CANAL Rwanda on October 17 awarded scholarships to five girls at Kepler designed to support their academic pursuit and athletic aspirations.
This initiative marks a step in CANAL Rwanda’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, particularly in empowering women through education and enhancing sports development in the country.
The event at Kepler’s campus in Kigali featured training sessions and the signing of a second Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canal and Kepler.
This follows the first MOU, which facilitated internship opportunities and practical experiences for students within the CANAL network. The latest agreement underscores CANAL ’s ongoing dedication to nurturing talent in the fields of education and sports, particularly among young women.
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According to the Managing Director of CANAL Rwanda, Sophie Tchatchoua, the decision to partner with Kepler University stemmed from its focus on women, sports, and education, which are key areas of CANAL ’s corporate social responsibility effort.
"For us, it really matches the three criteria: empowering women, developing sports, and strengthening education, we chose Kepler because it has a women’s basketball team, which will make it easy for us to follow up on these young women to see how they perform in both academics and sports,” she said.
Tchatchoua, emphasised that this partnership aligns with their goals of empowering women and developing sports in Rwanda.
Nathalie Munyampenda , the Chief Executive Officer of Kepler University, highlighted the significance of the recent partnership with Canal in promoting women’s sports and education, emphasising that financial investment in women’s athletics is crucial.
"We have merged education and sports, and we actively seek private sector partners to invest in women’s athletics. We are very happy to have Canal on board, and we are eager to find more partners to support our women’s basketball team,” she noted.
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Munyampenda also commended the young women who received scholarships, urging them to excel both academically and athletically.
"No one plays basketball for their whole life, so these girls must focus on their education as well,” she stressed, underscoring the importance of balancing sports with academic pursuits.
One of the scholarship recipients, Victoire Gasherebuka, a member of the 2024 cohort at Kepler, expressed her gratitude, adding that this kind of support encourages her.
"The scholarship means a lot to us as girls, and I am incredibly thankful for the support we’ve received. Being backed as a girl boosts our confidence in playing basketball and encourages us to learn more, especially in our education,” she said.