APRIL 2017 - ISSUE 74
DOING BUSINESS REFORMS:
How RDB is continuously making Rwanda more attractive for business
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WHAT’S INSIDE 10
APRIL 2017 - ISSUE 74
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BRALIRWA
C O V E R S T O R Y
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BRD
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AGARWAL
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UAE
10. Cover Story DOING BUSINESS REFORMS: How RDB is continuously making Rwanda more attractive for business 18. SERENA HOTEL Kigali Serena Hotel pays tribute to genocide victims 22.Tigo cash tigo cash driving Rwanda towards an efficient cashless economy
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24. BRD BRD helps Kirehe genocide survivors through roofing program 28. PARK INN: Park Inn by Radisson brings a colourful experience to Rwanda’s hotel scene 30. AIRTEL TOUCHING LIVES Airtel Rwanda donates a house to children of the deceased 34. BRALIRWA Bralirwa commemorates Genocide, remembers colleagues
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SAFINTRA RWANDA LIMITED wish to inform all customers that we have shifted our factory and sales office to Plot 2156 & 2157, Prime Economic Zone, Masoro, effective 01/12/2016 SAFINTRA RWANDA LIMITED Iramenyesha Abakiriya bayo bose ko yimukiye Imasoro muri Free Zone kuva itariki 01/12/2016 mu kibanza no. 2156 & 2157. Ubucuruzi bwose niho buzajya bukorerwa.
Safintra Rwanda Limited Plot 2156 & 2157, Prime Economic Zone, Phase 1, Masoro, Gasabo Dist. P.O. Box 6959, Kigali-Rwanda. Tel: +250 727 888070, +250 788 317072 Email: sales.safintrarwanda@safalgroup.com Web: www.safintra-rwanda.com 6
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TEAM Albert Ndata Latim Lawrence Himbana Alexandre Ishimwe Yvonne Ben Gasore Manzi Joseph Micheal Balinda Rumanzi Abraham Shema Ignace Shema Leonard Sindayirwanya Isabelle Erwin Winkler Keith Ntagozera Mutabazi Jackson Rebero Daniel Allan Migadde DESIGN & LAYOUT Yakub PUBLISHED BY Hope Holding Ltd. ADVERTISING & GENERAL INQUIRIES P.O.Box 6176 Kigali - Rwanda +250 788 524189 / + 250 788 404138 info@hope-mag.com www.hope-mag.com COPYRIGHT 2013 Reserved by Hope Magazine, a monthly Magazine is
Doing Business Reforms: Making the Private Sector the Engine of Growth
The month of April is always a dark period in Rwanda, as it marks the start of the 100-day commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsis. Yet anyone who hasn’t seen the country 23 years ago and who visits it today, will find it difficult to fully comprehend the scope of Rwanda’s transformation in the past two decades. It is indeed hard to imagine today that less than a quarter of a century ago, the human, infrastructural and institutional tissue of the country was left in ruins. Rwanda’s renaissance is of course due to its visionary leadership which not only didn’t waste time in starting the nation’s reconstruction, but also set out to change the ways the country was governed. For example, in the pre-94 Rwanda, the government was involved in lots of business – from tea and rice over mining to hotels. President Kagame, on the contrary, made it very clear in his Vision 2020 that ultimately the engine of economic growth should be the private sector, and not the public one. In practice, this led to a program of privatisation to divest the State from its economic activities and the liquidation of public enterprises that were beyond saving, as well as a series of institutional and regulatory reforms that would make it easier to do business in Rwanda. In 2005, these efforts got a boost when the World Bank created its Doing Business index, which measures several indicators to assess nearly 200 economies around the world on how easy it is to be an entrepreneur. The advantage of the index is that it provides clear and practical reference points for a government that wants to make doing business easier. It didn’t take long for Rwanda to advance in the index in leaps and bounds. In the 2017 edition published last year, Rwanda takes the 56th position out of 190 countries globally, and is the second best place to do business in Africa after Mauritius. It is also one of only 10 countries that have implemented reforms in all of the Doing Business indicators every year since 2005. This has a lot to do with the creation of the Rwanda Development Board, which has been spearheading and coordinating all measures to improve the business environment. Today, Rwanda is indeed a country where doing business is easy, with clearly defined procedures and delays for different aspects of entrepreneurial life. Where it could take weeks to register a business ten years ago, it can be done in six hours today. The creation of commercial courts has made many aspects of doing business easier, such as enforcing contracts, liquidating a company or protecting shareholders. Comprehensive tax reforms have made it much easier for businesspeople to meet their fiscal obligation. These are just a few examples. The deadline for Vision 2020 is only three years away, and it remains to be seen whether all the ambitious targets of this national master plan will be achieved. Thanks to the doing business reforms, however, there is no excuse for the private sector not to be the main driver of economic growth.
published by Hope Magazine Limited. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily
Erwin Winkler
those of the editors and plublishers of Hope Magazine.
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Care is taken to ensure accuracy, Hope Magazine assume no liability for error or omissions in this publication. All Advertisements are taken in good faith, opinions and views contained herein are not necessarily those of the Publisher. All copyrights and trademarks are recognized. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permission by Hope Magazine. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts with the purpose of fair review. © 2013
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Kigali Serena Hotel pays tribute to genocide victims
K
igali Serena Hotel staff last month visited the Nyanza Memorial Centre in Kicukiro District to pay tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis. At the memorial, the hotel’s staff laid wreaths in honour of the 11,050 victims that are buried at the site, and were given explanations on what happened there in April 1994. At that time, over 3,000 Tutsi refugees from around Kigali including Kicukiro and Kanombe camped at ETO Kicukiro under the protection of Belgian UN troops, who formed the backbone of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). However, the troops pulled out of Rwanda on April 11, 1994, following the murder of ten Belgian soldiers by government forces.
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So the 97 Belgian peacekeepers based at ETO Kicukiro withdrew, leaving the refugees at the mercy of the marauding militia.
again. He also commitment to survivors.
“Some of the young refugees we were with lay down in front of the vehicles, begging the soldiers to stay. But the troops shot in the air and drove off in their jeeps. Their departure meant the genocidal government forces and Interahamwe militia who had surrounded the place since a couple of days had the green light to enter and kill as they wished,” remembered Sophie Musabeyezu, who is in charge of maintaining the site.
The staff later gathered at Kigali Serena Hotel where Colonel Jules Rutaremara, the head of the Rwanda Peace Academy, and Vedaste Nsabimana, the Nyarugenge District vice-mayor in Charge of Economic Affairs, were present for a commemoration event.
Led by Country Manager Daniel Sambai, the Serena Hotels Rwanda employees observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims. Sambai noted that honouring Genocide victims is important for the hotel staff to remember what happened during the Genocide and ensure that it never happens
assured the hotel’s supporting Genocide
Some of the staff at the hotel who are survivors of the genocide, including Bernadette Bampire and Francois Xavier, shared their stories, while Rutaremara and Nsabimana urged the staff not be weakened by the country’s history but instead to look beyond that and focus on the future. They advised the staff to have the same vision, and not give room to genocide ideology.
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The management & staff of Engen Rwanda Ltd joins the nation on the 23rd comemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi
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Engen Rwanda Ltd. B.P. 1342 Kigali- Rwanda, Phone + 250 788175100, Email: info@engen.rw, www.engen.rw
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BRD helps Kirehe genocide survivors through roofing program
The BRD team fixes the roof on Imelda Mukasharangabo’s house
“So far we have constructed the Nyarubuye memorial site and also paid Mutuelle, mattresses and offered 5 sewing machines to an association of genocide widows,”
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n the context of the 23rd commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsis, a delegation of the Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) last month donated iron sheets for roofing of newly constructed houses of genocide survivors in Kirehe district Eastern province.
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At the district’s Kigina sector, the team helped finish the roofing of Imelda Mukasharangabo, a 44-yearold widow and mother of 6 children. “I cannot express my joy,” she said. “For years I have been living in poor conditions in a small house, which was especially bad during the rainy season. But now I have reason to thank God for blessing me through the hands of these well-wishers.” Her new house is among 99 others of the same type being constructed in various parts of the district, with the aim to improve the wellbeing of those who were particularly affected by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. The district, the Reserve Forces and BRD all contribute to the project which has a first phase of 22 houses.
Hope Magazine-Issue 74
The roofing support to the Kirehe project amounts to Rwf 42 million
BRD’s Chief Risk Officer Peter Rwambala (L) with beneficiary Imelda Mukasharangabo and Kirehe mayor Gerald Muzungu before the newly roofed house
Kirehe Mayor Gerald Muzungu explained that the project concerns more than 100 households, and the support from various organizations is highly commendable. “Like BRD, they pledged to support us with roofing of the houses we intend to construct, which helped us save on our budget so we can build even more houses,” he said. Referring to the Reserve Force which is in charge of the construction, he said: “We appreciate their skills especially in engineering as well as their integrity, which is admirable.” BRD’s support to the project is part of its annual corporate social responsibility program which targets a sustained positive impact. Among the areas of support are health, housing and agriculture.
BRD employees prepare the ground around the house
The roofing support to the Kirehe project amounts to Rwf 42 million. For the last three years, BRD has been supporting Kirehe district through CSR because of the pressing needs identified in the area. The bank’s Chief Risk Officer, Peter Rwambala, explained that the district was hard hit by the war and genocide. “So far we have constructed the Nyarubuye memorial site and also paid Mutuelle, mattresses and offered 5 sewing machines to an association of genocide widows,” he remarked. “We believe that the support will change their lives for better.”
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Hope Magazine-Issue 74
THE MANOR
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Located in Kiyovu, Kigali, at walking distance for the city centre, Park Inn Hotel by Radisson Kigali is the latest entrant in Rwanda’s fast-growing hotel industry – a colourful four-star-plus hotel warmly welcoming Rwandans and foreign business and leisure travellers alike. The hotel’s General Manager, Jarl Thomas Stene, explained to Hope Magazine how the hotel will be a great addition to the sector and what amenities it has to offer.
Park Inn by Radisson brings a colourful experience to Rwanda’s hotel scene
H
ope Magazine: Can you introduce Park Inn by Radisson Kigali and tell us what it has to offer the market?
Stene: We are the new kid on the block in Kigali and we have 161 fantastic bedrooms, which include 34 superior rooms and four suites. We have an outdoor swimming pool, a large gym with a professional instructor, a conference area that can host 400 delegates, with all the latest audio-visual equipment and breakout rooms, as well as a night club that is going to be a great addition to Rwanda’s night life. Our strategy is to offer a wide variety every day of the week that will see us create a standard for the hotel to not only cater for the in-house guests but also to the local community. We believe that both international and local guests will love the Park Inn because of its design which is vibrant and colourful. Together with our service culture and values, we hope that the guests will have a new experience. We also want to create a place where Rwandans want to come with their families and friends to socialize and have a good time. Hope Magazine: One would say that the Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, which is affiliated to Park Inn by Radisson, already has enough capacity to serve the market. How is Park Inn by Radisson going to be different, what will set you apart? Stene: Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson both belong to a hotel group called Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, but they are different brands. Park Inn is a four-star-plus brand that offers general services and serves a different market segment compared to Radisson Blu, which is five-star. But we complement each other in the market – Park Inn positions itself to receive corporate and leisure guests from all walks of life at lower rates. We want to create a hotel that is for Rwandans and like other hotels in Kigali attract foreign businesspeople to the country. Compared to other countries, the Rwandan hospitality industry is maybe not yet the strongest but I am very pleased to see the focus and fantastic work the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is doing in making Kigali become a top MICE destination (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events).
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I strongly believe with this focus and with RwandAir’s new routes, Rwanda will attract a lot more business, not only for MICE but also corporate and leisure business. Due to this, I believe that there is need in Kigali for more international four- and five-star hotels such as Park Inn. Hope Magazine: How are you going to work with other hotels and airlines to see that all of you benefit from the growing tourism business? Stene: Globally, we work closely with other actors in the Market and as Rwandair starts flying to these destinations, it could be a perfect opportunity to work with both Rwandair and RDB to promote Kigali.
Hope Magazine-Issue 74
Hope Magazine: The opening of the Park Inn by Radisson has obviously created new opportunities for suppliers and unemployed youth in the country. What kind of opportunities are there and how many jobs have you created for Rwandans? Stene: I am very pleased to say that we have recruited about 160 mostly Rwandan staff and trained them. We worked very closely with the Akillah Institute to get them and are excited to see that these youth are very passionate about careers in the hospitality industry. We will continue to provide them with a lot of corporate and professional training, and teach them our service culture, as we have done in the past month in the various outlets that they work in. We also have a program called Women in Leadership where we focus on developing female managers so that we can have gender equality in management. Hopefully one day we shall have a Rwandan female general manager. We also have a program called Responsible Business where we like to have local suppliers for all the products and services we need, and let them benefit from our environment. For example, we already work with Question Coffee which supplies us with very good quality coffee. We also have the Soap for Hope program, in which we completely sterilize used soap from the hotel rooms and make new packaged soap which goes to the community. Hope Magazine: Lastly, as the Rwandan hospitality sector is getting quite competitive, what will you do to get and stay on top? Stene: I believe there is enough room for all of us. As I mentioned earlier, we are a colourful hotel and want to create happiness and memorable experiences; we hope that our service culture and the focus on guest experience will make us stand out. We have a service culture called Adding Color to Life. We always ask ourselves the following questions: • Why are we here for the guests? • Who are we to the guests? • How do we deliver? • What in essence do we provide?
WHO IS THOMAS STENE
General Manager, Park Inn by Radisson Kigali Thomas Stene, a Norwegian national, has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He started his career as a Meetings and Events Manager at the Radisson SAS Bodo Hotel, Norway in 1995. In 1998 he moved to Clarion Admiral Hotel in Bergen Norway as Front Office Manager. Thomas rejoined the Rezidor Hotel Group in 2000, when he was appointed General Manager at the Radisson SAS Park Hotel, Haugesund, Norway. Between 2004 & 2016 his career path has taken him to Azerbaijan, Russia, Prague and Jersey as a General Manager at different Radisson Blu & Park Inn by Radisson Hotels. In 2016, he was appointed General Manager of the Park Inn by Radisson, Kigali, Rwanda, which is his most recent position. Thomas, who is hard working, fair and a ‘people person’ open to the ideas of others, says his passion for traveling, exploring new places and meeting new people has influenced his career choice. Growing up he used to be fascinated by the stories his father used to bring back home from his travels. “I always knew that I would like to pursue a career that could also take me around the world, so the hospitality industry was a natural choice. At one point I was considering to combine studying Economics with a foreign language which could give me an opportunity to have an international career, but in the end, I decided to go for the hospitality industry as I thought that would give me more options, and the fact I love to work with and for people.”
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The answers to that is that first of all, we are here to deliver colourful moments and create a happy place to be. Secondly, we are ‘happy makers.’ Thirdly, we always deliver with a friendly and positive attitude. And fourth, we offer a relaxed, comfortable and vibrant hotel ambience where you can be yourself. We have also changed the way we think. Previously, we may have focused too much on processes and how we should do things rather than on what the desired guest experience should be. In order to create a culture for our guests, we are using something called Reverse Thinking – a way of looking at how we interact with our guests. We want to put our guests first, so it makes sense that we take our desired guest experience and use it as the starting point for everything we do. Reverse Thinking requires us to take a look at both our organization and ourselves. When we put our guests at the centre, we have to determine their desired experience. There are two simple but important questions when thinking of what our desired guest experience should look like: what we want our guest to experience at the Park Inn by Radisson Kigali, and what we want them to say about us. To create this culture, we have various training modules for all our staff where we go through all aspects of how we should recreate this culture. We discuss how important it is to connect, be tuned in, go the extra (s)mile and be positive. We want staff to be engaged with our guests, be curious about them and have fun with them. It is also important that I, as a leader, together with my management team show recognition, coach, trust and inspire our colleagues. We also encourage and allow our employees to make decisions without having to run them through their supervisors every time an issue comes up – we empower them by showing our trust in them. We strongly believe this will influence the guest experience. So basically, our service philosophy is to put our guests at the centre and create a memorable and colourful experience for them. We would like to be a hassle-free hotel with no frills. In addition, we will naturally offer a good night sleep, good meals and fun and vibrant experiences offered by our employees. Also by working closely with our sister hotel, the Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Center, hopefully we will be an attractive partner for the business and leisure market. 25
Airtel Rwanda donates a house to children of the deceased “Today Airtel touching lives would be handing over a house to Adele as she always dreamt – but that was not possible. The lord called her to rest. God Rest her Soul in Peace. Nonetheless, today Airtel Touching lives renews hope and brings her dreams closer to her children who will receive this house on her behalf so they can live a decent life like any other Rwandan that deserves the best in life”
A
dele Mukamusonera’s biggest dream was to own a house before she passed on in November last year, before her dream had been fulfilled through Airtel Touching Lives Initiative. Adele was a resident of a rural suburb at Mont Kigali and was one of the lucky Rwandans whose touching story was nominated to be among the beneficiaries of the Touching Lives Initiative, launched by Airtel Rwanda last year. Touching lives Initiative was launched with the aim of offering practical relief, assistance, hope, opportunities and credible platforms to liberate and empower the underprivileged and hard to reach persons in the society. Adele Mukamusonera whose touching story could not go unnoticed by the touching lives initiative was lucky to survive the genocide and still dealt with the wounds that arose from the genocide against the Tutsi.
Speaking at the handover of the house to Adele’s 2 children, Airtel Legal Director and representative Brian Kirungi said, “Today Airtel touching lives would be handing over a house to Adele as she always dreamt – but that was not possible. The lord called her to rest. God Rest her Soul in Peace. Nonetheless, today Airtel Touching lives renews hope and brings her dreams closer to her children who will receive this house on her behalf so they can live a decent life like any other Rwandan that deserves the best in life” Airtel Rwanda Legal Director and representative Brian Kirungi also commented that “Touching Lives Initiative will continue to change Rwandan lives and we shall be launching Touching Lives Season 2 early this year”
During the genocide Adele contracted HIV through rape. She was raped by a number of people, including children – she narrated before she passed on. Adele went ahead to narrate her sad story mentioning that she was thrown in a pit latrine with her son on her back and forced to remove all her cloths before she was raped. Her family around her could not take care of her needs besides sheltering her with her 80 years old mother. Nonetheless living on one meal of porridge a day, she dreamt to have her own house and have a decent meal like any other normal family one day. Adele’s dreams were answered last year when she appeared on the touching lives show on RTV, where she was promised a house to live in decently like any other Rwandan that deserved love and care. Sadly, the mother of 2 boys could not see what she wished for as she passed on in November last year.
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Hope Magazine-Issue 74
THE TIME TO CHANGE LIVES IS NOW Share your story or that of an individual who makes a dierence in your community everyday. Drop your letter at the nearest Airtel HQ Remera or write to us at Email: CSR_rwanda@rw.airtel.com | Hamagara 0731000000.
#TouchingLivesrw
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Hope Magazine-Issue 74
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We ensure that you find the ideal office with breathtaking views and prestigious spaces to suit your business profile in any of the following locations. RSSB Tower, Grand Pension Plaza, Crystal Plaza, Kigali Heights , Queen’s Land House - Kacyiru, Cavicon Building - Kiyovu, Karongi Pension Plaza, Musanze Pension Plaza, Rwamagana Pension Plaza, Nyanza Pension Plaza For more Information Visit us at Seba House, Airport road | info@centuryrwanda.com | www.centuryrwanda.com | Tel: +250 732 000 219 | +250 732 000 215 www.hope-mag.com
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Bralirwa employees hold a minute silence at the soft drinks plant in Kigali
Bralirwa commemorates Genocide, remembers colleagues
S
taff of the country’s largest beverages manufacturer, Bralirwa Ltd, in Kigali last month took time to remember the Rwandans and the company’s employees who died during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis. Led by their Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Victor Madiela, the staff visited Ntarama Memorial Site in Bugesera District where over 5,000 people were laid to rest before heading back to the Kicukiro soft drinks plant where another commemoration event was held. The commemoration in Ntarama started with a 1-kilometer Walk to Remember by the Bralirwa Kigali staff to Ntarama Genocide memorial. During the Genocide, thousands of Tutsis sought refuge in the Catholic Church, only to be killed by the Interahamwe militia with grenades, guns and traditional weapons. After touring the site and being explained what happened there, the Bralirwa staff laid wreaths on the mass graves containing the remains of thousands of victims.
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Marie Chantal Umuganwa, who works at the site for the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), narrated the tragic events that took place in the area in 1994, and thanked the staff of Bralirwa for recognizing the importance of commemorating the genocide while at the same time fighting genocide ideology and promoting unity in the country. 91 Bralirwa employees killed The Bralirwa staff then returned to the soft-drinks plant in Kigali, where Madiela noted that it is important for the company to commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsis as among the more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994 were also hardworking and devoted Bralirwa employees – 32 of the workers in Kigali were killed, and 19 in Rubavu (Gisenyi). In addition, in 1998 a bus with 40 Bralirwa employees travelling to Gisenyi was hijacked by Interahamwe militia before being killed and burned alive in the bus.
Hope Magazine-Issue 74
Staff of the brewery in Rubavu during their Walk to Remember
Bralirwa Managing Director Victor Madiela (centre front) and other staff pay their respects to the employees killed in the genocide
Staff of the brewery lay wreaths at the Commune Rouge Memorial in Rubavu
“We lost 91 good employees in Kigali and Gisenyi, Rubavu District and every year we take time to commemorate them at both locations,” Madiela remarked. “As it is the first time for me to learn first-hand of what took place in this country, I am really shocked and hurt at how human beings carried out such killings.” “This is also a life lesson on how we all need to live together. I am happy with what the Government of Rwanda is doing to promote unity and fight genocide ideology,” he added. Madiela said that Bralirwa, as one of the biggest employers in the country, promotes teamwork among its staff and regularly holds celebratory events such as Labour Day in Kigali and Gisenyi to enable its staff to get together and bond with another.
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“As part of Heineken, we also have values such as promoting tolerance and diversity,” he explained, adding that in addition to its continued support for the surviving children and widows of its late employees and other Rwandans. Egide Nkuranga, the vice-president of the survivors association Ibuka, commended Bralirwa for supporting Genocide survivors – Bralirwa has been paying school fees for the surviving children of its employees and built and renovated houses of widows of the genocide, in addition to paying medical insurance. Dominique Savio Twahirwa, one of the late employees’ surviving children, shared their story at the event and said that thanks to Bralirwa’s support, he had now completed his university education. Jacques Niyongabo, the Corporate Services Division Manager at Kicukiro District, said the future is bright for Rwandans and expressed
his confidence that genocide will never happen again in Rwanda. Rubavu commemoration In Rubavu too, the staff of Bralirwa’s brewery commemorated the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsis. They held a Walk to Remember from Gisenyi market to the Commune Rouge Memorial site, where they laid flowers on the graves of those killed in 1994. Afterwards, they gathered at the brewery to remember the Bralirwa employees who lost their lives during the genocide with testimonies, prayers and songs. Bralirwa has supported Unity Club and Rubavu district in the construction of the Cyanika and Commune Rouge Memorials, and was the first private company in Rwanda to establish a memorial for its staff killed during the genocide at its brewery premises in Gisenyi.
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RIIO Healthhub, in partnership with
Because vision is life
RIIO Health Hub to start performing Dr Karthik Gopal, the medical director of Agarwal’s WIWO Multispecialty Day-care Hospital
first keyhole surgery in Rwanda
R
IIO Health hub, already well known for Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital in providing exceptional Eye care services to people of Rwanda, is adding another feather to its cap. It is broadening its services by introducing the country’s first facility that mainly focusses to provide keyhole surgery procedures. Keyhole surgery consists of operations performed by making only a small incision (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) to do surgery deeper down in the body, eliminating the need to cut open a patient with a surgical blade. Called “WIWO”, Multispecialty Day-care Hospital, patients at the facility will get to the hospital, and be diagnosed, treated and discharged in a matter of hours thanks to the highly skilled medical professionals and hi-tech equipment planned at the hospital. Dr. John Nkurikiye, the Managing Director of RIIO Health Hub explained to Hope Magazine that the aim is to have all medical services at the facility, removing the need for Rwandans to travel abroad for treatment and also attracting people from across the region for treatment to Kigali.
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“We are now a health hub bringing together different medical departments to provide a comprehensive service,” he said. The Director of the WIWO facility will be Dr. Karthik Gopal, a highly experienced medical doctor with specialty experience in cardiology and radiology, who has practiced in London for the past two decades. He explained the concept of the Multispecialty Day-care Hospital to Hope Magazine. Hope Magazine: Please explain the hospital’s approach. Dr. Karthik: The idea of WIWO is that you walk in when you are sick, and then walk out healthy after being treated. Our approach to Healthcare is 2 fold: Screening: Recognizing an ailment before it manifests itself Treating: Once identified, evidence based treatment. “Healthy ageing” is our concept and this starts right from their youth. Just like you change your car engine’s oil regularly or update your computer’s anti-virus, you should go for medical check-ups regularly.
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Providing regular check-ups allows us to advise them on how to take care of their bodies and be in control.
in Hospitals, can be done using laparoscopy thanks to advanced technology.
Evidence based treatment, post diagnosis of a medical condition. WIWO has a one-umbrella service where you can see
For example, if you have gall bladder stones that need to be removed, it can be done with keyhole surgery by making a small incision, inserting a tube with a camera in the belly area then ballooning it up so everything becomes visible; this enables us to remove the stones easily. .
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Specialists Consultants from Rwanda, India and UK Diagnosis with our latest Hi end laboratory / CT /MRI diagnostic facilities Appropriate treatment – Medical or Surgical. Key Hole Day care surgeries- Laparoscopy and Arthroscopy
Hope Magazine: What risks are associated with conventional surgery and how is keyhole surgery different? Dr. Karthik: Usually, in a controlled anaesthetic environment, the longer a surgery last, the more problematic it is to wake up a patient afterwards. But for laparoscopic surgery, it takes only a third of the time of conventional surgery. The second advantage with keyhole surgeries is that it minimizes the risk of infections. The recovery is also much faster which is why we refer to our facility as a day-care Hospital We have more than 20 beds here but if possible we prefer that a patient who arrives in the morning is discharged in the evening. Hope Magazine: What kind of surgery can be done through this procedure? Dr. Karthik: More than 70% of surgeries that are performed routinely
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Hope Magazine: What are some of the ailments you will focus on? Dr. Karthik: Gastroenetrology: Endoscopic therapeutic Laparoscopic surgeries Orthopaedics: Arthroscopic joint procedures ENT: High field microscopic surgeries Gynaecology: Laparoscopic surgeries
procedures
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Hospital will also have Dentistry, Diabetology, Dermatology, Infertility and other speciality services. Hope Magazine: Do you think the hospital will lead to an influx of medical tourists to Rwanda? Dr. Karthik: Yes! Right now we will cater for everyone from East Africa, where people have often had to go to India/Europe for treatment. We plan to have all the necessary equipment and specialists so there is no need for people to spend a lot of money to travel far abroad which they can access in Rwanda.
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UAE Exchange, spreading happiness to say ‘thank you’
Cathia Uwamahoro, Guinness Book cricket record holder (left), has been hired by UAE Exchange after her remarkable feat
UAE Exchange staff together with residents of Mageregere after umuganda
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or seven years UAE Exchange has been operational in Rwanda, offering services ranging from foreign exchange to money remittance. Business has grown steadily, which the company’s management attributes to their royal customers. To show their appreciation, the company in December introduced a campaign themed Transferring Happiness aimed at conducting various activities under its Corporate Social Responsibility program. A similar campaign is also being held in all the company’s branches in 32 countries. In Rwanda, a number of activities have been conducted by UAE Exchange since last December, including nutrition project, visiting orphans, and taking part in communal cleaning activities. During last month’s umuganda, for instance, the entire team of 30 employees headed by their country manager Riyaz Nagoor planted 2,000 trees at Mageregere sector. “It was an energetic moment, we had fun with the residents who were more than 250, they helped us to plant trees and later we enjoyed light moments of dancing and refreshments. We also advised them to ensure sustainable
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Riyaz Nagoor, UAE Exchange country manager for Rwanda, plants a tree during umuganda.
growth of the trees. On our part, we will also monitor the growth through site visits at least twice a year,” Nagoor remarked. UAE Exchange has also partnered with the City of Kigali in a campaign aimed at eradicating malnutrition, particularly among children. Their support included handing over 180 liters of milk to 18 children who had attended the event at Nyamirambo’s Mirongo Inne area. “We were humbled to take part in the noble cause, since it improves the number of productive people in the country therefore boosting growth,” the country manager said. In addition, the team shared a festive lunch with some 150 vulnerable children and their guardians at Kabeza, Kanombe sector. Part of the activities involved motivational advice aimed at career building. “Most of them had ambitious goals like becoming doctors and engineers; we believe there’s hope and we motivated them by giving them scholastic materials to facilitate them in their education since it’s among the major pillars of success,” Nagoor explained. Comforting the sick is also part of UAE Exchange’s way of giving hope, as the team showed through a visit to Kibagabaga hospital. Patients were given sanitary towels, fruit juice, soap and toothpaste.
“We plan to visit all hospitals in Kigali and reach out to more of the under-privileged in society in order to help improve their lives,” Naghoor remarked during the visit. Promoting sports is also among their CSR priorities and in the past they have supported various marathons as well as basketball and cricket. For example, when recently cricketer Cathia Uwamahoro set a new Guinness World Record for woman’s batting in the net at 26 hours, UAE Exchange had her back. “This was a very interesting moment for us, especially as we sponsor cricket tournaments; we feel proud of her success and even gave her a job in our company so she can improve her professional skills while also developing her talents in cricket,” the country manager explained. According to Innocent Manzi, the company’s sales and marketing manager, Uwamahoro is doing very well in the orientation training she receives at UAE Exchange. “We believe that she will be of great value to our company, and it is our wish to support her to achieve more in life,” he said.
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