Kigali, 19 November 2024 – The Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) has received a boost to its mental health outreach efforts with the donation of 39 motorcycles and accompanying safety equipment. This initiative, supported by Interpeace and the Government of Sweden, aims to enhance mental health and psychosocial support services in Rwanda’s most remote communities.
The donated motorcycles will enable health professionals to conduct mental health screenings in hard-to-reach areas, deliver group-based Resilience-Oriented Therapy (ROT), a proven intervention for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD and Facilitate awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and promote mental health wellness mong the citizens.
Speaking at the handover event, Mr. Theo Principe Uwayo, Rwanda Biomedical Centre’s Chief Finance Officer reiterated the importance of the motorcycles in improving mental health and social support services in remote areas.
“It is our shared responsibility to advance mental health care and social cohesion. We are grateful to all partners and participants for their dedication to this important cause. I am optimistic that this initiative will have a positive impact on mental health care in Rwanda” Mr. Uwayo noted.
The donated motorcycles are part of the program named “Reinforcing Community Capacity for Social Cohesion and Reconciliation through Societal Healing in Rwanda”. The program which addresses pressing mental health challenges stemming from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, seeks to strengthen decentralized mental health care in five target districts Musanze, Ngoma, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, and Nyagatare.
The 2018 Rwanda Mental Health Survey revealed significantly higher rates of mental health challenges, highlighting the need for accessible and culturally appropriate interventions.
