A modern vocational training centre, worth Rwf 90 million, will soon be set up in Rwamagana, Eastern Province, courtesy of the former head of the Rwandan Muslim community, Sheikh Saleh Habimana. The facility, to be furnished with modern training equipment, will equip the youth with the skills needed to make them compete on the labour market. The centre, which will be able to graduate 120 students a year, is scheduled to open in December. "This is not a profit-oriented project. We want to help the youth who can’t afford tuition fees to acquire skills,” said Habimana, adding that the students will study for one year He informed The New Times that the construction of the vocational training centre will be funded by Sheikh Ahmed Von Denffer’s organisation, Muslimehelfen, based in Germany."My plan is to ensure that we follow up these students from the time they leave the centre. We will get them jobs, ensure they enrol in university and follow their performances thereafter,” Habimana said. When asked about the inspiration for the centre, Habimana, who resides in Rwamagana, said he was bothered by the number of youth in his neighbourhood who couldn’t make it to university and decided to find a way of helping them. "I used to meet youth who had finished high school but didn’t make it to the university and were jobless. I believe education is the key to development and that is why I decided to contact my friends to see how best we can help. With this initiative, we are contributing to development of the country, educating our children and decreasing unemployment. This is why we get a lot of support from local government authorities,” said Habimana. Currently, there is only one vocational training centre in Rwamagama. The Mayor of Rwamagana, Nehemie Uwimana, has promised to support the project. "This vocational facility is different from the usual ones we have because it will be offering advanced studies to the beneficiaries. There are students who fail to make it to the University and have to pay for themselves in private universities. This project will help them acquire skills to get jobs and pay tuition for themselves,” said the Mayor.