The Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation was awarded to Mulindi Japan One Love Project in recognition of its contribution to the improvement of living conditions of people with disabilities by supplying prosthetic limbs for free of charge as well as to the friendship between Japan and Rwanda through its activities for the last 20 years. The award ceremony was held at the Japanese Ambassador's residence on November 6.

Mulindi Japan One Love Project was established in 1997 by Gatera Rudasingwa, a Rwandan who was inspired by the Japanese technology to make artificial limbs and his wife Mami Rudasingwa, a Japanese who got the qualification of prosthetic in Japan. Under their leadership, the Mulindi Japan One Love Project has since then helped more than 8,000 persons with disabilities in Rwanda and Burundi, providing them with artificial limbs, sticks and wheel chairs free of charge. Furthermore, this organization has also been training Rwandan orthopedic technicians and providing disabled people with vocational training courses. Especially in Rwanda, where people with disability face severe living conditions, the organization’s assistance for those people using the Japanese technology is highly appreciated.

Ambassador Miyashita praised the achievement of the organization, saying that its projects have contributed not only to the improvement of welfare of disabled people, but also to the reinforcement of the bilateral relationships between Japan and Rwanda. He promised further support of the Embassy of Japan for projects implemented by the organization.

Mrs. Mami Rudasingwa expressed her gratitude toward all the people involved for their support and announced a new project which recycles and turns plastic materials into prosthetic limbs using a three-dimension (3D) printer. She said that this project would not only be environment-friendly, but also make it possible to measure prosthetic limbs precisely in accordance to clients’ needs, which have been measured manually until now.

MP Gaston Rusiha, a beneficiary of the organization’s prosthetic limbs and politician representing people with disabilities in parliament commended the accomplishment of the organization, pointing out that it had been contributing to the improvement of welfare of disabled people since its foundation in Rwanda.