From Learner to Leader: My 1MT Journey in Rwanda
When 1 Million Teachers (1MT) signed its Memorandum of Understanding with the Rwandan Ministry of Education on June 20, 2019, it marked the beginning of a transformative chapter—not only for Rwanda's education system, but for me personally.
I joined 1MT the same year. At the time, the platform was still growing; not all courses were available, and there were long pauses between completing one belt and the release of the next. Despite the wait, I was hooked. The gamified learning structure was unlike anything I had experienced—engaging, well-designed, and deeply relevant. I couldn’t wait to learn more.
I remember sending an email in November 2020 that reflected my frustration and hope:
“I followed lessons on this platform for a quite long time and I am a purple belt so far. Since then, the program stopped, and I waited and waited but in vain… Have we stopped studying? What can we do as people who were interested in it to get access again?”
At one point, all the other teachers in my circle had dropped out. I remained the only active learner—without a mentor, without a coordinator. But I didn’t give up. The curiosity for the next belt and my growing passion for teaching kept me going. I began to understand the deeper issues my students were facing in the classroom—and how to address them.
Eventually, I completed all the belts available. But that wasn’t enough. I requested to enroll more teachers because I couldn’t keep quiet. I believed every teacher deserved the chance to experience what I had—because what we studied in traditional teacher colleges wasn’t enough. Our classrooms are rapidly evolving, and the tools of the past can’t always solve the problems of today.
“The education my father received in the 1940s is not what my son needs in 2025—with the rise of computers, social media, and artificial intelligence.”
In 2022, I welcomed the arrival of another Black Belt teacher, Mr. Callixte Kalisa. Soon after, Mr. Kuro John Ngoboh—author of several 1MT modules—visited Kigali and re-energized the movement. His presence lit a fire. In March 2023, we celebrated the graduation of our first cohort of 53 Black Belts.
Since then, we’ve graduated four cohorts and reached nearly 2,000 Black Belts across Rwanda, with participation from institutions like Anchol School, G.S NYUMBA, and universities nationwide.
Thanks to 1MT, I’ve gained knowledge, practical skills, and an incredible professional network. I’m now part of the 1MT Mastermind, a leadership platform that shaped me into the kind of leader the 21st century demands. I’ve learned that willmatters more than title.
1MT also connected me with TeachUNITED, where I trained as an Instructional Coach, and with HP MAT, which I joined in its second cohort and proudly ranked among the top 10 mentors in the fifth.
Today, I am a Third Dan Black Belt, a Country Coordinator for Rwanda, and—most importantly—an educator with the heart of a teacher.
In a nutshell: Everyone has a story worth sharing. Yours might just transform someone else.
We're aiming for 1 million Black Belts by 2030—and we’re already at 100,000. Together, we can transform education across Africa and build the future we all want.
Join us. Be part of the change.
www.1millionteachers.com
By Ernest Nsekanabanga, Country Coordinator – Rwanda
