{"id":2000106965,"date":"2026-03-30T19:46:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000106965"},"modified":"2026-03-31T17:16:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:16:47","slug":"rotary-club-of-kigali-virunga-celebrates-25-year-anniversary-commits-to-purchasing-5-million-medical-scanner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rotary-club-of-kigali-virunga-celebrates-25-year-anniversary-commits-to-purchasing-5-million-medical-scanner\/","title":{"rendered":"Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga celebrates 25 year-anniversary, commits to purchasing $5 million medical scanner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The commitment was made on March 28, 2026, during celebrations marking the club\u2019s 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotary is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to humanitarian work, including supporting the underprivileged, promoting public welfare services such as clean water, environmental conservation, combating epidemics, and contributing to community development initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotary International was founded by Paul Percy Harris in Chicago, United States, on February 23, 1905. In Rwanda, it was introduced in 1960 by the Rotary Club Kigali Doyen. The Kigali Virunga chapter was established in 2000 and currently has over 94 members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Malinga, President of the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga, highlighted that over 25 years, the club has implemented numerous projects benefiting the community, including contributions to the Kigali Library, which cost over $6 million, with the club contributing $2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have undertaken many projects that demonstrate the impact of the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga in society. These initiatives reflect the achievements possible when government institutions and non-governmental organizations collaborate effectively,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the celebrations, members elected Alex Ndibwami as the new club president for the 2026\/2027 term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The club also raised over Rwf53 million to support the purchase of the SPECT Scan machine. Ndibwami emphasized that fundraising efforts will continue through partnerships with private companies, collaboration with other Rotary clubs in Rwanda, and additional grant applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted, \u201cWithin Rotary International, there are structured ways to request support, but it requires demonstrating what you have already accomplished. We will combine our local fundraising with support from other clubs and both private and government entities to complete this project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rwanda\u2019s Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, welcomed the initiative, noting that it complements government efforts to provide high-quality healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCurrently, breast and cervical cancers are on the rise. Introducing a machine like this, which can detect cancer early, is an opportunity for Rwanda, as many patients previously had to travel abroad at high cost to access such services,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project to acquire the SPECT Scan machine is expected to be completed by 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the event, Past Assistant District Governor (PADG) and Centennial Past President (CPP) Paul Masterjerb Birungi, a dedicated member of the Rotary Club for 25 years, was recognized as the district\u2019s top recruiter and inducted into the Membership Society, an honor reserved for Rotarians who have recruited more than 25 new members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, he is the only individual across the district, which spans 10 countries, to have reached this milestone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businessman Faustin Mbundu also received the Major Donor Label pin in recognition of his USD 10,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation, which supports impactful community projects worldwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past 25 years, he has remained closely connected to the growth of Rotary Club Kigali Virunga, frequently serving as a guest of honor and generously supporting various initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga has celebrated 25 years of service<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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During the celebrations, Alex Ndibwami was elected as the new President of Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Members of Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga pledged $5 million to acquire a state-of-the-art medical scanner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga raised over Rwf53 million to purchase a SPECT Scan machine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Prominent businessman Mbundu Faustin was also awarded the Major Donor Label pin in recognition of his USD 10,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation, which funds projects globally that impact communities. He has been closely involved with the growth of Rotary Club Kigali Virunga over the past 25 years, frequently serving as the club\u2019s guest of honor and supporting numerous projects through generous donations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana welcomed the SPECT Scan acquisition project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Members of the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga have pledged to purchase a $5 million medical machine (over Rwf7 billion), a \u2018SPECT Scan\u2019 capable of detecting cancers and other serious diseases affecting the brain, bones, and other organs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000106972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000106965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000106972,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/o.jpg","alt":"","caption":"Members of Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga pledged $5 million to acquire a state-of-the-art medical scanner","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1000,"height":667,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/o.jpg","width":150,"height":100},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/o.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/o.jpg","width":768,"height":512},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/o.jpg","width":1000,"height":667},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/o.jpg","width":1000,"height":667}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000106965"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000107116,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106965\/revisions\/2000107116"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000106972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000106965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000106965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000106965"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000106965"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000106965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}