Biology,as well as  Geography and Mathematics in accordance with the National Curriculum ranging from P4 to G12.  Our production is mainly done using locally available and affordable raw materials. Additionally we import some products like Chemicals, Glassware, Special Advanced Apparatus. Through our continuous research and development, our products directory gradually evolve to cover the whole national Curriculum in Science.  We also provide training of teachers to ensure an effective and efficient use of our products. Training can be organized at the delivery or prior to it. We are determined to ensure you get the most within your budget. We are glad to assist you in the following:
     
    • Needs Assessment and Assistance in Procurement
    • Production and Delivery of required Lab materials
    • Training of teachers on how to use our products for effective and efficient teaching
    • Local Support in case our products get damaged.
     
    Our Production Workshop

    Our Exhibition Lab

    Delivery of products



    We consider ourselves to be a competent partner for Natural Sciences and Technology Education. We provide you with an optimum solution for Science classes and help you to find individual solutions to your specific problems. We design and deliver complete solutions to improve and promote Science and Technology Education in the region.

  • Our Mission

    To Stimulate and nurture children's natural interest in science and help them to discover the power of science through Experimenting thus improving the quality of science education. We aim at  igniting scientific curiosity in children so that they:

    1. Question intelligently;
    2. Learn through discovery by experimenting;
    3. Connect scientific knowledge to their world; and
    4. Consider a career in science.

  • Our Vision

    is to contribute in producing a future generation with an acute “Do it your self” mentality that will be able to drive competitiveness, productivity and economic growth in African countries.

  • Our Achievements

    Since its creation in 2009, SES has achieved a lot in the area of Science Education in Rwanda. We have actively been involved in diverse activities such as the development of new lab materials, production in chain of those lab materials, distribution of lab materials to schools throughout the country, training of teachers, Organizing Exhibitions of lab materials, Participating in Science Fairs.Among our major achievements, we can mention:
     
    • Design and Production of the first of its kind Elementary Science and Technology Kit (EST kit). This kit was developed according to the P4, P5 and P6 EST Curriculum. It includes specific lab materials for teaching Elementary Science and Technology at the primary level. It is designed in such a way to allow peer learning as pupils can experiment in groups. A minimum of 2 kits is recommended per school in order allow for small groups. The kit comes along with a User guide in order to ensure that teachers master the pedagogic role of the kit. 
    • Distribution of the EST kit in 127 Primary Schools throughout the 30 districts of the country.
    • Training of 934 teachers on the use of EST kist throughout the 30 districts of the country. The training started in Nyarugenge district and was carried out from June to August 2011 to finally end in Rutsiro District.
    • Design and Production of Physics lab materials for Secondary (Ordinary and Advanced Level) according to the Curriculum
    • Design and Production of Mobile Lab tables that can transform any room into a standard Science Laboratory.
    • Design and Production of Physics, Chemistry and Biology lab manuals for guiding teachers in lab experiments
    • Distribution of Physics, Chemistry , Biology and Geography lab materials to 37 Secondary schools.
    • Exhibited products in a One Day Workshop about Improving the Quality of Science teaching at the Ordinary Level organised by NCDC and CTB in 2009.
    • Participated and Exhibited products in The Science Fair organised by MINEDUC at Hotel Laico Umubano in 2010
    • Held an Open Door Exhibition at Former ULK premises in 2010 with the aim of sensitising all stakeholders on the availability of our products.
     

  • School Sponsors

    We have worked with mainly 2 school sponsors namely "Bureau de Jumelage Rhenanie Palatinat-Rwanda" and World Vision. As of today, with more than 100 schools that have received lab materials, Rhenanie Palatinat have been our first partner in terms of sponsoring schools to get lab materials as well as benefiting from Training of teachers.


    Rhenanie Palatinat

    The partnership between Rhenanie Palatinat and Rwanda dates back in 1982, and as of today more than 63 millions Euros have been mobilized to finance about 1500 projects in Rwanda  This sum was made ​​not only by the government of Rhineland-Palatinate, but with the help and commitment of individuals who have managed to collect more than 14 million.  Currently, 51 (56) towns and districts in Rhineland-Palatinate are paired with 162 (164) Rwandan sectors. In Germany, there is nearly 50 associations and organizations that support partner countries like Rwanda. To these must be added the many associations interscholastic sponsorships (about 220) between German and Rwandan students.  The Coordination Bureau has been instrumental in sponsoring more than 150 schools for receiving lab materials for both primary and Secondary Schools. The Bureau also financed various training of teachers whereby more than 1000 teachers have been trained on how to teach using the supplied lab materials throughout the 30 districts of Rwanda. 



    World Vision

     World Vision began working in Rwanda in 1994 and have participated in rebuilding of Rwanda after the genocide. Since 2000, World Vision has been working with communities to long term solutions to poverty and injustice. World Vision Rwanda is directly supporting 1,200,000 people through 29 long term, child focused Area Development Programmes(ADPs) and special projects all located in 21out of the 30 Rwandan Districts.World Vision programming is currently reaching out to 2.5 million people. Through World Vision sponsorship, 14 schools from Gicumbi, Gakenke and Gatsibo District have received lab materials for both primary and secondary. Teachers of those schools also benefited from training.

    World Vision in Rwanda

  • Testimonials

    We had to open  Science combinations in our school with requirements being having a laboratory and lab materials as set by MINEDUC. We were in the middle of nowhere. Sincere thanks to SES, they have helped us in better formulating our needs, they have supplied the required lab materials along with mobile laboratory tables and trained our teachers. Our application for opening the sections was successful. We now have 3 science combinations(MPC, PCB, MPG) and  our students are learning science by experimenting."

    Habimana Telesphore, Principal - Groupe Scolaire Ruhango


     

    I never had the chance to experiment science when I was a student, thus I was reluctant to use Science lab materials while teaching, thanks to SES I now feel I master what I am teaching and I feel the enthusiasm of pupils in class"

    Mugabo Thomas, Teacher - Nyundo Primary School

    This has been the most valuable support program in my nine years as a teacher. I wish all my peers could also benefit from this innovation.

    Mbera Francois, Teacher - Rusumo Secondary School

    This Africa Map that lights up is just amazing, we are learning while having fun." 
    Dusengumuremyi Patrick, Student - Groupe Scolaire Kayonza

    Finally we can learn by doing, this will definitely help us in the practical national examinations 
    Kayonga Alan, Student - Groupe Scolaire IFAK

    I really liked the inclined plane experiment. It helped me understand the mechanical advantage equation
    Umutesi Noella, Student - Groupe Scolaire Indangaburezi