Kubaha Imana
Respect God
Faith is the foundation of everything we do.
Catholic girls' secondary school · Kigali
Raising young women of faith, knowledge and character
Lycée Notre-Dame de Cîteaux is a boarding school for girls in Kiyovu, owned by the Bernardine Sisters, with O-Level and A-Level studies.
- Girls only Boarding school
- O-Level & A-Level Senior 1 to Senior 6
- Bernardine Sisters Catholic, Cistercian family
- Kiyovu, Kigali Nyarugenge District
Alumna
Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Rwanda's first woman Prime Minister, spent seven years at LNDC.
Source: WikipediaWelcome to LNDC
A school with a long story of excellence
For generations, Rwandan girls have come to Lycée Notre-Dame de Cîteaux to learn, to pray and to grow together. The school belongs to the Bernardine Sisters, a Catholic congregation of the Cistercian family whose name it carries.
LNDC is known across the country for discipline and strong results. The New Times once called it a “significant role model school”, and our students keep proving it in national examinations and competitions.
Results that speak
Among the best in Rwanda, year after year
- ORATOR national English competition
- 1 st
- Anabella Mutara, lower secondary, 2026
- Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board
What we stand for
Seven values, one way of life
Respect, cooperation and excellence are not slogans at LNDC. They are the commitments every member of the community is asked to live by.
Tugomba twese
“We must all…”
Seven commitments, written in Kinyarwanda on a sign on campus, that shape life at LNDC.
Kubaha abandi
Respect others
Courtesy and kindness towards everyone we meet.
Kwiyubaha
Respect yourself
Dignity in how we speak, study and carry ourselves.
Kubahana
Respect one another
Respect that flows in every direction.
Gufatanya
Work together
Achieving more through shared effort.
Gufashanya
Help one another
Lifting each other up, in class and beyond.
Kuba indashyikirwa
Be outstanding
Striving for excellence in all that we do.
Academics
Two levels, one standard of excellence
From Senior One to Senior Six, LNDC follows Rwanda's national curriculum and prepares every girl for the national examinations.
Ordinary Level
Senior 1–3
A broad, strong foundation across the national curriculum.
Advanced Level
Senior 4–6
MCBPCBPCMMPG
Student life
More than a classroom
Culture & dance
Traditional Rwandan dance, performed with pride on the Great Hall stage.
Mentors & speakers
Women leaders and Best Performing Girls alumnae visit to mentor students.
Voice & debate
National champions in English public speaking, and competitors in debate.
Celebrating success
Girls who excel are recognised, at school and across the nation.
Our story
Courage in the darkest days
In 1994, during the Genocide against the Tutsi, Sister Hélène Nayituriki, an LNDC alumna and teacher, protected more than 150 students, teachers and neighbours. In 1997 she became headmistress and helped the school rebuild around one simple truth.
Read the history“We don’t have ethnic groups at school, we have students.”
Walking in remembrance during Kwibuka31, 30 April 2025. Photo: Rwanda Defence Force
Gallery
Moments at LNDC
In the news
LNDC in the headlines
Rwanda Basic Education Board
Article
From BK Arena to the United Kingdom: ORATOR competition rewards outstanding students
Anabella Mutara of LNDC is named national winner of the lower secondary category at the first ORATOR National English Competition.
Read
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The New Times
Article
National exams: Top-ranking schools announced
LNDC is listed among high-performing O-Level schools, with all 172 candidates passing the 2024/25 national exams.
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KT Press
Article
The best student for PLE dreams to be Rwanda’s Minister of Education
Terimbere Ineza Alia Ange Stevine of LNDC is ranked the best O-Level student in Rwanda for 2023/24.
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Join the LNDC family
Places in Senior One and Senior Four are allocated nationally by NESA. Find out how admission works, or write to the school office with your questions.