First Lady: Opportunities should not be limited by where a child is born

First Lady Jeannette Kagame said no child, wherever they live, should ever feel that opportunities are reserved for only a few because talent does not choose where someone is born. She said this as she inaugurated the first Imbuto Hub in Nyamata, Bugesera District, on Friday, July 24. The community centre is the first in a planned nationwide network of Imbuto Hubs that will provide integrated education, health, vocational training, digital skills and family support services for children, young people and families across the country. ALSO READ: First Lady inaugurates Imbuto Hub in Bugesera Speaking at the launch, the First Lady said the initiative is built on the belief that every individual has the potential to succeed when given the right opportunities, support and values. “We believe that every person is a seed. When we provide them with the right foundation, protection, health, values and opportunities, they can grow and transform not only their own lives, but also the lives of their families and their country,” she said. The First Lady said the launch of the Imbuto Hub marks a new chapter for the Imbuto Foundation after 25 years of investing in education, health and youth empowerment. She noted that the organisation is now bringing its programmes together in community-based centres that can support people throughout different stages of life. ALSO READ: Over 200 high school graduates participate in Imbuto Foundation camp “For the past 25 years, we have been planting seeds of knowledge, opportunity and hope. Some have already borne fruit, while others are still growing, because building a person does not happen in a single day,” she said. “Today, we are not only inaugurating a building; we are planting another seed, a new chapter that will bring us closer to communities, nurture the talents of young people and help build resilient and capable families.” Reflecting on Imbuto Foundation's journey, the First Lady said its greatest achievements are measured not by infrastructure but by the lives that have been transformed through education, mentorship and opportunities. ALSO READ: The roots of Imbuto Foundation lie within liberation struggle She recalled supporting girls to stay in school, promoting positive parenting through community dialogues and creating platforms where young people could showcase their talents, with many later becoming entrepreneurs. “Some young people have told us that what transformed their lives was not the capital they received, but the fact that someone recognised potential in them that they themselves had never seen,” she said. She said the Imbuto Hub was designed in response to the evolving needs of communities, recognising that children, young people and parents require more than isolated programmes. “We recognised that a child returning from school also needs good health. We recognised that young people need knowledge, values and a space where they can innovate. We recognised that families need information and opportunities for dialogue that strengthen parenting. The Imbuto Hub is therefore not simply a building; it is a community,” she said. The hub will provide integrated services ranging from education and digital skills training to health, sports, innovation and parenting support, accompanying beneficiaries from childhood through adulthood. The First Lady said Bugesera was chosen as the starting point because it reflects Rwanda's transformation and the optimism of its residents, while stressing that the long-term goal is to ensure opportunities are accessible to every child regardless of where they are born. Addressing young people, she urged them to make full use of the opportunities available to them. “You have opportunities that previous generations never had. But those opportunities will only make a difference if you use them wisely. Work hard, but also work with purpose and excellence,” she said. 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. The 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.

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First Lady: Opportunities should not be limited by where a child is born