Mayange Health Center is located in the heart of the Bugesera district, just south of the capital city of Kigali.

With a high Tutsi population, Bugesera district was the epicenter of the genocide; evidence of the widespread devastation still scars the area. More recently, the district has endured drought and famine. Bugesera reports some of the country’s most extreme poverty, with per capita annual incomes in the range of $20 - $30.

Built in 1999, Mayange Clinic is the nearest health facility for 25,000 people. Despite the obvious need for the center, until early in 2006, it saw only 5 – 10 patients a day. Nurses were rarely in attendance; pharmaceuticals, not available. Although lights had been installed, there was no electricity to power them.

With the help of Access Project and other partners, the center has rapidly transformed into a model for the nation. Staff training and infrastructure improvements have significantly enhanced services – and the lights were finally turned on.

Enrollment in mutuelle insurance has grown; and the number of consultations has skyrocketed from 5 to more than 150 each day. The number of births at the health center, instead of at home, has increased dramatically, enabling healthier outcomes for mothers and babies.

Other health centers in the district report similar increases in activity. At Mareba Health Center, the number of monthly consultations nearly tripled in one year – and the clinic also noted significant increases in health center births and participation in family planning.

“Health management is a big issue in our settings since it is a specialty – and access has brought its experience and has availed it for our health facilities – one can see know that there is a difference from the time they started and now how they are moving – we are looking forward to getting more capacity – mainly for training our people to manage these health centers.” Dr. Innocent Nyaruhirira, Rwandan Minister of State for HIV/AIDS and Other Epidemics