Bugarama Mining Company has unveiled a Rwf20 million early childhood development (ECD) centre thanks to the support from Unicef.

Located in the Kagogo Sector, the facility is currently catering for 34 children.

"The idea of building this centre came up when we saw that some women would go to the mine with their kids, and the kids played in the dust," Janvier Ndabananiye, Director of Operations at Bugarama Mining Company.

"We started with a small house, which could accommodate five or six children. Now, with the support from the Unicef, we have a centre that can host 60 children," he said.

Ndabananiye said they're working with local authorities to get more children from the sector to join the centre.

Bugarama mine workers said the ECD centre has already begun to bear fruits for their children.

"Before the ECD, we were not able to do our job properly because we came with the kids or we would leave them at home with other children who should go to school," Ruth Uwiringiyimana, a mine worker.

According to UNICEF Rwanda, ECD facilities at workplaces could boost efforts to tackle issues affecting children in Rwanda.

"The biggest advantage of having this ECD centre is that it benefits everyone; it's not just the children or their patents," Rajat Madhok, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships at the Unicef Rwanda, said.

He said ECD centres help to tackle the problem of malnutrition and foster children's health. 

Andre Mutsindashyaka, the Secretary General of Rwanda Extractive Workers Union, encouraged other mining companies to consider setting up ECD centres at their mining sites.

"There are 3,000 mines in Rwanda and we call upon all miners to establish ECDs. These will benefit not just the families of mining workers, they will also serve the communities around the mining sites," Mutsindashyaka said.