By
/ October 29, 2018 
RIIO Co-founder Dr. Ciku Mathenge receives 2018 SEE International Humanitarian of the Year Award.
In recognition of her commitment to service and sustainable impact, Dr. Mathenge is SEE’s 2018 internationally-based Humanitarian of the Year.
Read more about the award here
My name is Dr. Norbert Uzabumwana, I am a first year resident at RIIO. I am Rwandan and I have been working as General practitioner working for the public hospital for 5 years before joining the residency. Some years back, my grandfather had an eye condition that ended up blinding him. Since that time his life changed forever. As I grew up looking for my future career I realized that there is nothing great compared to restoring the sight for people. Even though there is shortage of doctors in the whole country, but the field of eye health is among the most affected. The path to choosing my medical career brought me to ophthalmology.
This field of ophthalmology is interesting more than any other department I have ever been before. Before joining the residency program my understanding was that in ophthalmology there is few works, it is about glasses prescription, only small organ with probably small anatomy and physiology etc. From the day I saw the 13 BSCS Book volumes, I realized things were not going to be stress-free. I have just dedicated myself to work hard, be on time, read and learn some surgeries in my very first beginning. It is fun but hard to operate on microscope, when you join this program that’s when you start treasuring the gift of stereopsis.
Apart from enjoying treating patient, I also enjoy doing physical exercise, learning new skills and spending quality times with my family and friends.
My dream is to have a meaningful impact on people of Rwanda and train my younger doctors. In the future I hope to initiate a business that will elevate young Rwandans through knowledge and skills acquisition, and talent discovery.
Dr. KWIZERA Jean Rene is currently a resident in the Department of Ophthalmology at RIIO-COESCA With a passion for vision health and patient care; He is dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the lives of patients through both medical and surgical interventions.
Dr. KWIZERA Jean Rene had chosen to pursue a career in ophthalmology due to a profound interest in the unique blend of technology, innovation, and compassionate care that the field offers. The ability to restore vision and improve quality of life is what drives Dr Rene daily.
Furthermore he looks forward to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to provide exceptional eye care and advocate for patients both locally and globally.
My name is Gad DUSENGIMANA, and I am a medical doctor. Growing up in Rwanda, when I was a child, I witnessed many people suffering from blindness especially in rural area, they were walking through life without the care they needed. This struggle became personal when my grandfather lost his sight in both eyes. I vividly remember walking with him, holding a stick to guide him as he followed behind me. We lost hope for his vision due to the lack of access to healthcare, and it was during these moments that I realized the severe shortage of ophthalmologists in our country, where even preventable blindness was often left untreated.
Motivated by these experiences, I pursued my education with great determination. I finished secondary school with a strong ambition to study medicine, driven by a desire to understand the causes of blindness—both preventable and unavoidable. However, upon graduating from medical school, I found that my exposure to ophthalmology was limited, and many of my questions remained unanswered. Nonetheless, my dream of pursuing postgraduate studies in ophthalmology stayed alive.
During my internship, I applied to ophthalmology residency programs around the world, hoping to further my training in this field. In 2023, I experienced a moment of immense joy when I was accepted into the RIIO-COECSA residency program. Since then, I have been learning and gaining valuable skills from seniors, colleagues, equipping me to become an ophthalmologist who can make a meaningful contribution to the fight against preventable blindness.
I am Dr. Moise ISHIMWE SEBIKARI, PGY 1 Resident at Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology RIIO. I chose to join ophthalmology because I found scarcity of ophthalmology in developing countries, especially here I Rwanda, yet a huge number of people with eye diseases, some of them which are totally avoidable and treatable, and I found in myself one of the answer.Since then I looked for the opportunity to help me to achieve my dreams that is when I knew RIIO, and applied for Resident in ophthalmology. Unfortunately for the first time in 2021, I did not pass well but also I had kept trying to do application because of the way I really liked ophthalmology. Later one I Applied again in 2022, I did exams and a got admission in 2023.
After joining the program, I was so happy but to study has never been easy but with determination, courage, help that I am getting from school staffs, senior resident, and training centers, I wish everything will go well and I will achieve my dream of becoming an ophthalmologist and help in restoring sight and improving vision in general.
Dr Jean de Dieu Ntivuguruzwa,In 2019, he was deployed at Butaro Hospital as an intern Medical Doctor for a period of 12 months, from where after he was deployed at Byumba Distric Hospital by Rwanda MOH as a General Practitioner (02/08/2021). Since then he started searching information on how he can find a school of Ophthalmology, after finding that there is a large gap of ophthalmologists in different hospitals (including where I was practicing).
Dr Jean de Dieu came to find information about RIIO and got requirements for application then applied on Jan, 14th, 2022. After passing the exams given and he was called to join the residency as they started on August 28th, 2023. However, before joining RIIO, he really knew little about ophthalmology as they rotated not much in that department during medical training. After joining the program, he started acquiring some knowledge and skills through lectures, self-readings and clinical activities being conducted at Kibagabaga Hospital- the training site and he is eagerly anticipating to acquire enough knowledge and skills during the whole course of training, with passion to help Rwandans and even neighbors in need of eye care.
Beyond his tireless dedication to patients, and readings, Jean de Dieu Ntivuguruzwa is used to spend time with his loved family, enjoys playing some musical instruments and worshiping Almighty God as a Christian.
Dr ANNA Major, Emerging from the serene Caribbean Island of The Bahamas, Anna Major stands as a first-year post-graduate resident at the Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO). Her fervor for ophthalmology took root during her medical school days that was sparked by a poignant encounter with a young mother grappling with the harsh reality of irreversible vision loss due to uncontrolled diabetes. As Anna embarked on her chosen career trajectory, she actively engaged in numerous ophthalmic research projects and altruistic endeavors, both as a medical student and as a practicing physician.
Before her enrollment at RIIO, Anna dedicated six years to the ophthalmology division at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, The Bahamas. Anna clings resolutely to the profound words of Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This principle underpins her decision to join RIIO’s residency program. Anna eagerly anticipates the acquisition of the knowledge and skills needed to address the ophthalmic gaps prevalent in The Bahamas. Her ultimate aspiration and fervent passion lie in serving the people of The Bahamas, by contributing to the restoration of their sense of self-reliance and autonomy through the invaluable gift of sight.
Beyond her tireless dedication to her patients, Anna finds solace in spending quality time with her loved ones, nurturing her Christian faith, chronicling her thoughts through journaling, honing her culinary skills in the kitchen, and actively engaging in community outreach initiatives.
In Rwanda, eye conditions are still a burden of our society. There is a gap of Ophthalmologists countrywide, existing specialists are only based in the Referral Hospitals and some private clinics. From a five year experience I had as General Practitioner in different District Hospitals of Rwanda, I realized that my undergraduate background in Ophthalmology is not sufficient to serve patients with eye problems, and for this reason, I have joined Ophthalmology residency at RIIO school of Ophthalmology where I am now gaining more experiences from different experts all over the World, clinical skills that are parallel to the surgical skills through wet labs where special instruments are used enhance our learning quality.
I hope, I will be one of the professional Ophthalmologists in Rwanda and I will contribute more to the improvement of our eye care quality.
My first 30 days at Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology were full of new experiences of learning. Before joining RIIO, I spent more than 18 years in school, from nursery, primary, high school as well as undergraduate medical school, all of which were almost similar in learning and teaching methods. After medical school, I realized I had some deficiency in ophthalmology knowledge, and I embarked on the way of learning some principles in that strange field, which landed me in RIIO as a resident.
There is familiar jargon residents like to use when talking to graduates in other fields, saying that “we are not students but Doctors in the specialization”. on my first day in RIIO, I had that confidence, like I had the knowledge that needed only to be sharpened, but it did not take much time for me to realize I needed to cool down and behave like a virgin paper ready to be printed on the ophthalmology knowledge.
The learning environment in RIIO is well structured and in the first few days in RIIO, I was able to foresee the performance expected for a resident to train as a good ophthalmologist. There is so much to discover as a new resident like surgeries under a microscope and many more and our training is organized in a more practical than theoretic way.
The older residents were very welcoming, and we realized there is so much we will learn from them. Staff and Directors also treated us with equity and contributed to sharpening our love toward a successful ophthalmology carrier.
In pursuit of purpose, I ended up in the Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology to begin my dream career. This was the first time I was leaving my country for a foreign land. Like Abraham of old, it felt like leaving the known for the unknown & uncertain. Nevertheless, I didn’t hesitate to heed the call. This past (almost) two months have been wonderful. I especially like the learning style, the paperless approach to doing most things & the friendly staff that make my time here all the more bearable & worthwhile. I have definitely grown and look forward to more exciting times of learning & GROWTH.
As a young man growing up in the village, I watched my grandmother grow progressively blind from what I later came to learn was cataracts. She became suicidal and her life came to a halt. For those who grow up in the village you know the role of a grandmother to the community, she was the one left to care for the domestic animals, raise all the kids while everyone went out to work, made sure we the kids were fed and cared for amongst many other roles within the homestead. So with her blindness, her roles stopped and the family was slowly disintegrating.
That was before a medical camp was done by Lions eye hospital, and with eye screening, she finally underwent free cataract surgery and her sight was restored. As a young boy watching all this from a distance, I was fascinated at just what had transpired and which miracle had restored her sight. Later as I made my way through medical school, I came to understand what ophthalmology was and it was obvious what I wanted to do.
I wanted to be the surgeon to give the miracle healing to millions of old people out there who needed that assistance. Come August 2021, the opportunity presented itself when the young village boy now a grown man and doctor walked into RIIO and began my 4-year residency. What really caught my eye from the first day was just how small but well-equipped the school was. We were only a class of four. Four! For someone who was in a medical class of 300 or so students, this was an eye-opener.
It meant very close interaction with the lecturers, other students, and staff. Which obviously meant you get better attention at a personal level and eventually become a better surgeon. The facilities are ultramodern, a very well equipped wet lab, good reliable wifi, and a very comfortable appealing interior design. You certainly feel a lot of thought was taken into designing the whole school. Another thing I love about RIIO so is the lecturers by Prof Ciku and the many anecdotal stories she gives us about her experiences in Kenya and Rwanda.
The senior residents have also been very friendly and helpful which is a big boost. The biggest challenge I have had so far was the language barrier, but it’s a challenge for me to learn French and Kinyarwanda. Certainly, RIIO feels like a big family away from home.
I am Dr. IMANIRIHO Jean Damascene, an RIIO resident working to become an ophthalmologist. I have been working as a general practitioner in Rwandan public and private hospitals, located in rural and urban regions, for four years before joining RIIO. I am driven by helping people in need. After being treated for an ocular condition while doing my first year of medical school, I remarked how vision impacts people’s lives and decided to become an ophthalmologist. For me, vision is equivalent to live.
The first-ever residency program of ophthalmology in Rwanda made my dreams come true. Not only because it was a nearer program but also it was started by brave, successful, and very senior ophthalmologists. These ones who get the international awards; the ones who have both ophthalmology and education as their passion; the ones making excellent research to impact patients’ lives. I had never seen such inspiring doctors before knowing RIIO.
This attraction is also linked to the fact that RIIO is training under COECSA. From RIIO, I hope to become a good ophthalmologist treating both medical and surgical eye conditions. In addition, I will learn to do excellent research and practice evidence-based medicine. After RIIO training, I will give my contribution to improving people’s quality of life through eye care starting with my country, Rwanda.
I hope to decrease, by working with my seniors and colleagues, the level of preventable and treatable blindness in Rwanda and Africa. Through research and publication, my contribution to education will be at a considerable level. Further training like subspecialty is always under consideration in order to provide the maximum care to my patients.
I am Elie, a Rwandan medical doctor. I have been observing the burden of blindness specifically avoidable blindness across the world but mostly in the developing world and found that blindness and eye care, in general, are still marginalized hence they are among the most devastating conditions for health. So, I thought about bringing my contribution to this noble cause. As Mandela said, “education is the only weapon we can use to change the world” for me too, ophthalmology education was the only weapon I could use to beat blindness as well as take eye care to the next level; so I joined RIIO to fully prepare myself to this; RIIO is not only the home institution but also I consider their expertise in the field of ophthalmology as an added value to fulfilling my objectives.
I am Dr. Gilbert NSHIMIYIMANA.I am one of those who think that one of the greatest gifts that God gave man is “SIGHT”.I strive to provide and maintain quality eye care services and that has always been my dream. Rwanda is one of the developing countries suffering from blindness specifically avoidable blindness due to many factors, one of them being few trained eye care specialists (ophthalmologists). By Joining RIIO, my dream did not only come true but also I strongly believe it will enable us to take quality eye health solutions to the next better level.
My name is David NGABO, Medical doctor, First Year Ophthalmology resident at RIIO. It has always been a dream of mine to be a solution orientated person, through that I always think about how I can contribute to the community. Finally, I realized that my passion is to help improve health by helping people with disabilities especially blindness to improve their quality of life. Joining the ophthalmology residency program at Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology(RIIO) is an opportunity for me due to the fact that RIIO has a dedicated team with different expertise and is ready to train young professionals. I believe that through this perspective, I will become a promising ophthalmologist, ready to provide a tremendous contribution to my country and in the region, especially in strengthening eye health care, education, and Research.
My name is Eric MANIRAKIZA. I’m a Burundian Medical doctor and First-Year Ophthalmology resident at RIIO. After completing my studies at Hope Africa University in Burundi, I got a chance to work at VAN NORMAN clinic, which is the Clinic run by the same University where I got the opportunity to practice my medical career. After 3 years of practice, I got a great opportunity to be admitted to the Ophthalmology Residency Program at Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO) which is the most accurate Institution in the region concerning its good purpose and values. I believe that through the education and training provided by RIIO, I will be among the future successful generation of ophthalmologists produced by RIIO, who are ready to give their contribution to their different countries and the region in general, especially in preventing avoidable blindness in the population of Africa.
Je suis Dr KAVIRA MALIRO Valence, de nationalité Congolaise. Je suis née à Goma ou j’ai grandi, puis fait mes études en Médecine à l’université catholique de Bukavu(UCB). J’ai ensuite travaillé dans un projet belgo congolais dénomméAFIA SHULENI, ayant pour objectif d’améliorer les résultats scolairesdes enfants en leur assurant une bonne santé.Pendant ce temps, nous avons constaté que bon nombre d’enfants ne bénéficient pas de la consultation pré- scolaire avant de commencer l’école maternelle voir même primaire. J’ai fait partie de l’équipe chargée d’examinerdes enfants dans différentes écoles pour détecter des pathologies inconnues ou ignorées par les parents. Nous avons rencontré plusieurs problèmes.
J’étaisparticulièrement impressionnée par le nombre des enfants ayant des problèmes oculaires, mais surtout affectée par le fait que nous ne pouvions pas les aider parce que nous n’étions pas suffisamment équipés pour faire face àces problèmes. Nous étions alors obligés de transférer les enfants dans des centres des soins oculaire pour une meilleure prise en charge.
Malheureusement cela prenait beaucoup de temps et les enfants rataient leurscours car les ophtalmologues sont peu nombreux dans la région, ils n’arrivent pas à couvrir le besoin de toute la population.C’est ainsi que j’ai senti le besoin de faire quelque chose, et en moi est né le désir de plus en plus grand de faire des études en Ophtalmolgie, qui m’a motivé de passer un stage dans un centre oculaire, et mon désir s’est transformé en une passion.Trouver la voie vers Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO) a été pour moi une grosse opportunité d’accomplir mon rêve.
Je saisis cetteopportunité pour exprimer ma gratitude pour la chance que RIIO m’accorde de faire de mon rêve une réalité.En tant qu’étudiante en première année, j’ambitionne de faire partie des meilleurs et grands ophtalmologistes, motivés par l’excellence, et toujours auservice de la population pour prévenir et éradiquer la cécité dans nos communautés et partout dans le monde.
