Kepler celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Kigali Serena Hotel on November 1, bringing together the board, staff, students, alumni, partners, and friends to honour two decades of impactful education and community-building. The event, themed A Journey of Self-Discovery, Growth, and Pathways to Gainful Employment, recognised the contributions of early beneficiaries of the Orphans of Rwanda programme and celebrated the many alumni from Generation Rwanda and Kepler. Attendees reflected on the past 20 years, showcasing a documentary following the lives of six alumni, and expressed gratitude to the champions of the college as they looked ahead to the next decade. Since its launch in 2004 as Orphans of Rwanda and evolving into Generation Rwanda in 2008, Kepler has been dedicated to supporting talented yet economically vulnerable Rwandan students in their pursuit of higher education. In the past 20 years, Kepler has made notable advancements, including establishing a campus in the Kiziba Refugee Camp and securing accreditation for Kepler College in 2022. They’ve expanded their Upskilling Program into Ethiopia and launched the Iteme (Bridge) Program in Uganda. This year, they have 146 new graduates—79 women and 67 men—marking an increase in our overall student body and graduation rates. The first cohort of Kepler College students will graduate in 2025, underscoring our ongoing efforts to provide education in challenging environments. Through innovative programmes and partnerships, Kepler has empowered its students to overcome obstacles and access quality educational opportunities, equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in a competitive job market. ALSO READ: Kepler honours 146 graduates from diverse backgrounds During the 20th anniversary celebration of Kepler, President of Southern New Hampshire University, Lisa Marsh Ryerson, addressed the future of the institution, emphasising her belief in the power of youth over technology and asserting that this kind of work is needed on the African continent. She spoke about the overwhelming nature of global challenges, particularly as they relate to young people in Africa, while commending all the work that Kepler is doing. “Ultimately, I think it's the investment in young people to be creative and adaptable and have a sense of responsibility for these massive problems that are going to see us through, and as we celebrate the 20 years, I believe there are many more years ahead in our collective work,” she stated. Oliver Sabot, Chairperson of the Kepler Board, reflected on time, noting how quickly the years can go by, and underlining the importance of recognising that life is not solely about individual achievement. “One of my teachers teaches about five core truths that we all need to learn about being human. One of those is that this life is not about you; looking back at the idea that was to help orphan children have access to education turned out to be incredible,” he said. He also added, “Just because it is something innovative does not mean it needs to start in America, Europe, or anywhere else. And that is what the Kepler journey has been about.” Sabot encouraged everyone to envision the next 10 years and the impact they can have on shaping the future of Rwanda and Africa as a whole. ALSO READ: Ex-Namibia First Lady appointed Chancellor at Kepler College Nathalie Munyampenda, CEO of Kepler, highlighted Kepler’s significant journey over the years, underscoring her desire to expand the numbers of students served and to develop a green campus in the next 10 years. She highlighted the importance of continuing to support vulnerable students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, by providing access to high-quality education through both partnerships and Kepler’s own degree programmes in project management and business analytics. “We’ve served over 10,000 young Africans in Rwanda, Ethiopia, and now Uganda, and we want to teach them how to do lifelong learning. 20 years is a milestone, and it's time to push and do more to support young Rwandans,” she noted. Munyampenda mentioned plans to enhance entrepreneurship initiatives and support private companies in improving soft skills among students, highlighting the ambition to develop a high-performance sports centre, indicating that Kepler aims to foster excellence in athletics alongside academics. “Kepler is a testament to what can be done with little means with great impact, and we want to continue to do that,” she added. One of the alumni, Denise Umuhuza, expressed her gratitude to the founders and fellow alumni, emphasising Kepler’s unique, student-centred learning environment, and crediting all she became to Kepler. “It was all student-centred. We were the ones really at the centre of the discussions, looking at us and what we have become, we are out here thriving. We are in every institution, and thanks to Kepler, I am really, really confident that Keplerians will be ready because we've proved time and time again that we can learn anything and do anything, she said.
