Japan and Society for Family Health Rwanda (SFH) have signed a funding agreement for the construction of more second-generation health posts.

Under the agreement signed nearly a fortnight ago, Japan will provide $75,401 to SFH for the construction, purchase of furniture and medical equipment. The project is expected to benefit around 26,000 people in and around Ruhinga cell, Nyabimata Sector, Nyaruguru District.

 The grant was provided under the framework of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP)—designed for local and international nongovernmental organisations, educational and health institutions as well as local authorities for their community-based development projects.

According to, Yukako Ochi, Chargé d’Affairs ad interim of the Embassy of Japan in Rwanda, with more than 20 years of history in Rwanda, GGP has helped the country to respond to its development needs.

"Health is one of the prioritised issues for us to work with the Rwandan government and also with the people since it has a direct influence on their wellbeing and welfare,” she said. "Japan will continue its efforts to support and work with people at the grassroots level in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda as well as NGOs in Rwanda.”

Yukako Ochi, Chargé d’Affairs ad interim of the Embassy of Japan in Rwanda, and Manasseh Gihana Wandera, the Executive Director of SFH, Janvier Gashema, the Acting Mayor of Nyaruguru District

Ruhinga Cell has a population of 4,331 people that have limited access to health services. The nearest health facility, Nyabimata Health Centre, is 8.191 km away.

Manasseh Gihana Wandera, the Executive Director of Society for Family Health Rwanda (SFH) that after the completion of the new health post, people, especially pregnant women, who walk for two hours to access maternal care will just walk for around 30 minutes.

In addition to the calculated distances, Nyaruguru and Nyabimata sectors are dominated by hills making it more difficult for community members to travel to the health centre.

Other transportation alternatives do exist, but they are very expensive. For instance, a taxi-moto from Ruhinga village of Ruhinga cell to Nyabimata health centre costs Rwf5,000.

The construction of Ruhinga Second Generation Health Post will take four months and it is expected that it will provide special services such as maternity, laboratory services, dental and ophthalmology.

According to Gihana, with the new health post, SFH expects a significant improvement in sanitation and hygiene indicators in Nyaruguru District where they also intend to carry out sensitisation campaigns on health services.

Janvier Gashema, the Acting Mayor of Nyaruguru District said that Ruhinga Cell didn’t have any health post, adding that the yet to be established one will reduce a gap of 20 health posts that are needed in every cell of the district.

He urged Ruhinga residents to help in the construction of the health post, take good care of it as well as sustain it so that it can offer quality health services.

Nathan Ntakirutimana, a resident of Ruhinga said that the cell is the only one without a health post in Nyabimata Sector.

"We are happy to hear about this new health post that is going to be constructed in our cell.  The nearest one is far. It takes us about two hours to reach there and we pay a lot of money for transport. But now, it will only take us to walk for thirty minutes to access medical services,” he said.