Rwanda Establishes Dedicated Early Childhood Centre to Nurture Children of Former Combatants
Rwanda has taken significant step in supporting the reintegration of former combatants and their families by establishing a dedicated Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre at the Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre in Musanze District. The facility is designed to provide young children returning from conflict-affected environments with quality early learning, care and a strong foundation for a brighter future.
The Early Childhood Development Centre was officially inaugurated on Friday, July 3, 2026, through a partnership between the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), and Reach the Children.
Located within the Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre in Busogo Sector, the facility primarily serves children accompanying former members of armed groups operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the FDLR, who have voluntarily returned to Rwanda as part of the country’s reintegration programme.
The centre features two classrooms and a resting room and has the capacity to accommodate up to 70 children, offering them a safe and stimulating environment where they can learn, play and develop alongside their peers.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, RDRC Chairperson Valerie Nyirahabineza said the Mutobo Centre currently hosts 687 returnees, including 283 children who arrived with their parents after leaving armed groups in eastern DRC.
She noted that among those children, 82 are below the age of two, 76 are between three and five years old, 105 are aged between six and eleven, while 20 are between 12 and 17 years old.
Nyirahabineza emphasized that investing in children’s early years is critical to their long-term development and successful reintegration.
She also commended President H.E Paul Kagame for championing policies that give former combatants and their families an opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity.
The Director General of the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), Assumpta Ingabire, said Rwanda currently has approximately 32,000 Early Childhood Development centres serving more than one million children nationwide.
She explained that before the Mutobo ECD Centre was established, assessments showed that nearly 80 percent of the children living at the centre could not speak Kinyarwanda because they had been born and raised in the forests of eastern DRC.
The establishment of the new ECD Centre reflects Rwanda’s continued commitment to ensuring that children affected by conflict are given equal opportunities to grow, learn and thrive, while supporting the country’s broader efforts to promote reconciliation, social cohesion and sustainable reintegration.
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