A look back at the stories that shaped 2023

As the year draws to a close, we look back at the stories that captured our attention in 2023. From innovative programs like Kepler Success to launching Kepler Volleyball Club, this year has been a mosaic of inspiring stories that connected with partners, institutions and the whole Keplerian community. Join us in revisiting the most influential stories that defined our perspective of the last 12 months.

In line with supporting the Kepler Community members to grow individually and professionally, in March 2023, Kepler launched the Kepler Success Week aiming at improving students and staff capacity in relation to the life skills that will help them in the communities they live in or serve, touching on subjects such as mental and physical health, financial literacy, environment protection as well as inviting students to go meet employers at their workplaces in different industries. It was a week-long activity in March for those who are in Kigali and on our Kiziba campus that happened in November 2023. As part of that program, we also created Creative Week, where we asked industry icons in the creative industry, from music to dance to photography, to come and teach our students, mentor their gifts so that they can be successful in the creative industries. And that ended with a talent show where students were able to express their creative gifts. Take a look!

Kepler Celebrates Graduation of 163

This October, a hundred sixty-three students graduated from our partnership with Southern New Hampshire University with bachelor’s degrees in Management, Healthcare management, and Communication. And at graduation, seventy percent were already working. As part of our partnership with Southern New Hampshire University, we have graduated nine hundred fifty-seven students to date. Ninety-four percent are employed, running a business, or pursuing further studies. Check out highlights.

Kepler Celebrates Alumni Excellence at the Alumni Impact Awards

In August 2023, we launched the Kepler Alumni Impact Awards to reward and highlight the work of some of our most impactful alumni, including Denyse Umuhuza, who was rewarded for her impact in the community. She runs Agati Library in northern Rwanda, which serves more than two thousand young children, as well as our alumni Alexis Simbayobewe, who is uplifting street children through education in his Sheer Love Rwanda initiative. The event, graced by Kepler founder and Board Chair, Oliver Sabot, who also had a panel discussion on community empowerment, underscored Kepler’s devotion to nurturing excellence and effecting positive change in the community. Read more

Kepler Marks World Refugee Day With Hope and Resilience

On World Refugee Day in June, we celebrated the resilience and accomplishments of our students from both our campuses in Kigali and the Kiziba refugee camp, highlighting their inspiring stories of hope and determination. The event, themed ‘Hope Away From Home’, featured a medley of student-led activities including music, dance, martial arts demonstration, and panel discussions, acknowledging the struggles faced by refugee learners and celebrating their progress. Over ninety-one percent of our students with a refugee status who graduated this year are currently employed. Students with refugee status who are able to get jobs are able to support and take their families out of the camp. Check out highlights

A closer look at Iteme: Kepler's bridge to success

Supported by the Mastercard Foundation, our Iteme program has been expanding to equip secondary school graduates and students in their last year with digital and English skills, boosting their confidence for applications to Kepler and other African higher education institutions. Serving refugee communities since 2015, including at our Kiziba Refugee Camp campus, the program prepares students for success at Kepler. So far, we’ve trained 1,300 students, many of whom are now part of this year’s graduating class at Kepler.

The Graduate Employment Program Trains 1500 this Year

To date, Kepler has trained 4,500 students, including 1,500 this year, through our Graduate Employment Program to extend our impact beyond Rwanda. This effort involves partnering with public technical colleges to enhance student skills and job market readiness, utilizing Kepler’s model. Specifically, the Graduate Employment Program is active with two public TVET colleges in Ethiopia at Addis Ababa Tegbare-id Polytechnic College and Entoto Polytechnic College, as well as Rwanda Polytechnic, the governing body for TVETs in Rwanda. Read more

Kepler launches Kepler Volleyball Club and a brand new gym

Last year we made a commitment to elevate the Kepler Basketball Club from Division 2 to Division 1 in Rwanda’s national basketball league — a goal we proudly achieved! And we didn’t stop there! We recently opened a brand new gym and introduced the Kepler Volleyball Club, which has already made an exciting debut in local and regional tournaments.

###