{"id":4450,"date":"2026-10-12T08:38:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T08:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/?p=4450"},"modified":"2026-10-12T09:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T09:58:35","slug":"jeannette-kagame-recognises-africa-new-lifes-role-in-restoring-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/12\/jeannette-kagame-recognises-africa-new-lifes-role-in-restoring-hope\/politics\/national\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeannette Kagame recognises Africa New Life\u2019s role in restoring hope"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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First Lady Jeannette Kagame has commended Africa New Life Ministries for helping vulnerable Rwandans rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, saying its work has contributed to restoring dignity and a sense of belonging among affected families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on Sunday, October 11, at celebrations marking the Christian organisation\u2019s 25th anniversary, Jeannette said it had responded to the country\u2019s needs during a difficult period by combining evangelism with practical support for children, families and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the organisation had helped address the consequences of displacement and family separation through education, healthcare, clean water and other forms of assistance, alongside spiritual guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded in September 2001 by Rev. Dr. Charles Buregeya Mugisha and his wife, Florence Mugisha, Africa New Life began by supporting 30 children in Kayonza District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeannette said the organisation emerged when Rwanda was rebuilding after years of upheaval and helping people returning from exile re-establish their lives and relationships within their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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She noted that many Rwandans who had lived as refugees returned home carrying painful memories, while some children had grown up without a clear understanding of their homeland or a stable sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing a country with a large number of people who were once refugees means that people lost not only their land, but also their humanity, dignity and heritage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeannette added that Africa New Life had helped people recover a sense of community by providing spiritual comfort and meeting practical needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you thought you were simply starting a church, you were answering a question many of us were asking: Where is home? Where is our home?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She praised the founders for creating a place where people could find a sense of belonging, while supporting families with food, education, clean water and healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kagame also recognised the organisation\u2019s role in caring for children orphaned by the country\u2019s history, saying it had helped raise children who might otherwise have grown up without parental support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over its 25 years of operation, Africa New Life has expanded its programmes to cover education, healthcare, youth development and women\u2019s economic empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation says it has supported more than 21,900 students through education sponsorships, with 12,060 still receiving assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It has also provided values-based training to more than 206,000 young people across the country, seeking to strengthen their leadership skills and prepare them to contribute to their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2018, its Dream Medical Center has provided healthcare services to 528,000 patients, according to figures released for the anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other programmes include food assistance and clean-water projects in eight districts. More than 1,900 women have also received vocational and entrepreneurship training, with 94% subsequently starting businesses, according to the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buregeya Mugisha and Florence Mugisha said their shared purpose had helped them sustain the organisation through difficult periods, acknowledging that its growth had required courage, perseverance and teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began as a programme supporting 30 children in Kayonza has since developed into a wider initiative combining Christian ministry with education, healthcare and community development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First Lady Jeannette Kagame has commended Africa New Life Ministries for helping vulnerable Rwandans rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,53,34,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current_affairs","category-featured-stories","category-national","category-top_stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4450"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4468,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4450\/revisions\/4468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedawnrwanda.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}