Building a stronger, more locally rooted Suyana presence in Rwanda and Uganda
Suyana is entering an important phase in Rwanda and Uganda: strengthening its local team, deepening relationships with existing partners and communities, and laying the foundations for the next stage of its programme.
Building the team
Suyana is strengthening its team in Rwanda and Uganda with the arrival of David Niyonsaba and Véronique Kanimba, our new Country Coordinator and MEL Officer respectivelly in Rwanda, as well as Immaculate Kiiza Wanendeya and Lillian Mafende, our new Country Coordinator and MEL Officer respectively in Uganda. Their onboarding has combined in-person sessions in Kampala, led by Julia from our HQ/Impact team and Marina, Regional Programmes Manager based in Uganda, with online sessions involving colleagues across Suyana. This has provided them with a broader introduction to the organisation, our different functions and how we work together.
Additionally the onboarding is continuing through practical engagement on the ground in both countries. Our new colleagues are spending time with existing partner organisations, visiting projects and communities, and getting to know the people behind the work. This first-hand experience is helping them understand our partnerships and projects while building relationships with partners and other stakeholders.
At the same time, we are recruiting three additional colleagues specialising in Education, Health, and Livelihoods & Agriculture in both countries, Uganda and Rwanda. The recruitment process is currently at the interview stage.
Learning from partners and communities
Strengthening Suyana’s local presence is not only about building a team. It is also about listening, learning and understanding the context in which we work.
Over recent months, Suyana has carried out extensive context analyses with local experts in Livelihoods & Agriculture, Health and Education, while also looking more closely at WASH. These analyses are helping us better understand local needs, existing actors and opportunities, and where Suyana can add value.
Our continued engagement with existing partners and field visits are an important part of this process. They allow our team to learn directly from communities and partners, better understand the realities on the ground and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Laying the foundations
In parallel, Suyana is preparing for its formal registration in both Uganda and Rwanda. Until this process is completed, our team works through local Employers of Record, which in the case of Rwanda, also hosts us in its Kigali office and provides a practical base as we build up our local presence.
This process is part of creating the foundations for Suyana’s longer-term work in Uganda and Rwanda, while ensuring that our development remains closely connected to local structures and priorities.
Looking ahead
Our aim is to build on the strong partnerships we already have while also exploring new collaborations and gradually bringing more of Suyana’s own technical expertise into the programme.
Across all the areas we work in, we will continue to collaborate with existing local structures and remain aligned with the priorities of the Governments of Uganda and Rwanda.
Looking ahead, this may include continuing to support partner-led projects with both existing and new partners, while exploring selected activities where Suyana can contribute more directly through its growing regional team.
For Suyana, this is an important transition period: building the team, learning from our partners and communities, preparing our registration and shaping what a stronger and more locally rooted programme in AfricaRwanda could look like in the years ahead.
The next chapter is being built step by step — together with the partners, communities and local actors who are already driving change in Uganda and Rwanda.
