Elie Mugabowishema is the founder and president of NSINDAGIZA Organisation, an NGO which promotes the rights and welfare of older people. The organisation works in close collaboration with the National Commission for Human Rights, the Rwandan Senate, the Rwanda Elders Advisory Forum, other local civil society organisations, and international organisations.

NSINDAGIZA is accredited to the UN Open-Ended Working Group, Affiliated to HelpAge International, a member of Global Alliance for the Rights of Older Persons and the International Federation of the Associations of Older Persons.

In addition, he advocated for NSINDAGIZA to be an accepted member of the National Commission for Human Rights and Civil Society Organisation forum, including women and disability-based organisations, where all human rights are discussed and it is an opportunity for us to raise the voice advocating for the rights of older men and women.

Elie also co-founded the Rwanda ageing platform “URUMURI RW’IZABUKURU”, Rwanda Leave No One Behind Network, and Great Lakes Ageing Network.

As a strong advocate for older people, through various sector working groups including social protection and non-communicable diseases, Elie lobbied the Government of Rwanda to include older people in the Social Protection Policy, to sign and ratify the Protocol to the African charter on human and people’s rights on the rights of older people and to acknowledge the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) as one of the days celebrated countrywide.

At CHOGM 2022 in Kigali, we supported Elie to organise on an impressive intergenerational side event; this was attended by 35 high level decision makers from the Government, National Human Rights Commission, Development partners and civil society organisation from both within and outside Rwanda.

Elie has had a varied career. He did A2 Nursing sciences, holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Project Planning and Management.

With over 20 years of project management experience working with humanitarian organisations behind him, Elie has made an impact in other care areas; previous positions include Households and Community Strengthening Manager at Global Communities in the USAID ‘Twiyubake’ program. This was an orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) focused program, supporting the most vulnerable households to improve children’s lives. In this role, Elie was awarded the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award.

Elie also worked at Humanity and Inclusion as Project manager for Epilepsy, HIV/AIDS and protection projects respectively, and for Youth For Christ in Rwanda in the position of Deputy National Director.

We awarded Elie our 2023 travel bursary, supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Healthy Ageing Challenge, to attend the Global Ageing Conference, 7-8 September 2023, Glasgow, Scotland.