BUGESERA, Rwanda — First Lady Mrs. Jeannette Kagame on Friday launched the first Imbuto Hub, a modern community center that brings education, childcare, health services, sports, digital learning, and vocational training together under one roof.
The facility, located in Nyamata, Bugesera District, is the flagship of the Imbuto Foundation’s new strategy as it marks its 25th anniversary. The foundation plans to establish 30 such hubs across Rwanda. A second hub also opened on Friday in Kimisagara, Kigali.
A New Chapter for Community Development.
The hubs represent a shift from running individual programs to creating permanent community spaces where children, young people, and families can access essential services close to home.
The Bugesera facility has 20 multi-purpose rooms designed to host multiple activities simultaneously. It offers an early childhood development center and daycare, a library, ICT and digital learning facilities, vocational training, health and wellness counseling, sports and recreation, innovation spaces, and entrepreneurship support.
Young people can train in tailoring, hairdressing, beauty services, and other practical trades. The center also includes a gym, spaces for karate, football, basketball, and handball, as well as areas for traditional Rwandan dance.
Although it mainly targets young people, the hub also serves older residents, who use the facility in the evenings for age-appropriate fitness sessions aimed at improving their health and reducing isolation.
“Imbuto Hub is not just walls. It is a home.”
Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Kagame said the hub should be viewed as more than a building.
“Imbuto Hub is not just walls. It is a home,” she said.
She said the foundation had learned that young people need more than education alone.
“We saw that youth need knowledge, but they also need guidance, values, and a space for innovation. We also saw that families need information and conversations that help them raise children well,” she added.
The First Lady said the centers are designed to support beneficiaries throughout every stage of life.
“It is a home that brings all these services together and accompanies a person from childhood through youth until they become parents themselves,” she noted.
“Talent Does Not Choose Where You Are Born.”
Mrs. Kagame said the long-term vision is to ensure that every child enjoys equal opportunities regardless of where they are born.
“Our dream is that one day every child, wherever they are born, will no longer feel that opportunities belong only to some. Talent does not choose where you are born,” she said.
Addressing young people directly, she said the hubs would provide knowledge on health and well-being while helping them develop their talents and practical skills.
“Above all, we want you to leave here believing that you can achieve your goals, that you are capable, and that you have an important role in building a better future,” Mrs Kagame said.
Early Impact and Community Response.
The center has already been operating for about three months. During that period, it has attracted about 200 young people each day.
More than 960 people have used its library, 875 have received health and wellness counseling, 117 regularly attend fitness sessions, and 1,402 children have benefited from the daycare services.
Among the early beneficiaries is Sylvie Mujyawamariya, who left school and has spent the past three months studying beauty therapy at the hub.
“The skills I am learning are already changing my life,” she said. “The little money I earn is helping me meet my daily needs, and I believe that when I complete the training, I will earn enough to support both my family and myself.”
Sports Minister Nelly Mukazayire welcomed the initiative, saying the hubs will strengthen sports, innovation, and skills development in communities across the country.
A Strategic Location
Bugesera was chosen as the starting point because it reflects Rwanda’s transformation and the optimism of its residents. According to the First Lady, “We chose Bugesera to begin because it is an image of a new Rwanda, new in infrastructure and new in the hope of those who live there.”
The selection is also historically symbolic. Before Rwanda’s liberation, Bugesera was long considered a place for the country’s outcasts, where many were sent to die of hunger or sleeping sickness or were devoured by wild animals. Today, it stands as a testament to the nation’s remarkable transformation.
Expanding the Network
Construction of similar hubs is already underway in the districts of Rwamagana, Kicukiro, Gasabo, and Muhanga, with the centers expected to open in the coming months. The Imbuto Foundation’s goal is to establish 30 such hubs across Rwanda, ensuring that every community can benefit from this integrated approach to youth and family development.
Earth Focus Network Celebrates This Milestone
At Earth Focus Network, we believe that environmental and social change is not a solo journey—it’s a collective movement. The Imbuto Hub initiative embodies this spirit, bringing together education, health, skills development, and community support under one roof.
We are inspired by the First Lady’s vision that “every child, wherever they are born, will no longer feel that opportunities belong only to some.” This aligns with our mission to connect changemakers, innovators, and organizations working to build a sustainable and equitable future.
Connect With Us
As we continue to follow Rwanda’s incredible journey of transformation, we invite you to join our community of changemakers.
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