Project Development
How Harmony gets built
The proposed development of Harmony's facility in Ndera Sector, Gasabo District: the site, the planned concept, the sequence of phases, and what each phase depends on. The roadmap is published without dates, because dates depend on funding we are still raising.
Project overview
Project overview
Harmony is a proposed senior care facility to be built in Ndera Sector, Gasabo District, in Kigali, Rwanda. The foundation is at the fundraising and pre-construction planning stage: the service model and the case for the project are developed, and the work of funding, designing, approving, and building it is ahead of us.
The project is deliberately sequenced so that each phase produces something verifiable before the next begins — a confirmed site before design, approved drawings before construction, a licensed and staffed facility before a single resident is admitted. We would rather open later than open unready.
No construction has begun. No construction contract has been awarded. The phases below describe the intended route from here to an operating facility.
Proposed location in Kigali
The facility is proposed for Ndera Sector in Gasabo District, on the eastern side of Kigali. The area suits the project: it is reachable for families living and working in the city, while being quieter and greener than the central districts — which matters for residents who will spend most of their days on site.
- Ndera Sector, Gasabo District, Kigali, Rwanda
- A site of approximately four hectares, giving room to build in phases
- Accessible to families travelling from across the city
- A calmer, greener setting than central Kigali
- Within reach of established healthcare facilities for referral and specialist support
- Space to develop the campus in phases rather than all at once
Planned facility concept
The concept is a low-rise campus arranged around planted courtyards, with residential wings connected to clinical and therapy support, and shared dining and community spaces at its centre. Harmony is intended to read as a home with professional care inside it, not as a hospital with beds in it.
- Approximately fifty residential rooms, alongside shared and clinical space
- Single-storey or lift-served accommodation, step-free throughout
- Residential wings with clinical support close by, not in a separate block
- A distinct, secure wing intended for memory care, with its own enclosed garden
- Dedicated rehabilitation and therapy space usable by the community as well as residents
- Shared dining and community rooms at the heart of the plan
- Private family rooms, including provision for relatives to stay overnight
- A multipurpose hall for worship, gatherings, and community events
- Service, kitchen, laundry, and mortuary facilities planned from the outset rather than retrofitted
Construction vision
Construction vision
We intend to build in phases, so that funding translates into a usable facility as early as possible rather than sitting in a half-finished shell. The intention is durable, locally appropriate construction using Rwandan contractors and materials wherever practical, specified for a building that must last decades and be cleaned and maintained daily. Energy, water, and waste provision are intended to be designed in from the start, including backup power for clinical areas.
Our Development Roadmap
Development phases
Published as a sequence rather than a schedule. We do not publish dates for phases whose start depends on funding we have not yet raised.
- Current stagePhase 1
Foundation establishment and planning
Establishing the foundation and preparing the project so that it can be funded, approved, and built. This is work that must be solid before anything physical happens.
- Establishing the foundation and its governance
- Developing the service model and business case
- Defining the facility programme and space requirements
- Preparing the materials donors and institutions need to assess the project
- Confirming the proposed site in Ndera Sector
- Current stagePhase 2
Fundraising and partnership building
The stage the foundation is in today: seeking the financial support and institutional partners needed to move the project into design and construction.
- Engaging individual donors, sponsors, and philanthropic funders
- Approaching corporate sponsors and in-kind contributors
- Building relationships with NGOs and development organisations
- Opening conversations with healthcare institutions and government bodies
- Securing professional support — legal, design, engineering, and financial
- NextPhase 3
Design, costing, and approvals
Converting the facility concept into professional architectural and engineering design, a construction cost, and the regulatory permissions the project requires.
- Appointing architects and engineering consultants
- Developing detailed design and accessibility specifications
- Preparing a construction cost estimate and build programme
- Obtaining planning, building, and environmental approvals
- Confirming the health and care licensing route before building
- ProposedPhase 4
Construction
Building the facility in phases, so that completed sections can be fitted out and brought into use as funding allows.
- Site preparation and groundworks
- Constructing the residential wings
- Constructing clinical, therapy, and support areas
- Fitting out kitchen, laundry, mortuary, and service facilities
- Landscaping courtyards, gardens, and accessible pathways
- ProposedPhase 5
Equipping, staffing, and licensing
Turning a finished building into a facility that is safe and lawful to operate. Nothing opens to residents until this phase is genuinely complete.
- Procuring clinical, therapy, kitchen, and residential equipment
- Recruiting nursing, care, therapy, catering, and facilities staff
- Training staff in dementia care, safeguarding, and emergency response
- Establishing clinical governance, policies, and record systems
- Completing all required licensing, inspection, and regulatory approval
- ProposedPhase 6
Opening and phased service rollout
Opening to residents gradually, in the sequence set out in the business plan: the services the facility is fully ready to deliver well come first, and the rest follow as staffing, capacity, and regulatory approval allow.
- First: assisted living, basic nursing, health and wellness, basic rehabilitation
- Then: memory care, expanded rehabilitation, home care and community-based rehabilitation
- Then: hospice, palliative care, and advanced nursing services
- Then, subject to regulatory approval: mortuary, funeral coordination, and bereavement support
- Not all nine services are regulated in the same way, so each begins only when its own approvals are in place
- ProposedPhase 7
Community outreach and expansion
Extending Harmony's reach beyond the campus to older people who remain in their own homes, and growing capacity as demand and funding allow.
- Launching home care services in the surrounding community
- Establishing community-based rehabilitation and family caregiver training
- Developing partnerships for referral with hospitals and clinics
- Expanding residential and specialist capacity
- Documenting the model so that it can be replicated elsewhere
Proposed amenities
Proposed amenities
The facilities we intend to include. Each is part of the plan; none exists yet.
Accessible accommodation
Private and shared rooms with level-entry en-suite bathing, grab rails, and bedside and bathroom call systems.
Clinical and nursing areas
Nursing stations, treatment and observation rooms, secure medication storage, and space for visiting physicians.
Rehabilitation suite
Physiotherapy and occupational therapy space with mobility, strength, and daily-living practice areas.
Secure memory care wing
A calm, low-stimulation wing with simple wayfinding and its own enclosed garden for safe independent walking.
Dining room and kitchen
A dining room built for conversation, with a kitchen able to prepare therapeutic and modified-texture diets.
Community and worship space
Daylit rooms for worship, music, celebration, and group activity, with seating older people can rise from.
Gardens and walking paths
Planted courtyards with shaded, level, non-slip paths, frequent benches, and raised beds for gardening.
Family rooms
Private space for visits, including provision for relatives to stay overnight when someone is seriously ill.
Service and mortuary facilities
Kitchen, laundry, stores, and dignified mortuary provision, planned from the outset rather than retrofitted.
Looking further ahead
Future service expansion
Once the facility is established and operating reliably, the foundation intends to extend its reach rather than simply add beds. These are longer-term intentions, dependent on the facility opening successfully and on future funding.
Longer-term intentions
- Home care and community-based rehabilitation across the surrounding community
- Day-care and respite programmes for families caring for a relative at home
- Training programmes for caregivers, family members, and care workers
- Referral partnerships with hospitals for older patients being discharged
- Specialist capacity in dementia and palliative care
- Documentation of the model so other organisations can replicate it
- Evaluation of additional residential capacity and partnerships elsewhere in Rwanda
Partnership Opportunities
Partnership opportunities in the build
The development phases above are where partners make the most difference. Construction firms, suppliers, design professionals, healthcare institutions, and funders can each take on a defined, visible part of bringing the facility into existence — and we are glad to scope that part with you in detail.
Questions about the site, the phases, or the plan? Email murecam@yahoo.fr and the founder will respond directly.