PHOTOS: First Lady inaugurates Imbuto Hub in Bugesera

First Lady Jeannette Kagame on Friday, July 24, inaugurated the first Imbuto Hub in Nyamata, Bugesera District, a community centre offering education, vocational training, health services, sports and recreational facilities. The hub is the first in a planned nationwide network that aims to establish similar centres in all districts. ALSO READ: Over 200 high school graduates participate in Imbuto Foundation camp The centre has a public library designed to promote a reading culture among children and young people while providing a quiet learning environment. It also includes an ICT laboratory where learners can acquire digital skills and access technology for education and innovation. The facility operates a daycare centre that supports early childhood development by providing a safe environment for young children while enabling parents and caregivers to work or study. The hub also provides health services, including sexual and reproductive health information targeted mainly at adolescents and young people. The integrated approach aims to improve access to health information alongside education and life-skills programmes. ALSO READ: The roots of Imbuto Foundation lie within liberation struggle For recreation and sports talent development, the facility has basketball and volleyball courts, a mini-football pitch and martial arts grounds. The hub comprises more than 20 rooms dedicated to vocational training, digital learning, innovation and community programmes, allowing multiple activities to run simultaneously. According to Imbuto Foundation, the hub that opened three months ago currently engages around 200 children every day, serves 960 library users, has reached 875 people through health services, trained 117 young people in vocational skills and enrolled 1,402 children in daycare programmes. Imbuto Foundation is already expanding the model. Construction of similar hubs is underway in the districts of Rwamagana, Kicukiro, Gasabo and Muhanga. The centres are expected to open in the coming months. Speaking during the inauguration, Bugesera District Mayor Richard Mutabazi said the centre represents a major investment in the district's young people. He said the project was born out of a partnership that sought to address the needs of young people by replacing outdated facilities. This hub will help young people develop their talents, create employment opportunities through entrepreneurship and deliver many other social and economic benefits to our district, he said. Parents who have already enrolled their children said the facility has transformed their daily lives. Emmanuel Rwano, whose child attends programmes at the hub, said finding a safe and stimulating place for children had previously been a challenge in the community. Before the hub was established, it was difficult to find a safe place where children could learn, play and interact with others, he said. He explained that instead of spending most of their time watching television or using mobile phones, children now spend time in the library, participate in recreational activities and attend martial arts sessions. You can see that they are learning many new things, making friends and becoming happier. We needed this hub, and as a community we will protect it and ensure it continues to benefit future generations, he added. For 16-year-old Silivie Mujawamariya, the hub has given her a second chance after she dropped out of secondary school while in Senior Two. She had moved to Kigali hoping to find a job as a hairdresser, but her plans were disrupted after she got pregnant and struggled financially. When I heard about the Imbuto Hub, I applied and was selected. I have now been studying here for three months, and the training has changed my life, she said. Instead of spending my time idly, I am learning skills that will help me earn an income after graduation, support my family and improve my future. Beyond vocational skills, she said the hub also provides reliable information on mental, sexual and reproductive health, and other life skills that help young people make informed decisions.

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PHOTOS: First Lady inaugurates Imbuto Hub in Bugesera