When Health meets Enterprise

In the rural plains of Rwanda, life once meant long walks for even the simplest medical needs, today a new kind of care is taking root — one that is homegrown, collaborative, and sustainable.

At the heart of this transformation are our Public–Private–Community Partnerships (PPCP) enabling the Nurse Entrepreneurship model — a bold, locally driven approach that empowers nurses to own and operate health posts as social enterprises. This model not only brings essential health services closer to people who need them most, but it has also become a catalyst for local economic growth.

The nurse entrepreneurship model represents more than an innovation; it is a shift in how communities experience healthcare.

This model has transformed the health system,” he explains. “It ensures that health services are not just accessible but sustainable. Communities are engaged, nurses are empowered, and the government’s health priorities are realized at the grassroots.”

The model unites three key partners: the public sector, represented by the Ministry of Health; the private sector, through nurse-entrepreneurs managing the health posts; and community members, who use, protect, and sustain these facilities.

Manasseh Gihana Wandera Executive Director

According to Imelda Muhuza, Program Manager at SFH Rwanda, this collaboration is at the core of the model’s success.

“We invest heavily in training — both clinical and managerial — so nurses can run these facilities as viable enterprises,” she says. “That way, when donor funding ends, the services continue. Sustainability is built in from the start.”

Senior Programs Design and Business Development Director at SFH Rwanda

Beyond training, nurse-entrepreneurs receive startup support to purchase equipment, stock medicines, and cover operational costs during the early months. This initial investment enables health posts to become self-reliant and profitable while maintaining their mission of affordable community healthcare.