Known as the  “Land of a Thousand Hills” and “The Heart of Africa”, Rwanda is a small, mountainous country in East Africa bordering Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda is home to more than 11 million people, making it the most densely populated country in Africa. Rwanda is primarily an economy of subsistence farmers but continues to take steps to shift toward a knowledge based economy.

Although international dialogue often recounts the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda has embarked on a steady trajectory of growth, reconciliation, peace, and promise throughout the past decade. Heart and Sole Africa’s main office is located in Musanze, a large city in the Northern Province. Musanze, previously known as Ruhengeri, lies in middle of the famous Virunga Mountain Range. Here, Dianne Fossey first studied the Eastern Lowland Mountain Gorillas. Satellite clinics exist in Kinoni and Nyange.

Podoconiosis is a disease that manifests in this region because of its unique topography. Silica deposits filter up into the soil in these volcanic regions and in the predominately agrarian economy, this has a profound impact. In a country where the doctor to patient ratio exceeds one to 16,046, there lacks specialized healthcare providers. Heart and Sole operates all throughout remote regions in the Northern Province, even extending across the borders into Uganda.