When reflecting on why she started Solid’Africa, Isabelle Kamariza gets emotional and choked up remembering her encounter with Amandine, a patient in the first hospital she visited. Saddened by Amandine’s story — that she was orphaned, alone, and relied on other patients’ families for nutritious food — Kamariza was driven to address the glaring nutrition gaps in Rwanda’s hospitals, schools, and institutions. While Rwanda offers Universal Health Care, nutritious food, and meals in general, are not included in hospital stays, meaning many patients can go hungry, especially if they have no family to support them.

Kamariza, founder of Solid’Africa and winner of the 2024 Waislitz Global Citizen Disruptor Award, has long been committed to improving access to nutritious meals for Rwanda’s vulnerable populations. Her impact is being recognized globally, underscoring the significance of her work. For Kamariza, the mission is deeply personal, rooted in the belief that no one should suffer from food insecurity. In this exclusive interview, she shares the innovative strategies she’s implementing, the challenges she faces, and her vision for Rwanda’s future in nutrition.

One key initiative Kamariza is leading is a school feeding program in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education. The program feeds 8,000 students using a model that provides nutritious meals for as low as $0.20 per meal. But Kamariza’s vision extends further. “We are embarking on a journey with the Ministry of Education to build a kitchen that can produce 100,000 meals daily,” she explains. This ambitious project is part of a broader feasibility study to determine how many centralized kitchens would be required to implement this model on a larger scale.

The Solid'Africa team. Image: Supplied.

Redesigning Rwanda’s School Meals
Kamariza’s observations of the current state of school meals highlight gaps she is determined to address. Many schools have independent kitchens, leading to inconsistencies in food quality, preparation methods, and nutritional content. Often, schools rely on outdated techniques, like cooking with charcoal and serving repetitive, nutritionally lacking meals. “The meals don’t change much,” Isabelle notes. “In public schools, you’ll often find maize, beans, one green vegetable and sometimes rice. These are the same meals my parents ate in the 70s, and nothing has changed.”

This lack of variety, she argues, leads to wasted nutritional potential. Her goal is to overhaul the system by introducing diverse, well-balanced meals that are culturally relevant and affordable. She emphasizes the importance of including a range of vegetables, proteins, and locally sourced ingredients. “Diversity in nutrition is key.”

Kamariza and her team are focused on both serving better meals and educating people about nutrition. “We have what we call nutrition education,” she says. “For our patients, especially those on special diets, we share recipes and educate them on using locally sourced products. We’re ensuring that those who cook understand nutrition—not just how to prepare food, but how to make it nutritious.”

Building a Sustainable System
In addition to the school feeding program, Kamariza is working on establishing an Institute for Culinary Arts and Nutrition (ICAN), a pioneering initiative aimed at training skilled chefs and nutritionists. This institute, the first of its kind in Rwanda, will equip the hospitality industry with professionals who are knowledgeable in nutrition security for large-scale food production. it will provide essential nutrition education at the grassroots level, aiming to revolutionize food preparation and appreciation in Rwanda.

The program has attracted significant interest, with more demand for trained students than the institute currently accommodates. This training is part of a broader strategy to change how food is viewed in schools, hospitals, and homes across the country. Kamariza is partnering with Drexel University in Philadelphia to create a curriculum that blends nutrition with practical culinary skills, making nutritious, tasty meals accessible to everyone.

Additionally, Solid’Africa operates on a farm-to-fork model, producing 50% of the food they cook and serve as part of their program. This approach not only ensures the freshness and nutritional quality of the food but also supports sustainable agriculture and local economies.

Challenges and Future Plans
Despite the progress, Kamariza faces several challenges. One of the biggest is human resources. Competing with larger institutions like hotels and banks for skilled staff can be difficult, especially when funding is limited. “That’s why having unrestricted funding is so crucial,” she adds, noting that such funds allow her to invest in talent without being constrained by donor-imposed limits.

Supply chain issues also present hurdles. Despite efforts to source locally, inefficiencies in procurement can drive up costs. Kamariza’s team is working on streamlining the supply chain through partnerships with 4,500 cooperative farmers, but there is still work to be done. Another challenge is digitizing their operations — connecting kitchens with hospitals, farms, and suppliers to make the entire system more efficient.

Kamariza’s ultimate goal is to expand her model beyond Rwanda. “We’re hoping that by the success of our programs, we can take this model into vocational training centers, other institutions like prisons, and even across borders.” Her vision is clear: a world where everyone, regardless of income, has access to healthy, nutritious meals.

Reflecting on the Journey
When asked about her journey, Kamariza reflects on the resilience it has taken to get this far. “Persistence is key,” she says. “These things don’t come easily or quickly.” Despite the challenges, she remains deeply connected to her initial mission — to ensure Rwanda becomes nutrition-secure. She advises others facing similar obstacles to always “go back to what moved your heart.”

For Kamariza, the work has never been about personal recognition. “I don’t care if I’m remembered,” she says. What matters to her is the movement she has started, the seeds of change she’s planting, and the legacy she’s building for future generations. A hundred years from now, she hopes that conversations about nutrition insecurity will no longer be necessary because the issue will have been solved.

As she embarks on the next phase of her mission with the Waislitz Global Citizen Disruptor Award in hand, Kamariza’s work is set to continue transforming Rwanda and potentially the world. Through her innovative approaches to feeding programs, nutrition education, and skill development, she is showing how a community-driven model can tackle even the most persistent challenges. And for her, the journey is far from over.