291 students of class 2020 and 2021 have graduated at Kepler, a non-governmental organization working in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University to provide students in East Africa with access to US accredited Bachelor’s degrees.

The graduation ceremony was the sixth since the partnership started, and took place at Intare Conference Arena on December 2.

It gathered students from both Kigali and Kiziba campuses of Kepler and among them, 131 are men while 160, 56 per cent, are women with 14 per cent of all of them being refugees.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Nathalie Munyampenda, the Chief Executive Officer of Kepler urged graduates to embrace their process of growth and use any opportunity that has been given to them.

The graduation ceremony was the sixth since the partnership started, and took place at Intare Conference Arena on December 2

"Take your time and learn to talk to people. Learn to network. Learn to attend events and to acquire skills that may not seem important to you,” she said.

"Do not be in a hurry because you see that your neighbor has a big house. Big houses are not a measure of success. There are many miserable people sitting in big houses. So don't be in a hurry. Make a plan for yourself.”

Munyampenda also reminded the graduates that what they have acquired at school is a path that leads them to where they want to reach, adding that when they follow and work on what’s important, they will be able to succeed.

She specifically urged female graduates to be thoughtful while selecting their life partners, declaring that life at home is one of the key factors of success for women who become leaders.

Rose Mukankomeje, the Executive Director of Higher Education Council (HEC) thanked the graduates for the efforts they have made while studying from home during the covid-19 pandemic and recognized a compelling role Kepler and Southern New Hampshire University keep playing in helping Rwandan and East African youth to acquire competence-based blended learning.

She urged the graduates to use the opportunity they were given as well as the skills they have acquired to solve different problems their communities are facing, hence developing themselves and their families.

Some of the 291 students of class 2020 and 2021 that  have graduated at Kepler in Kigali on December 2, Craish Bahizi

She revealed that the Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Education, will continue to provide support and guidance to make Kepler’s growth a success.

Vedaste Ndayambaje, a graduate in Bachelors of Arts in Communication, Concentration in Business, was happy to graduate and become a Kepler alumni.

He said that he is going to share the skills he has acquired at school with the community, mainly by encouraging people to pursue their dreams and enhancing collaboration with them to shape a better nation.

Irene Irere, another graduate in Bachelors of Arts, Concentration in Logistics and Operations, said that she has already started to apply her skills at a company called Wasoko where she works to improve their sales, adding that she has also started her own initiative where she will be helping people to scale up their businesses online which also boost their sales.

She declared that she is motivated to demonstrate strong work ethics in what she does and collaborate with other Kepler students while giving back to their school and the community at large.

Daniel Tegera, the father of a graduate, Clarise Uwamahoro from Kepler Kiziba Campus said that he didn’t know that a refugee could get a school with high education quality, adding that seeing her daughter graduating at Kepler has boosted his hope of life.

The graduation ceremony  took place at Intare Conference Arena on December 2

He revealed that her daughter has tremendously grown her critical thinking, public speaking skills, work ethics and professionalism, adding that she has scooped a job which supports her as well as the family.

This is why, he continued, I would like to thank Kepler, the Government of Rwanda and UNHCR for their support to my family.

Part of the class of 2020 and 2021 who graduated poses for a group photo with Kepler officials at Intare Conference Arena on Thursday, December 2.