From blaring horns to gentle giggles

At 6:30 AM sharp, 3-year-old twins – Shema - a boy, and Ganza - a girl, are woken up, freshened up, and dropped where they will happily spend their day. This is at the Daycare/Early Childhood Development Center (ECD) at Rwanda Interlink Transport Company Ltd (RITCO) Headquarters in Nyamirambo suburbs in Kigali city.

Meanwhile, at RITCO headquarters’ compound, a group composed mostly of men are purposefully walking towards the parked fleet of buses ready to leave to nearly 50 destinations country wide. Buses growl out of the yard like restless beasts, driven by men in khaki jacket uniforms.

Just before the heavy rumble of diesel engines filled the air as the buses came to life, an unusual scene unfolds inside the RITCO compound: men are seen carrying their children to the RITCO ECD centre. They gently usher their little ones inside the ECD centre. A room of bright colours greets them, with alphabet charts and drawings of cartoon characters and animals on the walls. The playroom is filled with toys, slides for children, and small wooden chairs.

The newly opened ECD centre is currently serving 11 children of RITCO employees, where they are receiving foundational knowledge and care they need to grow and thrive by combining health, nutrition, hygiene, early learning, protection, and family support.

Didace Muhirwa, father of Shema and Ganza, said that for the past couple of weeks, he has already started noticing positive behavior changes in his children.  He now feels at ease as he drives his bus, knowing his children are safe and being cared for at the ECD center. 

“Bringing my kids here at RITCO Daycare Centre has been tremendously beneficial to my family. Children here are safe and well taken care of, thanks to the ECD services they receive. My wife can now attend to different income generating activities throughout the day,” said Didace.

From access to healthcare, immunization, and good nutrition, to safe and stimulating spaces for learning and playing, parents describe ECD centers as safe havens where their children’s holistic needs are nurtured.

The ECD center also serves to improve parents’ knowledge and skills in positive parenting, empowering families to provide good nutrition, nurturing care and protection to their children, thus helping every child thrive and reach their full potential.

The transport sector is male dominated, not only in the country but globally, where over 90 per cent of drivers are male. RITCO management indicates that having an ECD center in the transport industry, where drivers are mostly male and spend long hours on the road make fatherhood feel like a part-time role, encourages these fathers to feel connected with their children and be in charge.

“We are invested in supporting our employees to enjoy a healthy work-life balance. This Daycare is helping our staff members – mostly men – get involved in child-care, through the daily ritual of drop-offs and pick-ups,” said Godfrey Nkusi, Chief Executive Officer, of RITCO.

According to Mr. Nkusi, introducing childcare services at the workplace has triggered a positive mindset shift amongst employees, as they now value spending more time with their children as opposed to earlier, when they would only think about work, all the time.

“Men are responsible for bringing and collecting their children. It fits into their routine of coming to work in the morning and leaving in the evening. This routine has strengthened the bond between the fathers and their children and has changed the fathers’ attitude towards parenthood.

. You can almost see it - a man who once only knew the sound of his bus horn, now learning the sound of his daughter’s giggle at 5 PM,” said Nkusi.

While some businesses might think that establishing an ECD is an expensive idea, this CEO thinks otherwise.

“Balancing workforce and social life boosts productivity. If they don’t secure the safety of their loved ones, one cannot secure their dedication towards their work,” he added.

RITCO management notes that in a male-dominated transport sector, having an ECD center in their premises is quietly reshaping what manhood looks like. Not through polished slogans or corporate decrees, but by encouraging men to “show up” for their children and become active fathers.

RITCO is so thankful to partners who walked with them in the journey by training daycare staff, advising, encouraging, and holding hands through the process. ECD center at RITCO was established via a joint effort between the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), and UNICEF Rwanda country office.

Rwanda envisions every child growing healthy, educated, protected, and nurtured from the earliest years, recognizing ECD services as the foundation for building strong human capital and achieving its Vision 2050 of becoming a high-income, knowledge-based nation.

Ms. Lieke van de Wiel, the UNICEF Representative in Rwanda, noted that investing in children through early childhood development facilities is an investment for the long run - building the foundation for a stronger human capital. 

“Having an ECD like this one, goes beyond just caring for children in the moment; it’s an investment that repays for life. Children will adapt better in school and in life, and it strengthens Rwanda’s human capital for the long run. May this serve as a learning model for the wider private sector,” she said.

Nevertheless, as the ECD centers provide safe and quality care for children, NCDA reminds parents that parenting cannot be left entirely to caregivers. Rather, ECD centers serve as an essential support system, complementing the vital role of parents in nurturing their children’s growth and future success.

Guided by the National ECD Policy and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), the country prioritizes expanding equitable access to holistic ECD services—health, nutrition, hygiene, protection, early learning and positive parenting—as a pathway to break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequalities. By investing in ECD under NST2, Rwanda seeks to uphold children’s rights while fostering a skilled, innovative, and inclusive society prepared for sustainable development.

And fathers across the country like Didace are proudly answering this clarion call for communities to act and play their role in nurturing Rwanda’s next generation.