Rwamagana District and Better World, a South Korea-based organisation, have inaugurated a new early childhood development centre at Nkomangwa cell, Munyiginya sector.

Speaking at the ceremony last week, Better World’s chief executive Kim Kwang Dong, said the centre was funded by young Korean children from "Only Church” who gave in $25,000.

"The other contribution came from a private Korean foundation who donated a huge amount of money,” he added.

Better World has worked with Rwamagana district for the area’s development since 2013 by beginning a demonstration farm, teaching people income-generating initiatives, building a health post, as well as constructing water sources.

"We will improve their housing, sanitation and much more so that this village becomes better and a model village of this country,” he said.

Olive Bagwaneza, a resident and parent of a three-year-old child studying at the Centre, said they are pleased to have such a facility in their community.

"We thank these government partners because our children could only start studying when they were seven years of age without having early childhood development background,” she said. The Centre admits children aged between 3 and 6.

"My child is now smarter, she can speak some other languages and is more disciplined too,” she noted.

Clarisse Dusengimana, a teacher at the ECD centre, said more centres are needed for a greater impact.

As a resident, parent, and teacher at the school, Dusengimana said Nkomagwa cell alone has more children than they could take because now the centre has the capacity to take in 90 students.

"Now what is needed is not building new ECD centres, but expanding the available ones to cater for more children,” she said.

Theoneste Niyonzima, an official from the Ministry of Gender and family Promotion, said only 17 per cent of children between 3-6 years have access to ECD centres countrywide.

Niyonzima said the government is committed to increasing the number of centers to cover more children under the National Early Childhood Care and Development Programme.

Currently, Rwamagana District has 20 ECD centres.