CEOAFRICA.com received news from Rwanda that the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is set to provide financial support worth $4.5 million to UNICEF project of saving mothers and newborn lives in 10 Rwanda districts using rapid SMS technology.

The fund which would be transferred in three installments of $756,667, $1,695,600, and $2,047,733, will enable the project to finish within 29 months.

It was also discovered that the agreement was signed by UNICEF Representative in Rwanda Noala Skinner and Kim Sang-Chul, KOICA residents’ representative in Rwanda, and witnessed by South Korean Ambassador to Rwanda, Soon Taik Hwang, and Health Minister Agnes Binagwaho.

Sources disclosed that Nyaruguru, Bugesera, Kamonyi, Musanze, Ngororero, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyanza, Rubavu and Rwamagana are districts that will benefit from the project.

The project, CEOAFRICA.com further gathered, will cover the scaling up of community-based innovative approaches to save the lives of mothers and newborns, training and provision of technical and financial support for the management of rapid SMS software and upgrade and enhancement of software to track 1000 days of life with specific focus on newborn lives.

Furthermore, the project will also include provision of health facility equipment, capacity building of health workers in health centres situated at the 10 targeted districts and this will help to build skills for newborn services including Kangaroo mother care.

In her speech, the Minister for Health Agnes Binagwaho said, “There are a lot of people who are dying in a preventable manner so we thank KOICA for this collaboration; it’s always a great day for us whenever something is being done to save lives.”