Flagship Programme, Since 2022
Safe, nurturing care for 247+ children in Kirehe District, while their mothers build businesses and economic independence.
Itetero — meaning "foundation" in Kinyarwanda — is Refugee Horizons' flagship Early Childhood Development centre, operating in Kirehe District since 2022. It was built on a straightforward insight: in displacement contexts, the absence of quality childcare is not just a child welfare problem. It is an economic problem, a gender equality problem and a community development problem.
When a mother has nowhere safe to leave her child, she cannot work. When she cannot work, her family cannot afford school fees for older children. The cycle compounds. Itetero interrupts it at the earliest point.
The pilot phase was completed in 2023. Our current priority is expansion — including into host communities — and long-term sustainability through a scholarship model that ensures the most vulnerable households are never excluded by cost.
Itetero Daycare — Kirehe District
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Parents contribute a small fee — this community contribution model builds ownership and sustainability. Donor and partner support funds scholarships for the most vulnerable households, ensuring that cost is never the reason a child misses out.
Scholarships cover: enrolment fees, learning materials, daily meals and transport support where needed.
Sponsor a ScholarshipWhen children are safe and cared for, their mothers can work. These figures are documented results from our pilot phase — not targets, not projections.
"When my child is safe and learning, I can focus on my business. Before Itetero, I was always worried. Now I can work, and I can see my business growing."
The pilot phase demonstrated that the model works. The next phase is about scale and sustainability.
Host-community families in Kirehe District currently have no equivalent daycare provision. Itetero's expansion will serve both refugee and host-community children in integrated settings.
Scaling the scholarship model to ensure that no child is excluded by cost — with a target of full scholarship coverage for the most vulnerable 30% of enrolled children.
Investing in the professional development of our early childhood educators — because the quality of care depends on the quality of the people providing it.
A scholarship covers one child's enrolment, learning materials, daily meals and transport support for a full year. Your contribution ensures that cost is never the reason a child misses out.