What began as a simple promise to ensure no patient went hungry while receiving treatment has grown into one of Rwanda’s largest nutrition initiatives, serving millions of meals to patients and schoolchildren across the country.
The milestone celebration brought together First Lady Jeannette Kagame, government officials, development partners, beneficiaries, volunteers and supporters to reflect on the organisation’s achievements and outline an ambitious vision for the future.
Opening the event, Solid’Africa Chief Executive Officer Nassir Katuramu traced the organisation’s origins to the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), where founder Isabelle Kamariza, together with Mama Zouzou and Ariane Inkesha, began providing meals to patients who had no family to feed them.
“They began with five patients, serving porridge, bread, milk and meals cooked in family kitchens,” Katuramu said. “Five patients and a simple promise that they would never go another day without a meal.”
Over the years, that promise evolved into a nationwide nutrition programme supported by volunteers, partners and the Government of Rwanda.
According to Katuramu, the organisation has now delivered more than 12 million meals. In 2025 alone, it served 3.2 million meals, supported approximately 130,000 patients and caregivers across six public hospitals, provided nutritious meals to 15,000 students every school day, and connected more than 7,000 smallholder farmers to structured markets through its Farm-to-Plate model.
He noted that Solid’Africa has continued expanding in 2026, with its school feeding programme now reaching nearly 30,000 students across 11 public schools following the launch of its first centralised clean-energy school kitchen in Rwamagana. The organisation has also opened a new hospital kitchen in Remera Rukoma and plans another in Bugesera.
Katuramu said the organisation’s long-term ambition is to help build a national public nutrition system integrated into public institutions rather than remain dependent on charitable support.
Under its roadmap, Solid’Africa aims to reach 255,000 students across 160 schools by 2030 and have medically tailored meals embedded within Rwanda’s universal health coverage by 2035, reaching one million patients annually while creating stable markets for 50,000 smallholder farmers.
Addressing guests, First Lady and chair of Imbuto Foundation Jeannette Kagame, whose partnership with Solid’Africa since 2014 marked a turning point for the organisation, congratulated Solid’Africa on its 15-year journey, describing the initiative as an example of how compassion can evolve into lasting public service.
The initial partnership between the Imbuto Foundation and Solid’Africa focused on building Solid’Africa’s first Mike Stenbock Gemura Kitchen in Rusororo to provide daily nutritious meals to vulnerable patients in public hospitals.
The First Lady praised founder Isabelle Kamariza for responding to a simple but profound challenge: ensuring that no patient remains hungry while receiving medical care.
“What was pure altruism became a thoughtful answer to a quiet need,” the First Lady said, adding that Solid’Africa had transformed “an act of kindness into a service that restores dignity.” She pledged that Imbuto Foundation would continue supporting the organisation’s mission.
“Imbuto Foundation remains by your side as long as there are patients and children to feed, all of which are part and parcel of your mission. May Solid’Africa keep growing with the same energy, the same faith, and the same tenderness that carried you here,” the First Lady remarked.
“We are grateful for your contribution to Rwanda’s story. We believe the best is yet to come,” she added.
In her remarks, founder and president Isabelle Kamariza said the anniversary was ultimately a celebration of the people who chose to care.
“Solid’Africa was never built by one person,” she said. “It was built, and continues to be built, by people who choose to care.”
Reflecting on the organisation’s growth, Kamariza said its success was driven not by extraordinary resources but by ordinary people making extraordinary choices.
“For many years, almost everything we built was sustained by people here in Rwanda, friends, families, volunteers and communities who gave whatever they could,” she said. “Every contribution mattered. Every person mattered.”
She also thanked the Government of Rwanda, Imbuto Foundation, development partners, volunteers and supporters for helping transform a long-held dream of building modern nutrition infrastructure into reality.
The evening also featured emotional testimonies from beneficiaries whose lives were transformed through Solid’Africa’s support.
Jean Bosco Ruzibiza, one of the organisation’s earliest beneficiaries, recounted how Mama Zouzou and Isabelle Kamariza supported him during his hospitalisation in 2010, paying medical bills, providing food and remaining by his side even after his recovery.
“What they did for me went far beyond providing assistance; they became my family,” he said. “Even after I was discharged, they never abandoned me. Solid’Africa continued to follow up on my wellbeing and remained by my side as I rebuilt my life.”
Esperance Niyigena from Rubavu also shared how the organisation stood with her family after two of her sons suffered severe burn injuries, continuing to provide support during treatment in Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.
“Unfortunately, we lost my four-month-old son, which was a very painful experience for our family. However, Solid’Africa continued supporting my five-year-old son, who was transferred to Kenya for further treatment. We spent six months there, and they continued helping us throughout the journey, including when we later sought treatment in Tanzania,” she narrated.
Mama Tcha also shared her story, having received long-term support during her son’s treatment, alongside photographer Pascal Shyaka, who began volunteering for Solid’Africa after they supported his family through his brother’s illness.
“My elder brother passed away after three months,” Shyaka recalled tearfully. “It was a painful time, but Solid’Africa became like family to us. As a photographer, capturing their work was the least I could do to show my gratitude for everything they did for my family.”
The evening ended on a high note, with live music and a spirited crowd celebrating 15 years of impact. The room was filled with optimism, reflecting a journey that started with five simple meals in a hospital ward and grew into a movement that restores dignity to people in need, feeding thousands across Rwanda every day.
The gala was made possible through the generous support of Solid’Africa partners, including Kigali Marriott Hotel, GoGo Décor, Rwanda Events, Skol, Global Risk Advisors Ltd, BK Foundation, Go-Kabisa, 12 Degrés, Sezibera Construction, Eden Care, Secam, Intore Entertainment, Old Mutual, I&M Bank, Access Bank, Gear and Prime Insurance.
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