Healing People, Healing the Planet: Rwanda’s New Eco-Friendly Hospital in Rutsiro

When you arrive in Boneza, a quiet sector of Rutsiro District overlooking Lake Kivu, the first thing you notice is how far it feels from any major hospital.

For years, residents here had to travel 25 kilometers to Murunda Hospital — often a five-hour journey, sometimes on foot, sometimes paying thousands of francs for a motorcycle ride. Many simply went untreated.

That is beginning to change. On September 17, 2025, the community celebrated the launch of the Kivu Hills Medical Center building, a modern facility that combines world-class healthcare design with eco-friendly innovation.

While the hospital itself will officially begin receiving patients at the start of 2026, its presence already represents a turning point for the people of Rutsiro.

From the start, the hospital was designed not just to treat illness, but to protect the environment that sustains life.

Solar panels line the roof, with plans for a full transition to solar energy in the near future.

ensure that no polluted water flows back into the land.

Medical waste will be carefully managed, with incineration used to prevent dangerous chemicals from entering the soil.

And around the building, gardens and trees were planted to provide clean air, shade, and even therapeutic comfort for patients and their families.

Although the hospital building is now complete, the coming months will be devoted to installing equipment and preparing for daily operations.

Many machines and beds are already in place, while others are still being purchased. In the meantime, Boneza has not been left behind.

For the past few years, teams of American doctors have traveled here for week-long medical missions, treating hundreds of patients at a time.

“The doctors came and treated over 300 people in just one day,” recalled Hon. Prof Chrisologue Kubwimana, a local elder and former senator. “If that is what temporary service looks like, imagine what it will be when the hospital is open every day.”

When it does open, the hospital is expected to treat around 100 outpatients daily and host 75 inpatients, with ambulances, a helicopter ambulance and even a rescue boat on Lake Kivu to transfer critical cases to referral hospitals in Gisenyi, Karongi and Kigali.

Thanks to Starlink-powered telemedicine — high-speed internet delivered by satellites — doctors in Boneza will also be able to consult with specialists in the United States in real time, sharing test results and improving diagnosis.

“Thanks to technology, we can now treat complex cases here without sending every patient away,” explained Executive Director of the Hospital, Rukundo Mugisha Darius.

For founder John Gasangwa, the project is deeply personal. After studying in the United States, he returned home in 2011 and was struck by the poverty and lack of services in Boneza.

Through Arise Rwanda Ministries, he launched schools, vocational training, microloans for women, and even donated more than 600 cows under the national Girinka program.

The hospital is the continuation of that mission. “If the poor cannot be treated here, then I will have failed,” Gasangwa said firmly.

“This project is not about making profit but about serving communities.” He added that his dream is to see children from Boneza grow up with opportunities he once lacked, because he was born and grew up a refugee.

“My wish was to see a child from Boneza get good education at an affordable cost, to see them in universities, to see them working across the country. I feel that is an achievement. And it will make me even happier to see people treated here in Boneza instead of traveling all the way to Murunda, Gisenyi, or Kibuye.”

The hospital would not have been possible without the support of his American friend, Barb Curver, who saw the urgent need for healthcare in Boneza.

In 2017, she helped fund the purchase of the land where the hospital now stands and provided financing for the construction of the first phase of the building, including the ground and first floors.

Her contribution, totaling around 400 million Rwandan francs or more, laid the foundation for the $3 million project that now serves as a symbol of hope for the community.

Gasangwa recalls, “When Barb saw the situation in Boneza, she decided to help immediately. Without her support, we would not be standing here today.”

Residents who once struggled to reach care can hardly believe it. “We thank God and Arise Rwanda for bringing this hospital closer so we can be treated without exhausting journeys.” said Jeannette Bahemukiyiki, a community health worker.

Another resident, Pasiteri Kubwimana Antoine, expressed relief at no longer being forced to travel to Kibuye or Murunda: “Sometimes you were given a referral to go to Kibuye or Murunda, but you had no means to reach there. Now, care has come to us instead.”

Local leaders have also praised the project. Rurangirwa Eric, chairperson of Boneza Sector Council, said: “This hospital is not only bringing health closer to our people, it is also reducing the heavy load on Murunda Hospital. It shows that when we invest in our communities, we uplift everyone.”

For elderly residents like Hon. Prof Chrisologue, who once had to travel to Kigali for treatment, the hospital feels like a blessing: “When I heard these hospitals were coming, I felt healed already. Now, we no longer suffer long journeys—we heal right here, at home.”

Kivu Hills Medical Center is more than a hospital. It is a promise — that in just a few months, Boneza will have daily access to affordable, environmentally sustainable healthcare, right at home.