The British High Commission and Nigerian embassies in Rwanda have committed to supporting a Kigali-based cancer patients’ care facility that has been struggling to provide accommodation for vulnerable patients for the last six years.
The commitment was made on June 10, 2025, during a field visit to the center, which was opened in 2021 and has since provided free accommodation, feeding, and therapy services to at least 250 patients undergoing intensive treatment who have nowhere to stay.
Sister (Sr) Helena L. Katebera, the Program Coordinator at Bethania Home Care for Cancer Patients, said that the center receives financially challenged patients from Rwanda Military Hospital, rural Rwanda, who have nowhere to stay, making it hard to sustain.
Sister (Sr) Helena L. Katebera (left) gives the envoys a guided tour of the center
“We have been doing this for years, and it has been a challenge since most of them lack transport, a major concern raised by many. We have small food and animal rearing projects to sustain us but also depend on donations from well-wishers,” Sr. Katebera said.
Katebera revealed that the center has spent at least Rwf99 million, and its advisory board has requested a review for a sustainable approach, suggesting rethinking other income projects (a bakery and coffee shop) that are in the pipeline and need external support.
The center has one old ambulance that is not allowed to carry more than one patient, even when the facilitators are sometimes forced to transport more than one patient.
Katebera stated that this is an underlying challenge that needs to be addressed, especially since patients have to cover over 30km per day to and from the center, located in Kinyinya sector to Kanombe sector where the cancer treatment center is located.
“We desperately need a minibus and an electric one because covering the 30km per day is expensive, and using an environmentally friendly vehicle would be affordable and accommodate more,” Katebera stated.
Rotarian Jacqueline Duniah (middle)
Rotarian Jacqueline Duniah, the president of the Rotary Club of Virunga, said that the idea to create this center was born in 2019 following evidence of many rural-based cancer patients treated in Kigali struggling to find a place to rest and follow up on treatment.
To address this challenge, Duniah explained that members of the Rotary Club of Virunga proposed the renovation of an abandoned building in Kinyinya, which was later handed over to the sisters of Our Lady Queen of Africa (SOLQA) to support the patients on a daily basis.
“We have seen the impact of this project, which is one of our many projects aimed at supporting the community. In fact, one of the former patients is now working here. To sustain this impact, we are holding many events to help us raise funds,” Duniah said.
UK, Nigeria Envoys and Rotarians discuss the needs of the cancer care center located in Kinyinya sector
Commitment to Support:
Among those invited to witness the progress made so far and recognize the need to support this project were Alison Thorpe, the British High Commissioner to Rwanda & Ambassador-designate to Burundi, alongside Ibrahim Zanna, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Rwanda.
L-R: High Commissioners Ibrahim Zanna and Alison Thorpe
High Commissioner (HC) Thorpe said that supporting cancer programs is part of their mission in Rwanda and beyond, which is why she personally visited the center to see how they can raise funds to support patients.
Thorpe stated she was moved by the amazing service the center provides for the people in Rwanda suffering from cancer, even when they do it on a shoestring budget.
HC Alison Thorpe
“I think it is really impressive; it shows what you can achieve with a lot of goodwill and a limited budget. So there is much they could do with additional funding. I think it is very brilliant and keen that the British High Commission supports in any way it can,” Thorpe said.
High Commissioner Zanna said that Nigeria has been behind the center’s project since its inception, and there is a need to continue the trend of his predecessors.
HC Ibrahim Zanna
“This is hard work that has impacted the lives of the most vulnerable in the community. Beyond here, it is about humanity, and we look forward to supporting this center and many other projects that impact the lives of people. That is what Africans are known for,” Zanna said.
Paul Searby alias Mr Chips (right) meets with the UK High Commissioner Alison Thorpe
Paul Searby, a Canadian Kigali resident, cancer survivor, and proprietor of Mr. Chips, a popular fast-food restaurant located in Kinyinya, said that after being treated in Rwanda and spending two years free of cancer, he will do everything possible to support the center towards sustainability.
Rotarians in Rwanda are also organizing a cancer fundraising event to raise funds for the Rotary Cancer Project Transport Van in Kinyinya, on June 21, that will host social activities such as sports, food, and entertainment to raise funds to support the center and thus calling on more Rwandans and friends of Rwanda to participate.
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