Marie-Chantal Mukagasana, a resident of Gatenga Sector, Kicukiro District, stays with her husband and their four children. In 2017, her family graduated from the first category of Ubudehe where government catered for all their basic needs, including health insurance – mutuelle de santé. They are currently grouped under the second category, but due to a low income, they struggle to raise Rwf18,000 for mutuelle de santé. Mukagasana revealed that although their standards of living improved slightly compared to when she was in the first category of Ubudehe, they still cannot afford all basic needs as well as health insurance. “I and my husband survive on casual labour and the amount of money we earn is not enough to pay house rent, school fees and feeding for the family. It is hard to plan accordingly when the source of income is not reliable,” she argued. Mukagasana’s family is now among the 200 needy people who have been support by Sonarwa Life Assurance Company Limited with a one year health insurance. The exercise was carried out at Sonarwa Life stand at the ongoing expo in Gikondo where beneficiaries came with their ID cards to be registered for mutuelle through Irembo. They were also given free heart disease screening in partnership with Polyclinique La Médicale. Mukagasana expressed her gratitude for the gesture but said she will start saving earlier in order to pay for herself the following year. According to SONARWA, the support to the needy in Gatenga Sector, Kicukiro District, is part of their corporate social responsibility. “As a company which normally caters for life insurance, we consider that having good health is the foundation for a successful life. You can’t be productive when your life is threatened. Thus, we thought that there are some people who cannot afford mutuelle and used the opportunity to be part of the expo to spread love to the community neighbouring the Expo Grounds,” said Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju, Sonarwa Life Chief Executive Officer. Angélique Mukunde, the Vice Mayor for Economic Development in Kicukiro District, applauded Sonarwa for the support, emphasising that health insurance is very important for every citizen. “The culture of lifting up one another is among our key values and the foundation of good leadership,” she said, adding that being supported should be an encouragement for people to improve themselves. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
