The first Lady Jeanette Kagame has said motherhood and leadership are interlinked ingredients that have been instrumental in her advocacy and support for children under Imbuto Foundation, a charity organisation she champions.
Mrs. Kagame made the remarks May 14 in Washington DC, at a first-ever fundraising gala organized by Friends of Imbuto, a US-based partner for Imbuto Foundation.
“I have come to appreciate that being a mother and leading a foundation are closely connected. Both jobs require nurturing, love, resourcefulness and a sense of hope for what the future holds,”Mrs. Kagame said.
Friends of Imbuto was established in 2014 by US citizens aiming to support Imbuto Foundation.
Rwanda’s First lady in Washington DC
Imbuto Foundation aims at empowering girls through supporting their education in a country where a woman was previously restricted to a household.
Mrs. Kagame highlighted that she was visiting Washington not as a First Lady “but as a mother and advocate for Imbuto Foundation.”
“We started Imbuto Foundation to contribute to a new surge of optimism and opportunity in Rwanda,” She said.
Maureen Ruettgers, President of Friends of Imbuto, said the First Lady’s foundation gives equal opportunity to Rwandan youth to thrive.
Meanwhile, Imbuto Foundation is training over 126 mentors on communication skills and skills, under the foundation’s project 12+ which helps children between 10-12 years old.
Last week Imbuto Foundation received more funding from China to support girl education. Since 2003, at least 108 girls are accorded scholarships worth $32,400 each year, as the Foundation’s support.
Imbuto has taken Rwandan girls at an excellent level, through rewarding good performers in schools every year. The foundation also sponsors girls’ education and supports different platforms to help girls get carrier guidance.
