• English
• Kinyarwanda

WE-ACTx—584 Castro Street #416, San Francisco, CA 94114   415-863-4676 x3

WE-ACTx is a US based, 501C3 tax exempt organization, EIN# 56-2572210

Centreville Clinic
Our flagship clinic in Centreville houses our Collaborative Research Program (RWISA) as well as providing clinical care to our patients. The building houses WE-ACTx’s head office in Kigali. A range of primary health care and clinical services centered through the Centreville Clinic are generously supported by the MAC Global AIDS Fund, one of our earliest funders.

WE-ACTx has designed and implemented community-based HIV clinical services and primary health care programs in 3 clinics utilizing this community based nurse-practice model through partnerships with grassroots women’s organizations and the government of Rwanda. Nearly 5000 HIV+ individuals have entered care with WE-ACTx, with nearly 1300 requiring ART, and 70% requiring prophylaxis of opportunistic illness. We provide clinical care and treatment for HIV to women, children, and men, who are into care by our grassroots partners via collaborative community outreach and mobilization programs. Patients needing further care and hospitalization are referred to district hospitals and supported by WE-ACTx’s community trained nursing and other support service staff.

KCA Centre for Excellence
Icyuzuzo Clinic

Our second clinical care project, a partnership with a local NGO, supported by the Keep A Child Alive Foundation, and individuals.

Nyacyonga Centre de Santé
(Community Health Center)

Our most recent clinic project: With support from American Jewish World Service and the generosity of private donors, WE-ACTx updated this district health center on the outskirts of Kigali in 2006 and early 2007. Nyacyonga Centre de Santé (Community Health Center) is one of ~130 publicly owned facilities operated by the Government of Rwanda through its decentralized District Health system. These health centers are extremely important to the communities as the first site for community access to all needed services, including prenatal care, birthing, well-child care including vaccinations, diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses such as malaria and endemic infectious diarrhea, and HIV evaluation, care and treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) medications. WE-ACTx has partnered with the District to provide technical assistance in provision of high quality cost-effective HIV care, integrated into the community’s care. This required significant upgrading of the physical plant, such as provision of running water and electricity to all patient areas and an improved array of equipment to allow a full spectrum of high-quality services.

Learn about this program here

Human Rights Education and Training

The Health and Justice Project (formerly known as The Legal Project), along with its sister organization, WE-ACTx for Hope, in Kigali, Rwanda, has published Know Your Rights!, a reader-friendly, health-care rights handbook for women and their families, available in two languages:

• English
• Kinyarwanda

Grassroots leaders, Rwandan legal experts, the Ministry of Health and other government agencies consulted with the Health and Justice Project extensively on the handbook.  In addition to health care rights, the handbook addresses property, inheritance, paternity, custody and discrimination, as well as gender-based violence prevention and intervention.

Today, the handbook is used in Rwanda to train WE-ACTx partner organizations, community leaders, law students, trauma counselors, and health care providers about human rights. With “each one, teaches one,” entire communities can learn.

A legal rights hand book for children is also available now:

• English
• Kinyarwanda

Mediation and Advocacy

Joseph Mafurebo is the Director of the Health and Justice Project of our sister organization, WE-ACTx for Hope, and is based in Kigali, Rwanda. As an attorney and mediator, Mr. Mafurebo assists women and children referred through WE-ACTx clinics or community partner associations.

The Health and Justice Project offers concrete solutions. Women and children with HIV face a variety of legal problems that can undermine the positive effects of the medical care and trauma counseling they receive through WE-ACTx clinics. With human rights education and necessary assistance, patients gain the opportunity not only to survive but thrive.

The Health and Justice Project also advocates for policy changes to improve Rwanda’s health, social services and education programs for women and their families. Recent successes include improvements in AIDS drug-importation policies and progress towards providing prompt treatment for gender-based survivors in the public health system, free of charge, and with dignity and respect.

Download Our Publications

Know Your Rights! A community handbook on health care rights and other laws for women and families.
(Download PDF documents below):

• English
• Kinyarwanda

Know Your Rights! Children’s Rights Handbook. A handbook on using the law for young people and their advocates.

• English
• Kinyarwanda

WE-ACTx for Hope participates in a countrywide collaborative HIV prevention and outreach program in which large scale community mobilization and sensitization campaigns are implemented throughout the country. WE-ACTx for Hope trains HIV+ peer educators within our grassroots partners using a ”train the trainer” model, imparting skills in basic HIV prevention and positive living with the goal of creating an informed cadre of Rwandan grassroots health educators throughout the country. WE-ACTx for Hope holds workshops with grassroots organizations and collaborates with WE-ACTx’s family program and trauma counseling activities.

In-house sewing and crafts cooperative

WE-ACTx has organized its own in-house sewing and crafts cooperative, INEZA, to make dolls, clothing accessories (hand bags, computer sleeves, etc.) and other crafts for sale in the international market as an effort to develop a sustainable source of income for women on HIV treatment. Over the past year, we have developed a marketing and distribution arrangement for clothing accessories products with Connect USA. We are planning to develop markets and production capacity for Rwandan domestic sales as well, linking our production with overall economic development efforts in country. The women who make up our cooperative are paid weekly wages, receive transportation and food supplements, and of course, are provided with HIV care and treatment – and YOGA!

go to INEZA’s blog