Author: Léon

The Capital Market University Challenge is a competition designed to familiarize students from universities and higher learning institutions with the capital market business. It aims to cultivate a culture of saving and investment among participants, preparing them to become future investors and professionals in the industry.

Among the standout winners of the 2024 competition were Jean Pierre Nshimiyimana, Esther Ashimwe, Vainqueur Irasubiza, Alphonse Majyambere, and Joel Rwambibi.

The Capital Market University Challenge encourages students to embrace the culture of saving and investment that ensures sustainability. Participants are urged to explore opportunities in capital market products such as shares and bonds, as well as to consider collective investment through savings and investment clubs.

“This award serves as motivation for students like myself still in university to begin thinking about investments and job creation through savings,” said Jean Pierre Nshimiyimana, the overall winner and a student at the University of Kigali. He plans to initiate an ICT-related project with the award he received.

Esther Ashimwe, a student from the University of Rwanda and second-place winner, urged more female participation in future editions of the Capital Market University Challenge. “This competition boosts the confidence of girls, and increased female participation will lead to greater investment in the capital market,” she asserted.

Thapelo Tsheole, CEO of the Capital Market Authority, highlighted the scale of participation in the 2024 Challenge, with 760 students from 37 universities across Rwanda taking part. He emphasized the programme’s role in nurturing future investors and professionals to the growth and sustainability of Rwanda’s capital market industry.

“As Rwanda strives for self-reliance through mobilizing domestic resources for socio-economic development, active engagement in the capital market becomes increasingly vital,” Tsheole stated. He underscored the importance of investing in educational initiatives targeting students, young professionals, and potential investors.

Pierre Celestin Rwabukumba, CEO of the Rwanda Stock Exchange, emphasized the benefits of investing in the stock market, describing it as a form of saving that yields annual returns and appreciates in value over time.

Mr. Tsheole thanked partners such as the Bank of Kigali, BK Capital, and the Rwanda Stock Exchange for their commitment to organizing yet another successful edition of the Capital Market University Challenge.

The third lesson we have learned in the last nine years is that our successes should be shared in order to multiply impact. While the lessons we’ve shared thus far focus on supporting refugee youth to succeed in higher education and transition to the world of work, the barriers to even accessing higher education are tremendous. Today, only 6% of young refugees have access to higher education, while the global average is 42% for youth not facing forced displacement. In most refugee hosting countries, language, cost, inconsistent or unavailable information on academic and scholarship programs, lack of support during the application process, and movement restrictions constrain the number of qualified young refugees who are able to participate in higher education opportunities.

Kepler addressed access to our higher education programs for refugees through the creation of a preparatory program for high school students and recent graduates. Its early success pushed us in 2018 to create Iteme, bridge in Kinyarwanda, that provides digital and soft skills, advocacy and access to information, and individualized advising for youth to access any available tertiary or career opportunity. We recently added examination preparation to our program so our trainees can do well in national exams, a perquisite for entering higher education in the countries we operate in. There was a clear gap in services for many refugee youth at this pivotal transition, and Kepler saw an opportunity to use its expertise in support of the broader ecosystem.

We wanted to do more and joined forces with a partner who had a clear vision to support displaced youth. In 2021, Kepler and the Mastercard Foundation partnered to expand the Iteme preparation program across Rwanda into Ethiopia and a third country soon to thousands of young refugees. We have served 1,364 students to date, 56% of whom are young women, and Iteme graduates have secured almost 600 scholarships to tertiary institutions. Our 2023 cohorts have already reached a 75% success rate in accessing tertiary education or employment opportunities. This is more than 12X the global average. Iteme graduates have gone on to study at numerous institutions beyond Kepler College, including Ashesi University, University of Rwanda, African Leadership University, and United States International University.

Iteme was created to be low-cost and scalable while also providing guidance and support at the level of the individual. Kepler’s team recognized the complexities involved with everything from accessing and understanding online scholarship applications to applying for travel documents and we designed the program to allow for this level of intensive support. Program staff also support tertiary education partners to understand the complexities refugees face and what creative accommodations can be put in place.

The Iteme staff are recent bachelor’s degree graduates from the communities we serve who complete a paid fellowship or internship, both of which allow them to gain relevant professional experience and build their resume. Kepler has found that the key to the Iteme experience is empowering refugee youth to give back to their communities while providing a living wage. The staff share common experiences with our students, understand their lived realities, and serve as role models.

As we look to the future, our reflections on the past ten years serve as a guide for expanding access to higher education and employment for refugees, ensuring that more young people in vulnerable situations have the opportunity to achieve their potential and contribute to their communities. We are always happy to share our experience in order to multiply the opportunities and impact for the forcibly displaced. This is true solidarity.

{{Editorial note: Nathalie Munyampenda is the Chief Executive Officer at Kepler}}

When Kepler, in collaboration with SNHU’s Global Education Movement, and with the support of the IKEA Foundation, opened a campus in the Kiziba refugee camp in Western Rwanda, we had a decade of experience supporting Rwandans from vulnerable backgrounds to access higher education and succeed in the job market. The fundamental question we faced was how to translate a proven model for high-quality education to employment into a low-resourced, isolated, and protracted refugee camp setting. Spoiler alert: We succeeded! Our Kiziba campus has served over 393 students to date, with 91% of 159 bachelor degree graduates employed, resettled or doing graduate studies.

Kepler’s program in the Kiziba refugee camp mirrors what we offer on our campus in Kigali. So far we have also served 225 refugees on our Kepler campus in Kigali, with 78 already graduated. Admitted students participate in a foundation program, which equips them with the English, technology, and executive thinking skills necessary to succeed in the online bachelor’s degree program from SNHU or degrees from our very own Kepler College. Academic advisors regularly meet with students to further support their skills development through Kepler-created or curated modules. From day one, we focus on career readiness, modeling our classrooms after the world of work and providing explicit soft skills training.

The secret sauce is balancing high expectations with flexibility. A core element of the Kepler model is instilling professional competencies early and maintaining high standards for their consistent demonstration. This begins with basic expectations, such as punctuality and timely communication for lateness or absences, including a plan for catching up on missed learning. Assignments must be submitted on time, and students revise their work until they achieve mastery, reflecting the skills expected by employers.

However, working within the realities of daily life of refugees also requires significant flexibility. Our students face food insecurity, limited access to quality healthcare, and an ever-changing resettlement system while often bearing significant responsibilities at home. Our approach balances these realities with our goal of preparing students for professional success beyond the camp. We set a serious tone early on to shift students’ mindsets, emphasizing commitment through attendance and assignment completion in the first six weeks. We have clear non-negotiables to create a culture of high academic and professional expectations. Once students pass this initial phase, we provide more flexibility, including a mostly self-paced curriculum that facilitates leaves of absence for maternity, illness, or resettlement processes. At the same time, Kepler offers robust academic and mental health support, including weekly advising sessions, access to a full-time counselor, and specialized guidance for students at risk of dropping out.

Alumna Divine Nyiraburanga’s journey illustrates Kepler’s balance between high expectations and flexibility. Married with a child and working as a volunteer teacher, she faced challenges with English and limited time for studies. Academic advisors worked closely with her, providing additional tutoring and guidance for managing her work load. When Divine’s second child arrived, she took a three-month maternity leave during which Kepler staff visited her to keep her connected with the community and provided resources to practice English. They helped her manage challenges, like arranging financial assistance for someone to bring her baby to campus for breastfeeding and making the decision to leave teaching to focus full time on her studies. The Careers team later secured a remote internship in Communications for her, allowing her to stay in the camp and care for her children. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, Divine started a business importing traditional fabrics, which enabled her to move outside the camp and have the flexibility she wanted to focus on her family.

Yesterday, I shared more on the lessons we have learned supporting refugees to transition to employment. https://en.igihe.com/education/article/reflections-from-a-decade-of-expanding-higher-education-for-refugees

{{Editorial note: Nathalie Munyampenda is the Chief Executive Officer at Kepler}}