The Government of Rwanda has inaugurated the Mutobo Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre, a new facility designed to provide quality care and early learning services to children of former combatants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) undergoing rehabilitation services at the Mutobo Demobilisation Centre.

The centre was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Consolee Uwimana, alongside the Director General of the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), Ingabire Assumpta, the Governor of the Northern Province, Maurice Mugabowagahunde, the Chairperson of the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), Valérie Nyirahabineza, and other senior officials.

Established through a partnership between the RDRC, NCDA and Reach the Children Rwanda, the centre offers a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where children can learn, play, and receive the care and protection they need while their families prepare for reintegration into their communities.

Speaking during the inauguration, Minister Uwimana emphasized that investing in early childhood development is an investment in the nation's future.

"Early Childhood Development is one of the greatest investments we can make in our children's future. As parents, your love, care, protection, and guidance remain essential in helping your children grow and thrive. I encourage you to continue nurturing and supporting your children even after returning to your communities, so that they can continue benefiting from a safe, caring, and supportive environment."

The Director General of NCDA, Ingabire Assumpta, said the new ECD centre reflects the Government's commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind, regardless of their circumstances. She noted that every child deserves the opportunity to grow, learn, and reach their full potential.

For many families returning from armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the centre represents a new beginning. 

Jean Claude Turatsinze, a former FDLR corporal who recently returned to Rwanda with his family, said the facility addresses one of the greatest concerns he had for his children.

"When we lived in the forests, our children grew up without the opportunities every child deserves. Today, I have seen my child welcomed into a place where they can learn, play, and receive proper care. This centre gives us hope that our children will have a future very different from the past we left behind. I sincerely thank the Government of Rwanda for thinking about our children."

Today, Mutobo hosts 687 repatriated former FDLR linked individuals, among whom are 283 children who returned with their parents. Of these, 82 are aged between zero and two years, 76 are between three and five, 105 are between six and eleven, while 20 are adolescents aged between twelve and seventeen.