Tony Mwaba officially presents the 2015 state diplomas, the C.S. La Grace decree and the teachers' list in the presence of First Lady Denise Nyakeru

More than 368,000 state diplomas from the 2015 class are already available! The head of the Department of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, who officially presented these diplomas on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the "La Grâce" School Complex in the municipality of Kisenso—a school renovated thanks to the personal involvement of the First Lady of the Republic, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, who was also present at the ceremony. At the same time, teachers at the "La Grâce" Preschool, Primary, and Secondary School were hired and paid on the spot, as promised by the minister.

Starting with a representative sample of four recipients, Minister Tony Mwaba conducted a symbolic presentation on behalf of all students in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—a sigh of relief for the happy recipients who had waited eight years to receive them, thanks to the personal involvement of the President of the Republic, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. Hence the gratitude expressed by the head of the EPST toward the Head of State for his determination to provide Congolese children with a conducive environment for their education.

The minister also paid a heartfelt tribute to the wife of the President of the Republic, who devoted herself body and soul to the renovation, in accordance with standards, of the La Grâce School Complex, a school that now allows 834 students to study in better conditions. Professor Tony Mwaba took this opportunity to announce the mechanization and payroll for the complex’s staff, as well as the allocation of operating funds to enable teachers to work effectively.

To the administrators of the La Grâce School Complex, the head of the EPST placed particular emphasis on the need for sound and harmonious management to ensure that future generations in the municipality of Kisenso can benefit from this educational institution.

Killing two birds with one stone, Professor Tony Mwaba presented the school’s legal documents to the First Lady, who in turn handed them over to the Prefect, who thanked the President of the Republic, his wife, and the Minister of EPST for the rehabilitation and mechanization of the teachers at the La Grâce School Complex.

Beyond the funding that made this renovation possible, the Director of La Grâce Elementary School noted that the First Lady closely monitored the progress of the work until its completion—a commitment that also delighted the school’s teachers and administrative staff.

The President of the National Association of Parents of Pupils and Students of the Congo (ANAPECO), David Diatezua, who also expressed his gratitude to the First Lady of the Republic, pledged the support of the country’s parents.

Today’s ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Minister of EPST, the Secretary General of EPST, the Inspector General of EPST, the Provincial Minister of Education for the city of Kinshasa, the Secretary General of the UDPS, and thousands of young people and students.

Christian BELLA