Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities can thrive — Izere Mubyeyi

By Elias Hakizimana.

Kigali, December 18, 2025 — Izere Mubyeyi Organization on Wednesday hosted its Inclusive Impact Exchange & Partnership Engagement Forum 2025, using the platform to highlight how children with intellectual and developmental disabilities can thrive when they are empowered, educated and supported within their families and communities.

Patience Irafasha, president of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Izere Mubyeyi Organization, told participants that disability should not be a reason for isolation.

She shared her personal journey as a child raised at Izere Mubyeyi, noting that she completed primary education and now represents children with intellectual and developmental disabilities at international competitions.

“I am a child with mental and physical disabilities, but I have studied, competed internationally and won trophies,” she said, referring to awards she has received in Rwanda and abroad, including a recent second-place finish in Abu Dhabi.

She urged parents and communities to believe in the abilities of children with disabilities and give them opportunities to learn and develop skills.

Parents echoed the call for inclusion. Innocent Twahirwa, president of the parents’ committee at Izere Mubyeyi School, said the establishment of the school has changed the lives of many families. He commended teachers for their dedication and said parents have witnessed significant progress in their children’s learning and social development.

The Executive Secretary of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities, Emmanuel Ndayisaba, praised Izere Mubyeyi’s leadership and long-term commitment to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Recalling his first visit to the organization in 2007, he noted that it started with limited resources in a church space before growing into a structured institution implementing the government’s inclusive education policy.

He pledged continued collaboration with the organization, encouraging it to build resilience as it expands services while awaiting additional support from partners.

During the forum, Izere Mubyeyi’s leadership presented the organization’s five-year strategic plan, which focuses on expanding special and inclusive education, strengthening health, rehabilitation and psychosocial services, and promoting economic empowerment among families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The plan also prioritizes evidence-based advocacy and organizational sustainability, with a target of increasing enrolment of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities by at least 50 percent by 2030.

Agnes Mukashyaka, a founder member of Izere Mubyeyi Organization, said the initiative was born out of personal experience.

As a parent of a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she said she and other parents established the organization in 2004 after realizing that their children lacked access to education and basic services.

She welcomed ongoing government efforts to promote inclusive education and mindset change, while noting that some parents still hold negative perceptions about disability.

Established in 2004, Izere Mubyeyi Organization opened its first class for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 2006 and launched a nursery school in 2021.

It currently supports 198 children, including 68 children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with the aim of ensuring they enjoy the same rights to health, education and development as other children.

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