She made the remarks on October 11, 2026, during celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Africa New Life Ministries’ work in Rwanda.
Africa New Life Ministries is a Christian faith-based organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Charles Buregeya Mugisha, after his return from exile in Uganda. The organization began its activities in Kayonza District in the Eastern Province before expanding to Kigali in 2004.
Jeannette Kagame said Africa New Life Ministries was established at a difficult time in Rwanda’s history, when the country was still recovering from years of conflict and working to rebuild people’s lives.
“Africa New Life Ministries was not born during a time of peace and freedom. Rather, it was born at a difficult time, after Rwanda had been devastated, both in terms of the country itself and the lives of Rwandans in general. The church was born when we were still trying to rebuild our country,” she said.
She noted that one of the major challenges Rwanda faced at the time was rebuilding trust and unity among people who had experienced different circumstances, including years of exile.
“The Rwanda we speak about today is a country made up largely of people who had lived in exile. Let us take a moment to think about that and what it meant for the country. It means that Rwanda at that time was a country of people who had been forced into exile or had chosen to flee in order to save their lives, accepting to live as foreigners in other people’s countries.”
“Eventually, those Rwandans returned home, speaking different languages depending on the countries where they had lived […] and they also found those who had never fled carrying trauma caused by our history. Although we were Rwandans, among ourselves we were like strangers,” she added.
The First Lady commended Africa New Life Ministries for contributing to efforts to restore a sense of belonging among Rwandans and help them rebuild their lives.
She said the organization had gone beyond evangelism to respond to social needs and support people affected by the country’s difficult past.
“When you thought you were simply starting a church, you answered a question many of us were asking: Where is home? Where is our home? You gave a clear and meaningful answer when you decided that the church would become a home for many.”
She added that the organization had helped people regain their dignity and find comfort and practical support.
“At a time when the country needed to regain its dignity and address complex challenges it had, you helped many people once again see themselves not as refugees, but as one large family of God. You gave them spiritual nourishment and comforted wounded hearts, but you also provided them with physical nourishment.”
The First Lady also thanked the organization for supporting children who lost their parents as a result of Rwanda’s history.
“We thank you for becoming parents to children who might otherwise never have known their fathers or mothers because they were orphaned by our history. We thank you for showing us that the gospel is not only about telling people that there is heaven, but also about building God’s community in the life we live here on Earth.”
How Africa New Life began
The President and Founder of Africa New Life Ministries, Rev. Dr. Charles Buregeya Mugisha, said the idea of establishing the organization began taking shape in 1995, when he and his wife, Florence Mugisha, visited Rwanda.
During the visit, they encountered children facing serious social challenges, prompting them to consider how they could support vulnerable communities.
Having experienced exile themselves, the couple understood its impact on people’s lives and decided to begin their intervention by supporting children.
“In my classes, I began developing a plan for the ministry we hoped to establish. Our time there prepared us and brought us so many friendships, as you can see, that have become the heart of the story of Africa New Life Ministries.”
When they returned to Rwanda in 2001, Rev. Dr. Mugisha said the needs they encountered, particularly those affecting children, required immediate action.
“When we returned to Rwanda to visit in the summer of 2001, the needs we saw would not allow us to keep waiting,” he said.
He explained that he asked his wife to use the money they had saved to build their first home to help the children instead, a decision that marked the beginning of Africa New Life Ministries.
“We still needed a home, but we also knew that these children needed a beginning. Those days became part of the foundation of the work we were doing,” he noted.
More than 21,900 children supported
Over 25 years of operations in Rwanda, Africa New Life Ministries has expanded its work across education, healthcare and community development.
The organization currently has 12 branches across the country and says it has supported more than 21,900 children in accessing education.
It has also supported 1,914 women through initiatives aimed at improving their livelihoods.
In education and nutrition, the organization has provided more than 5.7 million meals in schools to help children access nutritious food and continue their studies.
In healthcare, more than 500,000 people have received medical services at Dream Medical Center.
The anniversary celebrations highlighted Africa New Life Ministries’ approach of combining evangelism with practical interventions aimed at improving community wellbeing.
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