Recent conversations across public platforms have underscored the remarkable progress Rwanda has achieved in transforming its healthcare system.

Many point to the country’s progress over the past three decades, from expanded access to care to the success of community-based health initiatives such as Mutuelle de Santé, which have brought Rwanda closer to its vision of universal health coverage.

These reflections are a testament to what is possible through strong leadership, deliberate policy choices, and a shared national commitment to improving the wellbeing of all Rwandans.

Building on this strong foundation, the focus increasingly turns to how progress continues to reach every community, ensuring that access to quality care keeps pace with the country’s broader development journey.

At its core, equitable healthcare is about ensuring that every individual, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, can access timely, quality care.

For expecting mothers, across both urban and rural communities, the hopes remain the same: safe delivery, skilled care, reliable equipment, and the reassurance that support is within reach.

This is what shaped the theme for this year’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care initiative: Equitable Healthcare for Every Community. 21 Days of Y'ello Care is an annual staff volunteer programme run across all MTN markets to give back to the communities we serve.

As MTN Rwanda, we are known for connecting people through technology. Over the years, we have come to understand that true progress goes beyond connectivity. It is reflected in the quality of life people experience and the opportunities they have to live healthy and dignified lives.

This month, that understanding brought us to Kigese Sector Health Center in Kamonyi District.

Engaging with healthcare workers and members of the community was a powerful reminder that access to care is deeply human. It is about the mother seeking reassurance that she will safely deliver her baby. The child in need of timely diagnosis and treatment. And the healthcare workers whose daily commitment sustain the health and wellbeing of their communities.

Through Y’ello Care, and in close collaboration with our partners including the Ministry of Health, Kamonyi District, Ishara Rwanda and ITM Africa, MTN Rwanda employees joined the team at Kigese Sector Health Center to support the refurbishment of key infrastructure, enhance maternity and patient care spaces, and provide essential equipment and digital tools to strengthen service delivery.

These contributions are part of a much broader national effort and reflect a shared commitment to supporting Rwanda’s healthcare journey and extending quality care closer to communities.

Moments like these reinforce the power of partnership. They highlight that equitable healthcare is not only a long-term ambition, but a responsibility that calls for collective action today.

At MTN Rwanda, Y’ello Care remains one of the most meaningful expressions of who we are. It allows us to step beyond our day-to-day roles, to listen, to engage, and to contribute in ways that create lasting impact.

For me, this year’s initiative is a reminder that progress is strongest when it is inclusive and community led. As we celebrate how far Rwanda has come, we see the value in continuing to invest in solutions that bring care even closer to the people who need it.

Equitable healthcare is not only a healthcare issue. It is a development priority, a community concern, and ultimately a shared responsibility.

And it is one we must continue to advance, together.

Nicyo Gihe.

The writer is General Manager, Corporate Services, and the Company Secretary at MTN.