The Indian Association Rwanda (INAR) on April 8 donated medical supplies worth two millions Rwandan francs to the local authorities to help in testing and treating COVID-19 patients. Established in 2010, INAR has been working to excel as a representative organisation of all Indians in Rwanda, and it has more than 2,200 Indians/Persons of Indian origin in Rwanda, most of whom are based in Kigali. Most of them have business interests in education, manufacturing, tourism and other businesses and professionals in Government as well as in the private sector. The government last month issued a countrywide lockdown with the exception of essential services but that left daily wage earners at the risk of hunger, However the government and private sector have stepped in to fill that gap. Among the donations from INAR include 1.75 Tons Wheat Flour, 1.75 Tons Maize Flour, 525Kgs of Rice and 500 Kgs to the strategic Grain Reserve with “a financial donation that will also be provided soon” according to Srinath Vardhineni, the chairman of Indian Association Rwanda. Donations from INAR are an addition to Jack Ma’s medical supplies and the combined efforts of the government initiative and local citizens’ efforts in solidarity to help the needy during the lockdown. Although Rwanda has not yet registered any death of a COVID-19 patient, it has surpassed the hundredth mark in confirmed cases with more than 20 recovered coronavirus patients. Globally, the number of confirmed cases is only a hundred thousand away to 2 million whereas so far over one hundred thousands have succumbed to coronavirus.
