Zambia and Eswatini each received roughly 500 doses. The delivery is touted as a game‑changer in the fight against HIV in a region where the burden remains extremely high.
Lenacapavir has shown near‑complete protection in clinical studies. Daniel O’Day, chair and CEO of Gilead Sciences, called the Eswatini rollout “extraordinary,” noting that it is the first time a new HIV medicine has reached a sub‑Saharan African country in the same year it was approved in the United States.
The rollout is part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund, initially planned for ten high‑risk African countries and aiming to reach at least two million people by 2027. The initial target for 2025 was 250,000 doses, later increased to 325,000 due to early demand.
In Eswatini, a kingdom with roughly 1.2 million people and over 200,000 living with HIV, about 6,000 high‑risk individuals, particularly those at risk of mother‑to‑child transmission, are scheduled to receive the first doses. Most of those living with HIV in Eswatini receive treatment funded by PEPFAR.
Despite the milestone, concerns remain about access and affordability. Civil society groups in South Africa have criticised Gilead for excluding local manufacturers from licensing agreements, even though South Africa hosted Lenacapavir clinical trials.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued new guidelines recommending injectable Lenacapavir for HIV prevention on July 14, 2025. The recommendation was announced during the International AIDS Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, where the guidelines were formally released.
During the forum, the Global Fund and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation committed to supplying lenacapavir to at least nine early adopter countries starting in early 2026, with Rwanda currently engaged in discussions on how to access and roll out the drug.
Lenacapavir joins other WHO‑recommended pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options, including daily oral pills and injectable Cabotegravir (CAB-LA). The WHO hailed the long-acting shot as a valuable new choice for people who struggle with a daily pill regimen.
The visit featured a formal military salute, a flyover of U.S. fighter jets, and other displays of military power, underscoring Washington’s commitment to deepening ties with Riyadh.
The meeting between Trump and Prince Mohammed focused on a range of strategic, defense, and business initiatives that could significantly impact the future trajectory of U.S.-Saudi relations. Among the most notable outcomes of the visit was the announcement of a potential sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a shift in U.S. policy.
Historically, Israel had been the only country in the Middle East authorised to purchase the F-35. Trump stated, “We’ll be selling the F-35s” to Saudi Arabia to enhance its defense capabilities. The move marks a shift in U.S. defense policy, potentially altering the balance of military power in the region.
In addition to military cooperation, Trump and Prince Mohammed discussed various business ventures, including partnerships in nuclear energy and investments in U.S. technology sectors, particularly artificial intelligence.
The talks were part of Trump’s broader effort to encourage foreign investment in the U.S. and further strengthen economic ties with Saudi Arabia, a key partner in the region. Additionally, both leaders explored opportunities to expand Saudi investment in U.S. infrastructure projects.
However, the visit was not without controversy. The U.S.-Saudi relationship has been strained since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with U.S. intelligence agencies concluding that Prince Mohammed approved the operation. The Prince has consistently denied ordering the murder.
During the Washington visit, Trump described Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and asserted that the crown prince “knew nothing about it.” He further defended the Crown Prince, calling him “one of the most respected people in the world” and urging reporters not to “embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
For his part, Crown Prince Mohammed acknowledged that Khashoggi’s killing was a “huge mistake” and described the event as “painful.” He maintained that Saudi authorities conducted a full investigation and implemented reforms to prevent a similar incident in the future, while reiterating that he personally did not approve the operation.
The discussions between Trump and the Crown Prince are expected to lead to several significant agreements, particularly in defense and business sectors. However, the broader implications for U.S.-Saudi relations, especially concerning human rights, will likely remain a topic of ongoing debate in the years to come.
Together, they crafted a false narrative, accusing the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of being responsible for shooting down the plane of President Juvénal Habyarimana.
The plane carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down on the night of April 6, 1994, and was followed by the execution of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
This genocide was carried out openly across the country, with the involvement of soldiers, gendarmes, the Interahamwe militia, and others.
Dr. Bizimana highlighted on X that Reyntjens was “the Belgian who drafted the discriminatory 1978 Constitution for the Habyarimana regime, providing it with legal basis for the oppression and extermination of the Tutsi.”
According to Dr. Bizimana, Reyntjens’ involvement was not just an academic error; it was the starting point of his long campaign to sanitize the genocidal regime and attack those who ended it.
He emphasized, “The Belgian Filip Reyntjens has been committed since 1994 to defending his Rwandan friends involved in the genocide against the Tutsi and using them to fabricate blatant lies against the FPR, accusing the latter of invented crimes of the same magnitude as the genocide against the Tutsi.”
These tactics, according to Bizimana, were aimed at glorifying the leaders of Habyarimana’s regime by fabricating two genocides, suppressing the truth, and portraying the RPF as a government of genocidaires.
Dr. Bizimana provided an example of the collaboration between Reyntjens and Ngeze Hassan, the former Editor-in-Chief of Kangura newspaper.
In a letter addressed to Ngeze on May 9, 1997, Reyntjens suggested that it would be highly beneficial to highlight the role of the RPF in the attack that downed President Habyarimana’s plane.
He proposed that if there were any RTLM workers in Nairobi, they could be contacted to help investigate whether it would be possible to uncover any information related to his inquiry.
Reyntjens also expressed his willingness to meet with Ngeze or any other journalists in the near future. Minister Bizimana pointed out that Reyntjens was encouraging Ngeze to accuse the RPF of crimes, despite being fully aware of the genocidal ideology that had influenced his actions.
{{Who shot down Habyarimana’s plane?}}
An investigation into the shooting down of President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane was initiated by France in 1998 after the families of those onboard, as well as the plane’s crew and staff, requested it.
In 2012, Rwanda granted French judges Marc Trévidic and Nathalie Poux permission to enter the country. They announced that the missiles that shot down Habyarimana’s plane came from the Kanombe Military Base, with no connection to the RPA forces reportedly stationed in Masaka.
There are documents from France’s external intelligence agency, DGSE, showing that France had information on who shot down Habyarimana’s plane starting from April 6, 1994.
An investigation conducted by Radio France and Mediapart uncovered a DGSE document written to President François Mitterrand, detailing the agency’s information about the attack.
The document, dated September 22, 1994, was released by the Ministry of Armed Forces in 2015. It stated that “two extremists,” Colonel Théoneste Bagosora and Laurent Serubuga, were the ones who issued the orders to shoot down Habyarimana’s plane.
On July 12, 1994, DGSE revealed that the plane was shot down by Hutu extremists seeking to eliminate President Habyarimana, who had agreed to negotiations with the RPF.
The French were the first to arrive at the crash site and were said to have taken the black box from the plane, which contained critical information about the incident.
{{Ngeze: An extremist who hated Tutsis}}
Ngeze Hassan was sentenced to 35 years in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha after being convicted of crimes related to the genocide against the Tutsi and crimes against humanity. Another document written by Reyntjens revealed that Ngeze Hassan played an active role in the 1992 massacres of Tutsis in Bugesera.
The document states: “In March 1992, Reyntjens writes, Interahamwe and soldiers from the Presidential Guard and the Mayuya camp (a total of about 75 soldiers) were sent to Bugesera. The soldiers were in civilian clothes and armed with knives and pistols.
“Individuals, particularly officers from the Ministry of Justice and judicial police inspectors/officers, who might have hindered the operation had been reassigned beforehand. The troublemakers were transported by vehicles from the Public Works Department, and the fuel needed for the operation was provided by Mr. Rwabukumba and Mr. Nzirorera, and allegedly transported by Hassan Ngeze and stored at the home of mayor, Rwambuka.
“Initially arriving in Gashora, the Interahamwe and soldiers, assisted by local interahamwe, blended in with the population. They then attacked specific pre-determined targets: Tutsi families or those belonging to the opposition. From there, the violence spread.”
This document highlights how some institutions involved in the genocide provided vehicles for the killers, supplied fuel, and sheltered the perpetrators in high-end hotels.
The document further notes, “The criminals were given very comfortable accommodations. Ngeze Hassan, the Chief editor of Kangura, who was involved in the events in Bugesera, came to visit me at the hotel.”
Minister Bizimana emphasized, “Ngeze Hassan, whom Filip Reyntjens sought to work with after the halt of the genocide, urging him to collaborate in falsely accusing the RPF, is a hardened criminal because his role in the preparation and execution of the genocide was evident from 1990 onwards.”
{{Ngeze Hassan’s background}}
Ngeze Hassan was born on December 25, 1957, in Rubavu District, Gisenyi Sector. He is known for inciting ethnic division through the Kangura newspaper, which he founded in 1990. Hassan is also known for his work at ONATRACOM, the national public transport authority.
Hassan is infamous for publishing the “10 Commandments of the Hutu” in December 1990, which fueled hatred among Hutus against Tutsis.
Kangura, the magazine Ngeze managed, was heavily supported by the MRND party, which was led by President Habyarimana.
In 1993, Ngeze gained influence on RTLM, a radio station that shared the same genocidal ideology as Kangura. During the genocide, Ngeze regularly provided RTLM with the names of Tutsis who were to be killed, particularly focusing on individuals from Gisenyi Province. He publicly announced these names on RTLM.
In June 1994, Ngeze fled to Mombasa, Kenya. In 2003, he was arrested by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and tried in 2007. He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but after an appeal, Judge Theodor Meron reduced his sentence to 35 years.
In a statement released on Wednesday, RDB said the move reflects the Visit Rwanda brand’s broader strategy to diversify its global sports partnerships and expand into new markets that support the next phase of its tourism and investment ambitions.
The partnership, launched in 2018, has been widely credited with elevating Rwanda’s global profile, particularly in tourism and conservation. According to RDB, the collaboration surpassed its original goals by inspiring millions of Arsenal supporters worldwide to discover Rwanda and by strengthening the country’s positioning as a leading sustainable tourism destination.
Over the past eight seasons, the Visit Rwanda brand featured prominently on Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams, supported by a series of joint campaigns that highlighted Rwanda’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. RDB noted that during this period, visitor arrivals climbed to 1.3 million in 2024, with tourism revenues reaching $650 million, a 47% increase since the partnership began.
The relationship also delivered standout promotional moments, including Rwanda Heritage Day at the Emirates Stadium and several visits by Arsenal legends and players such as Alex Scott, Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Flamini, Jurrien Timber, Caitlin Foord, Katie McCabe, and Laia Codina.
The visits showcased attractions ranging from mountain gorilla trekking and Big Five safaris in Akagera National Park to canopy walks in Nyungwe and leisure experiences along Lake Kivu. Many of the club’s representatives also took part in Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s flagship annual gorilla naming ceremony.
Beyond tourism promotion, the partnership supported Rwanda’s ambition to establish itself as a leading African sporting hub by helping deliver grassroots football initiatives that have benefited young players and coaches across the country.
RDB Chief Executive Officer Jean-Guy Afrika said the partnership “broke new ground for tourism boards around the world,” adding that while Rwanda is now shifting its focus to new global markets, the country remains thankful for Arsenal’s support over the past eight years.
“We are proud of what this partnership has achieved over many years of collaboration. It broke new ground for tourism boards around the world, driving awareness and visitation for Rwandan tourism at a pace traditional campaigns could never match,” the RDB CEO stated.
He added that Rwanda will continue to work with the wider Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Group through its more recent partnerships with the LA Rams and SoFi Stadium.
“We look forward to continuing our relationship with the wider Kroenke Sports C Entertainment Group through our recent partnerships with the LA Rams and So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles, and we remain a fully committed and engaged partner of Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams for the remainder of the season. We wish them all the very best in their continuing quest for even more sporting success in the months ahead,” he added.
Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick praised the collaboration, describing it as a “significant journey” that helped raise awareness of Rwanda’s conservation efforts while strengthening the club’s connections across Africa and driving forward its ambitions.
“The commitment and support of Visit Rwanda throughout our partnership has played an important role in driving forward our ambitions, helping us invest in our long-term vision to win major trophies, in a financially sustainable way. We thank the Rwanda Development Board for their partnership and what we’ve delivered together,” Garlick stated.
Both sides confirmed they remain committed partners through the remainder of the season.
Visit Rwanda, the official tourism brand of the Rwanda Development Board, has a growing global sports portfolio, including partnerships with Paris Saint‑Germain, Atlético de Madrid, and FC Bayern Munich, before more recently signing deals with U.S. teams the [ LA Clippers and Los Angeles Rams->https://en.igihe.com/sports/article/visit-rwanda-expands-global-sports-reach-with-clippers-and-rams-deal].
Construction is expected to be completed within 24 months, at a cost of over $24 million (over 34 billion Rwandan Francs).
The state-of-the-art facility is expected to address a critical gap in the country’s health security architecture by providing rapid, accurate diagnosis of zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases, the types of pathogens with the highest potential to trigger future outbreaks.
With modern molecular testing capacity and advanced biosafety systems, the NVRLL will enable quicker confirmation of diseases such as Mpox, Marburg, avian influenza, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease, improving national readiness and response.
The laboratory will also help safeguard Rwanda’s economy by reducing livestock losses, improving disease surveillance, and supporting safe animal movement and trade.
Besides, faster diagnostics will strengthen veterinary services, protect household livelihoods, and advance the country’s compliance with regional and international animal health standards.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, highlighted the importance of the new facility.
“Pandemics often begin in animals before spilling over to humans. This laboratory gives Rwanda the scientific capability to detect threats early, protecting our people, our livestock, and our economy,” he said.
Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund also expressed delight at the groundbreaking initiative.
“Through projects like this, the Fund helps countries put the One Health approach into action, strengthening collective health across the human, animal, and environmental sectors.
“By enhancing disease detection and response, Rwanda is setting a new benchmark for health security in the region. We are proud to stand with Rwanda in building resilient systems that protect communities and livelihoods,” he noted.
The NVRLL is a flagship activity under the Strengthening Pandemic Prevention and Response Through One Health Approach in Rwanda (SPPROHRW) project, supported by the Pandemic Fund and implemented by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources through the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), RAB, and several development partners.
The One Health concept recognizes that the health of humans and animals are linked because they share the same environment.
The Government of Rwanda has embraced the One Health approach and continues to demonstrate strong political will to institutionalize it across relevant sectors.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s plenary meeting on Security Council reform, Fu said that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently made a “brazen, provocative” statement on Taiwan at the Japanese Diet. She claimed that a “Taiwan contingency” could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan and implied that Japan may invoke the so-called right to collective self-defense to interfere militarily in the Taiwan Strait.
Takaichi’s remarks are “extremely erroneous and dangerous,” and constitute a gross interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious breach of the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, said Fu.
“They are an affront to international justice, damage the post-war international order, trample on the basic norms of international relations, and represent a blatant departure from Japan’s commitment to peaceful development,” he noted.
“Such a country is totally unqualified to seek a permanent seat on the Security Council,” said the ambassador.
Fu underscored that throughout its history, Japanese militarists have repeatedly used the so-called “survival-threatening situation” as a pretext to launch foreign aggression, including the Sept. 18 Incident in 1931, under the pretext of the right of self-defense, which provoked a war of aggression against China and brought profound suffering to the Chinese people and people around the world.
“Now, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi again raised the issue of ‘survival-threatening situation.’ What is her true intention? Is Japan going to repeat its past mistakes of militarism?” Fu asked.
The ambassador said Takaichi has also consistently advocated for removing the “renunciation of war” clause from Japan’s pacifist constitution. “Given the egregious behavior from Takaichi, how can we trust Japan’s professed commitment to peaceful development? How can the international community trust Japan to uphold fairness and justice? How can we trust Japan to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security?” he said.
Fu stressed that Japan should immediately stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, retract its wrongful, provocative remarks and actions, and refrain from “playing with fire” on the Taiwan question. “Otherwise, Japan should be prepared to bear all the consequences.”
“If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression and would definitely be met with a firm response from China. We will exercise our right to self-defense under the UN Charter and international law and resolutely defend China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Fu stated.
The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Tuesday by 427–1, with Republican Clay Higgins casting the sole vote against it. Just hours later, the Senate cleared the bill through unanimous consent, fast-tracking it without debate or amendments. The rare bipartisan alignment ensures the legislation will reach the president’s desk within days.
The vote followed a rapid turn in political dynamics after President Trump abruptly reversed his opposition to releasing the files, urging Republicans to support the measure.
The change came amid significant pressure from his supporters and renewed public attention on Epstein after more than 20,000 pages of documents, including emails referencing Trump, were published last week. The White House has maintained that the president did nothing wrong and has criticised the release of selective correspondence.
The legislation, co-authored by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish all unclassified records, communications, flight logs and investigative materials relating to Epstein and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment.
However, Bondi may withhold or redact information that would reveal victims’ identities or compromise active federal investigations.
The push for disclosure has been driven in large part by survivors of Epstein’s abuse, several of whom watched Tuesday’s vote from the House gallery and gathered earlier outside the Capitol to demand full transparency.
Annie Farmer, an Epstein survivor and key witness in Maxwell’s trial, said concealing the files amounted to “institutional betrayal”, arguing that investigative failures had allowed further harm. Sky Roberts, brother of the late Virginia Giuffre, praised his sister’s longstanding advocacy: “She paved the way for us to come forward… and we won’t stop.”
Political tensions around the effort have been significant. Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, had previously echoed Trump’s earlier stance and opposed the release, with Johnson describing it as a “Democrat hoax”.
He later voted yes but continued voicing concerns about protecting victims’ privacy. Massie, meanwhile, criticised colleagues who resisted disclosure, warning that blocking the legislation would be seen as shielding abusers.
The issue has also strained relationships within Trump’s political circle. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a steadfast supporter of the president, accused him of undermining efforts to secure justice for survivors. Survivors themselves voiced frustration with Trump’s handling of the matter, with Jena-Lisa Jones urging the president to “stop making this political”.
The bill reinforces and expands upon the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation, which has already released tens of thousands of pages of records from the Epstein probe.
Recent documents include email exchanges between Epstein, Maxwell and author Michael Wolff that reference Trump, though none allege wrongdoing by the president. The White House has condemned the release of selected emails as politically motivated.
Epstein, who socialised in elite circles for decades, was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor. In 2019, he was charged with federal sex trafficking offences but was found dead in his New York jail cell weeks later, in what authorities ruled a suicide. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in procuring victims.
As lawmakers await Trump’s signature, survivors and advocates say the coming release represents a crucial step toward transparency in a case that has spanned decades and implicated powerful figures across politics, finance and international society. Whether the files will answer long-standing questions, or raise new ones, is likely to become clear within weeks.
The programme, titled “Forsaken for a Sake,” was officially unveiled on November 9, 2025, at Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos, Nigeria.
The launch marks the beginning of Cohort 1–2025, which will support an initial group of 100 mentors and mentees in Nigeria. Africa Re served as the host institution for the event, selected from among 10 African cities identified for the programme rollout under the campaign “From Rwanda to the World.”
{{Tackling fatherhood and fatherlessness
}}
The mentorship initiative focuses on the transformative role fathers play in shaping children’s lives, and the deep social consequences linked to fatherlessness. Research shows that children raised by present and supportive fathers are more likely to perform well academically, develop stronger self-esteem, and avoid high-risk behaviours such as substance abuse and crime.
Conversely, the partners emphasise that fatherlessness is strongly linked to poverty, emotional distress, poor educational outcomes, and increased vulnerability to early pregnancies and other social challenges.
Speaking on behalf of Dr Corneille Karekezi, Group Managing Director and CEO of Africa Re, Roger Bong Bekondo, Director of Communications & Public Affairs, emphasised the corporation’s dedication to building inclusive and resilient African societies.
“Africa Re is deeply committed to fostering a healthy and inclusive continent, one where every child feels the love of a father or finds a community that helps them heal from his absence,” he remarked.
Bong Bekondo added that partnering with KORA Academy aligns with Africa Re’s long-standing mission to uplift communities through sustainable development initiatives.
He encouraged mentees to immerse themselves in the programme and use the opportunity to heal, grow and develop leadership skills. He also called on mentors to give back by offering guidance, hope and stability to young participants.
“Let Forsaken for a Sake be a beacon of hope and a catalyst for a better society across Africa,” he said.
The launch event featured a panel discussion involving prominent Nigerian thought leaders who shared their personal journeys shaped by either strong paternal guidance or the absence of it. Their insights highlighted the long-term effects of fatherhood experiences, underscoring the need for awareness, healing, and mental health ownership among the youth taking part in the programme.
{{A book to guide the journey
}}
The mentorship launch also included a ceremonial handover of the book “Forsaken for a Sake: Your 30-Day Self-Coaching Collection: Overcoming Fatherlessness” authored by Mireille Karera and published by KORA Coaching & Business Academy. Each mentor and mentee received a copy as part of their upcoming training.
In her remarks, Karera expressed gratitude to Africa Re for its trust and commitment to a pan-African partnership. She shared a poignant personal story linking her own life to the founding history of Africa Re.
Born a refugee in East Africa in May 1976, just months after Africa Re was established, she revealed that she later grew up fatherless, making the programme’s mission deeply personal. At 49 years old, and with Africa Re now also marking 49 years, she described the launch as “a living testimony” of the organisation’s founding vision of continental collaboration and shared progress.
Karera stressed that the programme is in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, particularly Aspiration 6, which champions people-driven development and places women, youth and children at the centre of Africa’s transformation.
The ceremony concluded with a book-signing session, followed by individual interactions between the author and programme beneficiaries. Participants will now embark on an intensive short certification course focusing on mentoring skills and practical sessions tied to the daily devotional workbook.
With its blend of personal reflection, professional mentorship and continental collaboration, the Forsaken for a Sake programme aims to create a new cohort of empowered youth and leaders committed to building stronger, more supportive African communities.
Unveiled on Monday, November 17, 2025, at The Atelier by Design in Kigali, Chidi is built on Anthropic’s Claude model and provides inquiry-driven guidance, contextual understanding, and personalised feedback to help learners develop deeper problem-solving skills.
“This collaboration marks a bold step in redefining how African talent learns, works, and leads in the age of AI,” said Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX. “We are ensuring that Africa’s youth are not just consumers of AI, but creators shaping the innovations that will define the global economy.”
The initiative follows a successful Phase 1 rollout of Chidi to ALX learners across Africa, which recorded over 1,100 conversations and 4,000 chats within just two days. Phase 2 expands the technology into Rwanda’s public education system, including the Rwanda Coding Academy, allowing up to 2,000 educators and a select group of civil servants to participate in ALX’s AI Career Essentials programme.
Participants gain hands-on experience using generative AI tools, including Claude Large Language Model, to enhance teaching methods, lesson planning, and workplace productivity. Graduates receive a year of access to Claude Pro, Claude Code, and Claude for Education, ensuring AI literacy continues to shape classrooms and workplaces beyond the program.
Chidi acts as a personalised tutor for students and a teaching partner for educators. It prompts curiosity, encourages critical thinking, and provides guidance without giving away direct answers.
A joint working group from ALX, Anthropic, and the Rwandan government will document insights from the pilot to inform national AI policy in education and develop future innovations, including Chidi for Schools and African language models.
Commitments for the initiative are shared among the partners, with Anthropic covering costs associated with the large language model and API access, ALX providing training, delivery, and implementation infrastructure, and the Government of Rwanda contributing policy guidance, institutional support, and access to schools, without any financial obligations.
The collaboration combines ALX’s focus on nurturing African tech talent, Anthropic’s expertise in safe and responsible AI development, and Rwanda’s progressive approach to digital transformation. Together, the partners aim to provide Africa’s youth with learning tools on par with those available in global tech hubs such as Silicon Valley, Beijing, and London. Plans are already underway to explore expansion to other parts of Rwanda and Africa.
During the ceremony, Swaniker highlighted Chidi’s unique design for African learners, combining high-quality, scalable, and low-cost education with safeguards for reliability and cultural relevance.
“Chidi uses Claude as an ingredient, but we’ve wrapped it in 20+ years of African pedagogy and context. We have over 150 PhDs continuously researching, fine-tuning, and iterating with real African learners. We’re not just consumers of AI, we’re producers, adapting it to our realities,” he said.
Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire highlighted Chidi’s role in cultivating curiosity and critical thinking among Rwanda’s youth.
“When my daughter was little, she would ask ‘why?’ about everything. As parents, we sometimes get tired of all the ‘whys,’ but that curiosity is how children truly learn and understand the world. Chidi is designed to do the same, to keep asking ‘why,’ to push our learners, and to help them learn from their mistakes instead of just handing them the answers,” she said.
Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education, represented at the ceremony by Pascal Gatabazi, Chief Technical Officer at the Ministry of Education, added that Chidi aligns with Rwanda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan and National Strategy for Transformation, supporting teaching quality, enhancing digital literacy, and driving measurable improvements in student outcomes.
A panel discussion moderated by Nimie Chaylone, General Manager of ALX Rwanda and Kenya, explored the rationale for choosing Africa and Rwanda for the pilot. Drew Benton, who leads Education within Anthropic’s Beneficial Deployments team, emphasised Africa’s young population, talent ecosystem, and capacity for innovation.
“Over half of Africa’s population is under 25, creating an enormous talent ecosystem and opportunity for innovation,” he said.
Early results from Chidi’s use demonstrate significant engagement. Within two weeks of the pilot, learners exchanged 20,000 messages and processed approximately 80 million words of context, showing the platform’s capacity to scale personalised, interactive, and critical-thinking-driven learning.
Learners participating in the pilot praised Chidi for enhancing self-learning and boosting confidence. Shyaka Caleb, a 22-year-old Software Engineering and AI Career Essentials graduate, described Chidi as a “sidekick” that provides in-depth answers and allows learners to ask questions without hesitation.
Giselle Akuzwe, another learner, highlighted how Chidi turned vague project ideas into concrete solutions. “Seeing Chidi rolled out across Rwanda and Africa, especially for girls in tech like me, will be incredibly empowering, not just technically but in bringing our ideas to life,” she remarked.
As Chidi begins its pilot in Rwanda, the initiative signals a new chapter in AI-powered education across Africa. By equipping learners, teachers, and public servants with advanced, safe, and contextually relevant AI tools, the partnership sets a precedent for scalable, transformative learning solutions developed in Africa and shared globally.
Using food supplements is a modern approach to obtaining nutrients from a variety of plants, all compressed into a single pill or spoonful of powder.
This method is commonly used in developed countries, where people seeking a diverse range of fruits, including rare ones, turn to supplements to access the nutrients they cannot easily obtain.
In Rwanda, there is only one factory producing these supplements, known as Alpha Natural Resources Company (ANARECO Ltd).
It was founded by Dr. Emmanuel Manirafasha, a visionary dedicated to developing food products that function as medicine without causing any harm to the body.
Dr. Manirafasha is one of Rwanda’s leading experts in Biochemistry and Chemistry, specializing in the creation of non-toxic medicines derived from natural resources. He pursued his studies in China at one of the world’s top universities, where he earned a Ph.D. His work has resulted in the development of several innovative formulas for various projects.
The Chinese government offered him considerable financial support to implement his formulas, including a hefty sum of $5 million, as well as other assets, including land and properties in China. However, he turned down the offer and decided to bring his innovative work back to Rwanda.
One of the formulas he developed allows for the creation of nutritional supplements that combine various plants into a single pill or spoonful of powder.
These products help the body gain the required strength and energy and efficiently eliminate waste.
This formula was so valuable that the Chinese government tried to secure it by offering Dr. Manirafasha $5 million, along with further perks, but he chose to remain in Rwanda to develop it.
Among the supplements he developed is METABOOSTa, a combination of 12 different plants, some found in Rwanda, others imported. The ingredients include fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds, such as bananas, maize, papaya, and chia seeds, all combined into a single supplement.
Another supplement, MetabAsta, is made in capsule form. The capsule dissolves in the stomach to protect it from stomach acid and supports the body’s energy production.
Dr. Manirafasha has leveraged advanced technology in his factory, ANARECO Ltd, to create these products.
When the Chinese government realized he refused to sell his formula to them, they decided to collaborate, offering access to their high-tech laboratories for his work.
METABOOSTa is easy to use; one takes two spoons of powder, mixes it in water, and drinks it like tea without needing sugar, as the formula replaces the need for sweeteners. It is taken before consuming any other food or supplements. On the other hand, MetabAsta requires the consumption of two capsules in the morning and evening after meals.
According to Dr. Manirafasha, a 250g pack of METABOOSTa costs Frw 20,000, which is affordable compared to other similar products on the market, which can cost up to Frw 400,000 for various packages taking into consideration the variety of blended ingredients.
For MetabAsta, Dr. Manirafasha says, one can buy 60 capsules for just Frw 40,000 at ANARECO Ltd, while elsewhere the same package could cost up to Frw 800,000.
Dr. Manirafasha imports certain ingredients from China, where high-tech factories help in manufacturing a variety of plant-based powders. These ingredients are then blended in Rwanda, using machines capable of processing up to 400kg at a time.
In an interview with IGIHE, Dr. Manirafasha stated his plan to export 80% of his products abroad.
He explained, “We combine various ingredients like papaya, maize, chia seeds, and bananas into METABOOSTa, providing every type of nutrient needed without missing any. That’s the power of our formula.”
For MetabAsta, the capsules are produced in machines at ANARECO Ltd, which ensure the proper filling and sealing of each capsule. The factory uses high-tech equipment to ensure the quality of each batch.
Once the process is complete, each product is labeled with a unique technological mark that prevents counterfeiting.
Dr. Manirafasha also shared his ambitious plans for the future. “We are expanding our factory. In three years, we aim to have a major production facility with 12 different manufacturing lines for products like METABOOSTa. We are also looking to hire over 3,000 employees.”
The capsules produced at the factory are highly efficient, with one machine able to produce 400 capsules per minute. Soon, another machine will be introduced, capable of producing 1,000 capsules per minute. With plans for a large-scale factory, Dr. Manirafasha’s vision is to be able to produce up to 10,000 capsules per minute.
“We are in the process of acquiring land for the factory, which will include research and testing labs to ensure our products meet the highest standards,” he added.
Through his innovative work, Dr. Manirafasha is not only revolutionizing the nutritional supplement industry in Rwanda but is also positioning the country as a leader in advanced health supplements on the global market.
