A women-focused fitness community, She Shape, backed by Fitnesspoint, has officially launched in Kigali with a mission to help them take charge of their health, build confidence and support each other through fitness. The initiative was unveiled on March 8, during the celebrations of International Women’s Day at the Kigali Convention Centre, where organisers encouraged more women to prioritise wellness and begin their fitness journey in a supportive community environment. ALSO READ: PICTORIAL: First Lady joins Car Free Day to celebrate Women’s Day The initiative operates at Fitnesspoint and aims to provide women with a supportive space to exercise, access wellness information and build confidence through fitness. Its launch featured awards to nine women recognised in different categories for their outstanding participation in the initiative, with the overall winner receiving a one-year membership at Fitnesspoint. ALSO READ: A health scare, reality check and one lazybones leap into fitness The inspiration to undertake the initiative Speaking at the launch, the co-founder of She Shape, Arnoldine Urukundo, said the initiative grew out of her own personal journey with fitness and a desire to help other women experience similar transformation. ALSO READ: Featured: Fitnesspoint expands Gacuriro branch amid growing gym demand Urukundo, an entrepreneur with 10 years of experience, explained that long before becoming a coach or launching the community, she struggled with her own health and gradually realised that fitness had to become a lifestyle rather than a short term goal. “Fitness is not about a four-week transformation or chasing a summer body. It is a basic need that has to become a lifestyle,” Urukundo said. As she began training consistently and learning about nutrition, she said the changes extended beyond physical appearance. “It wasn’t just my weight or appearance that changed. It was my confidence, my discipline and my self-respect.” Urukundo said the growing interest from other women eventually led her to start coaching and building a community where women could support each other. “Many women lack safe spaces to grow and thrive. Many struggle with confidence in silence, and most of the time women take care of everyone else but forget to take care of themselves.” She said the idea of creating a structured community was strengthened when she met Ninette Nsabimana, who later became co-founder of She Shape. “We asked ourselves a simple question: what if there was a space created by women, for women? A space where you do not feel judged and where you can grow strong inside and out.” The initiative has already began yielding results According to Urukundo, the community has already helped more than 200 women become fitter, healthier and more confident over the past year. “When a woman becomes strong, she does not just change her body. She changes her mindset, her family and her community.” Co-founder Ninette Nsabimana said the initiative was built as a wider wellness ecosystem where women can access fitness programmes, education and peer support. She noted that many women feel intimidated when entering gyms or following fitness trends online, which often discourages them from starting their fitness journey. “We wanted to create a safe space for women where they feel comfortable to train and take their health seriously,” Nsabimana said. She explained that the community has grown to more than 250 women and has organised a series of group workouts and wellness events over the past year. “We are building a community where women support each other and hold each other accountable so they can stay consistent in their health journey.” What’s unique about the facility, assistance from Fitnesspoint Olivier Muvunyi, the Managing Director of Fitnesspoint, said the partnership with She Shape was inspired by the need to make gyms more welcoming to women. He observed that although many women visit gyms, they often feel uncomfortable exercising in mixed spaces or unsure where to start. “Many women come to the gym but feel like they do not belong. What they need is someone who makes them feel comfortable and supported,” he said. According to Muvunyi, the gym worked with the founders to provide a space where women could train together and build confidence. “Fitness is not about being better than someone else. It is about becoming a better version of yourself,” he said, encouraging women to see fitness as a lifelong habit rather than a temporary activity. Clairon Niyonsenga, Sports Development Project Manager at the Ministry of Sports, said women’s participation in sport is essential not only for personal health but also for national development. She noted that engaging in physical activity helps women manage weight, balance hormonal changes and prevent non-communicable diseases. “Sport helps women stay strong physically and mentally while preventing diseases linked to unhealthy lifestyles,” she said. She added that women’s involvement in sports also aligns with Rwanda’s ambition to become a sports hub in Africa. Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, the Representative of United Nations Development Programme (UND) in Rwanda, shared her own experience with body image and health, noting that women often face societal expectations about how their bodies should look. She said that over time she realised that the focus should not be on appearance but on overall wellbeing. “It was never really about weight. It was about health, energy and being strong enough to live the life that I wanted,” Sesay said. She added that regular exercise strengthens both the body and the mind, helping women build discipline and confidence. “The real victory is not who lifted the most weight. The real victory is every woman who showed up,” she said. According to Sesay, communities such as She Shape are important because they encourage women to support each other while taking responsibility for their wellbeing. “A woman who feels strong in her body walks differently into the world. She speaks differently, leads differently and believes in herself differently.” She encouraged women to take charge of their health and embrace movement as part of everyday life. “God may give us long life, but living a healthy and joyful life is our responsibility.”
