ASFA Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Center

Muganza, Nyaruguru, Rwanda

Built in 2020, this Journeyman-designed center provides accessible inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation while supporting families, local employment, and greater independence for people with disabilities.

The completed ASFA Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Center, with sheltered verandas, gardens, and accessible paths in Muganza

A place to heal

Specialist rehabilitation in Muganza

In rural southern Rwanda, specialist rehabilitation was difficult to reach. For a child with cerebral palsy, clubfoot, Down syndrome, or another disability, early therapy could make a lasting difference, but distance and a lack of appropriate space stood in the way.

Before the new center

The physiotherapy service had proven its value long before it had a building suited to the work.

Eleven children were sharing space designed for seven.

The original inpatient room and single consultation room had been carved from a multipurpose hall. Three adult carers slept alongside the children. Dining moved to a small room near an animal shelter; toilets and bathing facilities sat in separate makeshift structures around the site.

The service was working, and demand kept growing. ASFA’s brief called for a true 24-hour home for rehabilitation: residential care for children, space for five carers, outpatient treatment, a large therapy hall, family support, laundry, kitchens, play, and a sensory garden overlooking the valley.

A therapist and care staff supporting young patients during a physiotherapy session inside the ASFA center

Designed around the body

Accessible routes, daylight, and fresh air

Volunteer architect Trevor Chayce and a team from LSW Architects designed the center through Journeyman. Wide, accessible routes welcome wheelchairs and mobility aids. Sheltered verandas make movement possible through Rwanda’s heavy rains. Daylight, fresh air, tactile surfaces, therapy rooms, family spaces, and residential care all belong to one calm environment.

The center in use

Treatment and residential spaces

Covered circulation, calm interior thresholds, child-scaled play areas, and well-organized equipment make therapy part of a connected daily routine.

The completed ASFA center's wide covered walkway, green-framed treatment rooms, and landscaped garden — Sheltered rooms open directly to gardens and mountain air.

A young patient moving through a wide naturally lit corridor at the ASFA center using forearm crutches — Wide, naturally lit corridors support independent movement.

A bright child-scaled play and treatment area inside the ASFA rehabilitation center — Play and treatment share a bright, child-scaled room.

A smiling young patient seated in adaptive equipment beside mobility devices at the ASFA center — Adaptive seating and mobility equipment stay close at hand.

Therapy staff supporting young patients as they practice walking along the ASFA center's covered veranda

A sheltered veranda connecting treatment rooms with the gardens at the completed ASFA center

The open welcome hall at ASFA framing views across the surrounding hills and gardens

Built in 2020

The completed ASFA center

The completed ASFA center provides inpatient and outpatient physiotherapy and occupational therapy in Muganza. Children can receive sustained specialist care while families are included in the process. The center now employs more than 50 people, strengthening both patient outcomes and the local economy.

“The design has transformed patient care, boosted staff morale, and improved patient outcomes.”

Alison Hawksley · MAD4Africa

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