The WOC campus, designed by New York City-based architectural firm Sharon Davis Design, is on the way from Kigali to Akagera National Park, connecting Tanzania to Rwanda and to neighboring Burundi and the DRC.
The centre has been developed in association with Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The design element of the WOC includes increased environmental sustainability, including solar power generation, rainwater collection, biogas fuel for cooking, and composting toilets.
In addition, the facility has used 500,000 clay bricks, each of which was handmade by women in the region who will benefit from the WOC.
The WOC will support women’s economic and social development in the region through training, employment, and business opportunities.
It will provide training for participants of WfWI’s programme and support services for graduates.
The centre has rent space for training sessions to partner organisations , market and retail space for local small businesses, storage and workspace for lease, event space, demonstration farm, and lodging and restaurant services for tourists.
It will feature an on-site restaurant to prepare nutritious meals for trainees and visitors.
The inauguration of the WOC is dedicated to Aloisea Inyumba, the former Rwandan Minister of Gender and Family Protection, who was a member of the Advisory Board of WfWI before her passing away in 2012.
