How Health Posts are transforming lives in rural Rwanda
Emerita Dusabeyezu reflects with poignancy as she recounts life before a health post was set up in her rural village of Muyange, located in Ngenda cell, Nyarugenge sector, Bugesera district.
The 45-year-old resident recalls the long, exhausting journeys to Nyarugenge Health Centre—several kilometres away—whenever her children fell sick or when she was expecting.
The trek was an arduous journey that took hours through steep hills. During pregnancy, the fear of giving birth by the roadside was constant. Her voice softens as she recalls these struggles, her eyes momentarily clouding with the weight of those memories.
But then she smiles—a smile carrying relief and renewed hope—following the establishment of a health post by Society for Family Health (SFH), in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Her relationship with the health facility is one she hopes will benefit future generations.
For her, the change is deeply personal, a daily reassurance that healthcare is no longer distant but close and reliable.
Her story mirrors those of thousands of families in her community. For years, they faced the similar hardships: walking nearly three hours to the nearest medical facility often meant many arrived too weak for treatment—and some never made it.
That sad chapter closed six months ago, in February 2025, when Ngenda Health Post opened its doors. More than just a building, it has become a symbol of dignity—proof that health services can be close, reliable, and respectful of people’s lives.
For Innocent Rwagatore, the Ngenda village leader, the health post is nothing short of lifesaving.
His words echo the sentiment of many: the health post has given the community not only access to care but also peace of mind.
Beyond emergency care, the health post offers services once unimaginable in the area: dental and optical care, newborn care, and even employment for local communities.
On its very first evening, Emerita delivered her sixth child—a girl—at the facility, a powerful sign of renewed confidence in local health services.
Inside the facility, the impact is just as evident. Nurse Marie Louise Uwimana, who runs the health post, receives up to 30 patients daily from Ngenda and neighboring villages.
Inside the Ngenda Health Post, Nurse Marie Louise Uwimana moves seamlessly between patients — from prenatal check-ups to dental procedures and deliveries. Her facility is one of 316 health posts now operating across Rwanda, serving more than five million people.
With additional training in maternity care, child health, infection prevention, and leadership, Marie Louise is building not only healthier families but also a stronger local health workforce. Her firm voice and calm presence embody the dedication behind the facility’s success.
Ngenda Health Post is part of a broader effort to bring healthcare closer to communities. According to SFH Rwanda
316
second-generation health posts have already been established
5M
serving more than 5 million Rwandans
1000 HP
with a goal of reaching 1,000healthposts nationwide.
With additional training in maternity care, child health, infection prevention, and leadership, Marie Louise is building not only healthier families but also a stronger local health workforce. Her firm voice and calm presence embody the dedication behind the facility’s success.
Ngenda Health Post is part of a broader effort to bring healthcare closer to communities. According to SFH Rwanda
This approach, he adds, ensures that health posts are not only sustainable but also engines of innovation—proving that dignity in healthcare can go hand in hand with economic resilience.
Looking ahead, plans are underway to expand both the number and capacity of health posts, ensuring more communities can access the dignity of care without the burden of distance.
As Innocent, the community leader, concludes with a smile:
“The health post has really been beneficial to everyone, especially mothers and children. We could not be happier.”