Access to healthcare services for members of AVEGA Agahozo, an association of widows of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is expected to improve following financial support from Access Bank Rwanda to operate its newly acquired mobile clinic. This support was officially presented to AVEGA on Thursday, June 25, during a visit by the bank's representatives to AVEGA's headquarters in Remera. The association commended the financial support to back its ongoing medical outreach programmes. ALSO READ: Mobile clinic brings care closer to genocide widows According to Norbert Twagirayezu, the project lead at AVEGA Agahozo, the organisation recently acquired the mobile clinic to improve access to healthcare for its members, many of whom are elderly and face challenges travelling to health facilities. However, operational costs had delayed the rollout of the service. Twagirayezu said the mobile clinic is intended to bring essential healthcare services closer to AVEGA members, particularly elderly widows who often face mobility challenges in accessing hospitals for routine care. Receiving the vehicle was an important milestone, but its operation also requires fuel, medical supplies and maintenance. This support from Access Bank Rwanda will help us launch the service and ensure it runs smoothly. The mobile clinic is expected to provide a range of services, including medical consultations, screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health support, health education and other community-based interventions aimed at improving the well-being of survivors. Kelly Sesonga, Marketing and Communications Manager at Access Bank Rwanda, said the bank decided to support the initiative after learning about its potential impact on thousands of beneficiaries. AVEGA approached us earlier this year and presented the project. We immediately recognised its value, especially considering that the organisation serves close to 20,000 members across the country, Sesonga said. The mobile clinic provides a sustainable solution that will bring healthcare closer to vulnerable widows and improve their quality of life. ALSO READ: Access Bank Rwanda pays tribute to Genocide victims at Ndera Memorial Sesonga noted that the partnership also aligns with the bank's commitment to supporting the Genocide survivors, particularly during the commemoration period. She added that the bank's decision was informed by lessons from a previous collaboration with AVEGA on a nationwide medical outreach programme that offered free health screenings to vulnerable widows. During those outreach activities, we witnessed many women who were unable to travel to the screening sites because of age, illness or mobility challenges. That experience highlighted the need for a more permanent solution, and the mobile clinic emerged as an effective response, she said. AVEGA Agahozo hopes the mobile clinic will bridge healthcare access gaps among its members and ensure that essential medical services reach even the most remote communities.
