Anyone in Kigali today will find it bustling again after two punishing lockdowns, but life is far from normal in Rwanda’s capital.
Huge banks of sinks and soap dispensers dot the city. Drones hover overhead, barking orders to mask up and keep a safe distance. At junctions, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are tested at random by throngs of healthcare workers.
Last month, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps added Rwanda to the country's "red list". UK citizens and permanent residents arriving back from red list countries must now self-isolate in mandatory quarantine at approved hotels for 10 days, while other travellers from red list countries are barred from entering the UK.
While Mr Shapps said this was in response to new evidence showing “the likely spread of a coronavirus variant identified in South Africa”, Kigali was furious.
Rwanda's government said "the sparse information communicated to Rwanda does not stand up to scientific scrutiny" and demanded clarification over the "arbitrary decision".
More than two weeks on, the tiny nation has successfully subdued a continent-wide second wave of Covid-19, restoring its reputation as one of the world's strongest and most tech-savvy pandemic responders.
Defined by innovation, decentralisation and high public trust, Rwanda strategy now offers a blueprint for countries not just in Africa, but worldwide.
The Rwanda story confirms that Covid does not change a system, it exposes a system
In all, Rwanda has recorded almost 17,500 cases and 239 deaths. Belgium, which has roughly the same population, has tallied 739,000 cases and more than 21,700 deaths.
"The Rwanda story confirms that Covid does not change a system, it exposes a system," said Joachim Osur, technical director of programmes at Amref Health Africa, a medical care NGO. "Because the health system in Rwanda was functional and effective, it was easy for them to manage Covid."
Rwanda lives with the scars of its 1994 genocide, which saw up to a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus slaughtered by roving Hutu gangs. In its aftermath, the country's health system was rebuilt from scratch and has since weathered various infectious disease outbreaks – notably HIV.
When coronavirus struck, Rwanda’s systems and strategies kicked into gear.
"The main machines we are using for Covid testing are the HIV machines that were [already] there," Sabin Nsanzimana, director general of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, which is in charge of tackling Covid-19, told NPR last year.
"We are using the same structure, same people, same infrastructure and laboratory diagnostics, but applying it to Covid testing."
Today, the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, ranks Rwanda sixth in the world for its pandemic response – nine places above the nearest African country.
However, Rwanda's success was far from certain when Covid-19 first breached its borders last March.
Despite averaging seven per cent GDP growth annually since 2000, Rwanda remains a low-income country and did not have an abundance of ventilators or hospital beds for its 12 million citizens.
Instead, the country’s first wave of Covid-19 was subdued with a rapid, free, random and aggressive testing campaign and a contact-tracing operation that put wealthy Western countries to shame. As of February 14 this year, Rwanda had conducted 948,000 tests.
Rwanda's health system – steeped in years and years of trust-building and local empowerment – lends itself extraordinarily well to confronting a virus that requires each individual to play a role
On March 21, 2020, with 17 cases of the virus, President Paul Kagame's government became the first in sub-Saharan Africa to impose a total shutdown, which lasted six weeks, with a phased reopening plan. The country has maintained a fluid curfew.
An estimated 60,000 healthcare workers pounded the pavements, testing at random, not just in Kigali but nationwide. Those who tested positive were quarantined at dedicated clinics. Contact tracers – including community health workers, university students and police – then tracked down their contacts, and quarantined them while they were tested.
“The foundations of Rwanda's health system – which are steeped in years and years of trust-building and local empowerment – lend themselves extraordinarily well to confronting a virus that requires each individual to play a role,” said Eli Cahan, a journalist who has covered Rwanda's health system and is a researcher at Stanford's Clinical Excellence Research Centre.
The manner in which Rwanda decentralised its response – with national and regional command centres and elected community health workers at village level – quickly made it a darling of the World Health Organisation.
Rwanda also pioneered pool testing, which sees dozens of swabs tested at once, and then tested individually only if the group returns a positive result. That allowed the east African country, where GDP per person is just $2,000 and a Covid test costs up to $100, to lower costs and increase speed.
“Political will is key," said Mr Osur. “Compared say to Tanzania, political alignment to science has played a big role in fighting the pandemic [in Rwanda].”
Tanzania's President John Magufuli, has suggested Covid-19 is a hoax and has fuelled anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories.
Mr Kagame's government has credited the low caseload with public co-operation. Indeed, mobile phone data shows that Rwandans have been the second-best social distancers on the continent, after South Africans.
"When the government closes the borders and sends everyone home ... the people must know these actions are not against them, but for them," Agnes Binagwaho, a former Rwandan health minister and architect of its healthcare system, said in a recent interview with the British Medical Journal.
“That’s the only way they’ll comply with the guidance.”
Perhaps most impressive, though, was Rwanda's technology-enabled approach, which saw robots deployed to clinics and airports to screen passengers, and drones taking to the air over streets.
Rights groups suggest fear could be a motivator in a country where Mr Kagame – a former rebel commander in power for almost 21 years – rules with an iron fist. Those breaking curfew or not wearing masks are reportedly forced to endure all-night lectures on the perils of the coronavirus.
Still, the country was not immune to the second wave sweeping the region, witnessing its deadliest month so far in January, with more than half of Rwanda's total coronavirus deaths. The spike – which mainly affected the capital – came amid fears of a fast-spreading new variant, first identified in South Africa.
On January 18, Kigali was once again placed under a 15-day lockdown – ultimately extended by a week – and schools, businesses and churches were closed, leaving Africa’s cleanest capital deserted. Tens of thousands of needy households were supplied with food.
"Let no Rwandan worry where they will get their food for the next two weeks due to this lockdown. Institutions are around to assist," said local government minister Anastase Shyaka. "What we ask Rwandans is that they should fear Covid-19 more than they fear hunger."
From a pandemic peak of 574 new cases on January 26, the country’s new case count began to fall, dipping as low as 76 on February 14.
Rwanda is not out of the woods yet, but is among the six first African nations to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. On Sunday, the health ministry said it had started immunising healthcare workers with vaccines acquired "through international partnerships in limited quantities".
Later this month, it will begin getting doses from Covax, a global initiative to supply vaccines to low-income countries. Covax promises to vaccinate 20 per cent of Rwanda's population, supplying around two million doses.
That has not stopped Mr Kagame from rebuking wealthy countries for buying up vaccine stocks.
"Ensuring equitable access to vaccines globally during a pandemic is not only a moral issue, but an economic imperative to protect the wellbeing of people everywhere," the Rwandan president wrote in The Guardian on February 7.
“But when will Africa get the protection it needs? If all lives are equal, why isn’t access to vaccines?
Last Monday, Kigali's lockdown was lifted, sparking relief among its residents. The Covid-19 pandemic, though, is ever-present; from the mask-wearing motorbike taxi riders to the eye-catching street murals quoting government health advice.
Despite the pain it has caused, the legacy of Rwanda’s strong Covid-19 response, and its use of technology, is likely to serve as an example to African countries for decades to come.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Fatherland
Kele Okereke
(BMG)
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LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
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The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
