Rwanda: Education Programs Offer Second Chance at Nyagatare Juvenile Prison

From a distance, the compound looks like any other prison. But that impression changes the moment you step inside the Nyagatare Juvenile Correctional Facility, where classrooms and workshops, rather than cells, are among the first things to greet you. It is a Sunday morning, and the young inmates are already engaged in different activities. In one section, a group gathers for a meeting. In nearby workshops, others are learning practical skills including carpentry, masonry, tailoring, welding, weaving and electrical work. Inside the classrooms, another kind of transformation is taking place. Books are open, lessons are being revised and young people are preparing for futures they hope will extend far beyond the walls around them. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines Eighteen-year-old Jean Baptiste Nahimana sits focused on a mathematics exercise. He and his classmates are working through simultaneous equations, with one student patiently helping another understand the problem. For Nahimana, the classroom represents more than a place to study. It is a second chance. He is among the young inmates who recently completed Ordinary Level (O'Level) studies and are preparing to begin Advanced Level (A'Level) education at the facility. "I was sentenced after being found guilty of using cannabis. When I first arrived here, I felt confused and hopeless. You are not used to life in prison," he recalls. "But I was helped not to remain upset, and I gradually got used to it," he adds. From P5 dropout to O'Level graduate Before his arrest, Nahimana had dropped out of school in Primary Five. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of drug-related offences. "As I got used to the place, I found that others were studying. I decided to enrol and started in P5," he says. The decision changed the direction of his life. He progressed through primary school and eventually sat the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), which he says he passed with good grades. In 2026, he completed his O'Level examinations. When the results were released in early August, he learned that he had passed and could proceed to A'Level, where he will study Mathematics, Physics, Economics and Geography (MPEG). Education at the facility follows the national competency-based curriculum, with juvenile inmates sitting national examinations inside the prison. Teachers are adult inmates serving their own sentences who hold university degrees in different fields. "I passed the exams well and I am going for A'Level. I feel happy and encouraged to study from prison, even while I am serving my sentence," Nahimana says. Still, he wishes students had greater flexibility in choosing subjects. "Some of us do not feel comfortable with science-related courses, and we wish we had more options to choose from," he says. Despite that concern, Nahimana says the environment allows students to concentrate on their studies. "Studying here is possible because we have enough time to revise. We do nothing else other than study, and we have full support." A future beyond the prison walls Nahimana's ambitions now extend beyond secondary school. He hopes to pursue university studies and eventually use his education to serve others. "Once I am done with my sentence, I will also have completed my studies, and I will try to join university and serve the public," he says. "I hope to contribute to the national socio-economic development and give back to the communities I wronged," he adds. His time at the facility has also forced him to confront the offence that brought him there. He says the court process and his experience in detention helped him understand the consequences of drug use. "At first, I thought I was right. But as I went through the court processes, I was convinced that I was wrong," he says. "Not only was I harming my body, but also society. I used drugs while I was in the community and shared them with others, including children. I realised I had co