At the reception area of La Croix du Sud Hospital in Remera, better known to many Kigali residents as Kwa Nyirinkwaya, Maritha Mukantwari moves with quiet but steady efficiency. Patients arrive steadily throughout the morning. Some walk in calmly; others appear worried, clutching medical files or supporting a sick relative. Mukantwari greets each of them with a reassuring smile, guiding them through the process with a patience that has become familiar to many who pass through the hospital. When we arrived at exactly 11 a.m., the time scheduled for our interview, she is already immersed in her duties. Dressed in a crisp white long-sleeved shirt and Blue trousers, she moves between patients and caregivers, offering directions, answering questions and occasionally helping organise the flow of people waiting to see doctors. ALSO READ: Five ideas to celebrate her for International Women’s Day From a distance, I wave to catch her attention. She walks over politely, unaware that I am the journalist who had earlier spoken to her on the phone about the interview. After a brief introduction and explanation of the visit, she asks for a few minutes to inform her supervisor. Moments later, permission is granted and another staff member temporarily takes over the reception desk. Only then does Mukantwari—52, a mother of one and a familiar face to many patients sit down to share the unlikely story of how she came to work here. From cleaner to customer care Before joining the hospital, Mukantwari worked in Muhima at ETO Muhima as a cleaner and planton, delivering official correspondence to government offices in Nyarugenge District. Her journey into healthcare began not as an employee but as a patient. “I used to work in Muhima doing cleaning and delivering letters,” Mukantwari recalls. “Later I fell sick and needed treatment. People told me about a doctor who helped women struggling to have children. That was how I first went to see Dr Nyirinkwaya.” At the time, Dr Jean Nyirinkwaya had not yet opened the current hospital in Remera. He was running his practice in Nyamirambo and had already gained a reputation for helping couples facing fertility challenges. Mukantwari joined the long line of patients seeking help. But while waiting for her turn, something unexpected happened. “I would arrive and find many people waiting,” she says. “We used numbers to keep order. Sometimes I would see confusion and start helping organise the line.” She began guiding other patients, calling out numbers and helping people prepare to enter the consultation room. “I would say, ‘Number one, you can go in now,’ and ‘Number two, get ready.’ I did it so that everyone could receive the service properly.” At the time, she had never studied customer care or hospital administration. She simply wanted the system to run smoothly. ALSO READ: Customer service is not only about the smile of employees “I was also a patient myself,” she says with a laugh. “But I felt that if people were organised, everyone would be helped faster.” A moment that changed everything Years later, Dr Nyirinkwaya moved his practice to Remera, where La Croix du Sud Hospital now stands. Mukantwari continued seeking treatment there. And when she arrived at the new location, she found herself doing the same thing again—helping guide patients while waiting for her appointment. One day, the doctor noticed. “He saw how I was helping people and organising patients,” she says. “He realised that I was doing customer care without even knowing it.” Dr Nyirinkwaya approached her with an unexpected offer. ALSO READ: The teacher who changed thousands of girls’ lives, & the film that brought her story to Kigali “He told me that I seemed to have the ability to do that work well,” she recalls. “Then he asked if I would like to work here.” Mukantwari had secretly hoped for that opportunity but had never found the courage to ask. “At that time I had been thinking about asking him for a job,” she says. “But I didn’t know how to start that conversation.” The doctor asked her to write a formal application letter for a customer care position. “I wrote the letter and after some time they called me and told me I had been given the job,” she says. But the good news did not stop there. Around the same time, Mukantwari discovered she was pregnant. “I was so happy,” she says, smiling widely. “At the same time I got a job and also found out that I was going to have a child.” She describes the moment as one of the greatest blessings of her life. “I thanked God and I thanked Dr Nyirinkwaya,” she says. “I always say may God bless him for trusting me.” The human side of hospital care Since then, Mukantwari has become one of the most recognisable faces at the hospital’s reception. Patients who have visited the facility over the years often recognise her immediately. ALSO READ: All about Women’s Month and why performative feminism must stop “Some people used to tell the doctor that I should have been hired earlier,” she says with a modest laugh. “They said they already knew me because I used to help them before.” Her approach to the job is simple but powerful. For Mukantwari, customer care begins with empathy. “People who come to the hospital are not all the same,” she explains. “Some are sick, some are worried about relatives, and others are coming for the first time and do not know where to go.” That is why she believes the first step is to welcome people warmly. “When someone arrives, I greet them kindly and ask how we can help them. Sometimes they have travelled far away and they are tired.” She often guides new patients through the hospital layout, explaining where they should register, where they can find restrooms and how the consultation process works. ALSO READ: The Nyamirambo women making a difference “If someone is coming here for the first time, I want them to feel comfortable,” Mukantwari says. “Even showing someone where the restroom is can make a difference.” At times the job requires quick decisions. If a patient arrives in serious condition, Mukantwari ensures they are directed immediately to the emergency unit rather than waiting in the general queue. “There are moments when someone comes in very sick,” she explains. “In those cases we quickly help them reach the emergency team.” There are also moments that require patience. Occasionally, someone arrives late but insists on being seen before others who have been waiting for hours. “In those situations we try to handle it calmly,” she says. “Everyone deserves respect and fairness.” ALSO READ: Good service key to Rwanda’s bid to become a top sporting destination Balancing work and motherhood Outside the hospital, Mukantwari’s day begins long before her shift. Her workday starts at 8 a.m., but the morning routine at home comes first. “As a woman you have responsibilities at home,” she says. “Before coming to work I must prepare my child for school.” She wakes early to organise the household, ensuring her child is ready for the day before leaving for work. Like many working mothers, she relies on careful planning and occasional help at home to keep everything running smoothly. ALSO READ: Upgrading customer care in Rwanda “When I reach work I feel calm because I know I have prepared everything at home,” Mukantwari says. She describes her job not just as employment but as a calling. “I love this work because it helps people,” she says. “And it also helps me support my family.” Her child is now in Senior Three in secondary school. Through her salary, she contributes to school fees, books and daily household needs. “This job helps me pay school fees and buy school materials,” she says. “It allows me to take care of my family.” She also values the independence the job provides. “I can dress myself, take care of my home and even help someone who is struggling,” she says. A message to other women As Rwanda marked International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8, Mukantwari believes her story carries an important message for women, especially those who did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education. She says dignity and opportunity can still be built through determination and hard work. “Education is important, but even those who did not study much still have opportunities,” she says. Mukantwari encourages women to look for small ways to start generating income. “You can begin with something small,” she explains. “You can sell vegetables, bananas or other goods. Even with a little capital you can start a business.” She also suggests small-scale farming such as raising chickens. “You can raise a few chickens and sell eggs,” she says. “Step by step you can grow.” For Mukantwari, the most important ingredient is courage. “What matters is having the courage to start,” she says. “When you believe in yourself, many things become possible.” Returning to the reception desk After nearly an hour of conversation, the interview ends. Mukantwari stands up, thanks us politely and heads straight back to the reception area where patients are already waiting. Within moments she is again greeting visitors, answering questions and guiding people through the hospital corridors with the same calm confidence that first caught the attention of Dr Nyirinkwaya years ago. For the hundreds of patients who pass through La Croix du Sud Hospital each week, Mukantwari is often the first person they meet—and sometimes the one who reassures them in moments of uncertainty. It is a role she embraces wholeheartedly. “This job has helped me build my life,” she says. “And I am grateful to Dr Nyirinkwaya for giving me the opportunity.” Then, as another patient approaches the desk, she smiles and returns to the work that has quietly defined her journey for years.
