Mount Kenya University has committed to supporting the construction of model Early Childhood Education centres in two schools in Rwanda, one in Kigali and another outside the capital.
The university has partnered with Imbuto Foundation in supporting early childhood education in the country, which it said is critical in nurturing students from early in life. The Foundation is the brainchild of Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame, who is also its chairperson and focuses on programmes spanning education, health and youth empowerment.
Prof Simon Gicharu, the founder and chairman of MKU, commended the foundation for giving disadvantaged children access to education.
He spoke last week when he toured one of the ECD centres that has been completed and is set to be operational by September.
“This contribution is part of our ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility. By contributing to the construction of the ECD Model Class, we are investing in the future of Rwanda’s children, providing them with the opportunity to receive quality education from the earliest stages of life,” he said.
“We remain committed to supporting education, and this contribution is only one part of our long-term strategy to make a lasting impact on the ECD model and look forward to more initiatives.”
Prof Gicharu noted that early childhood education is critical in preparing young pupils for later years of school, including university education.
“This is something that will transform the lives of these young minds. For us as a university, to talk about quality training, we must have a good foundation and such centres play a part in giving a good foundation for quality trainees in future who will be training in our universities in future,” he said, adding that the model ECD centres are something that could be emulated by other countries in the East African region.
“It is something that I have also learned. I am the chairman of Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), part of which is the development ECD curriculum, and when I go back to Kenya will be challenging our policymakers to have such centres that can be centres of excellence.”
Prof Gicharu was accompanied by the Director General of Imbuto Foundation, Elodie Shami and the District Executive Administrator (DEA) for Kicukiro District, Mutsinzi Antoine, on the tour of the ECD centre at Masaka Kicukiru District in Kigali.
“We are in the process of operationalising the centre and are currently onboarding the qualified teachers. By September, we will have the centre fully operational, and this place will be bustling with young learners,” said Antoine.
Imbuto Foundation is one of Rwanda’s most impactful organisations.
It has in the past partnered with MKU to increase educational access for bright students in Rwanda who hail from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Shami said the contribution by MKU will help the foundation’s endeavours geared at educating young Rwandans across the country.
“Investing in early childhood development creates a domino effect, and more people are starting to get the importance of investing in those 1,000 days of a child, but also educating the parents about nutrients and hygiene that go into raising thriving citizens,” she said.
Prof Gicharu also acknowledged the work that the Imbuto Foundation has been undertaking to support underprivileged children, especially girls, to access education.
Some of the children supported by the Fondation had gone on to successfully pursue university education and settled into different careers.
“The Foundation’s dedication to empowering young learners and ensuring they have access to education aligns with our values, and we are proud to be part of this impactful journey,” he said.
"It is inspiring to witness the success of individuals supported by the Imbuto Foundation, such as a young woman who has completed her degree at Mount Kenya University and is now pursuing her master's degree. Her achievement is a testament to the foundation’s vital role in empowering the youth, especially girls, and giving them the tools to succeed.”
