Peace Ndoli, the CEO and COO of Lifesten Rwanda, is dedicated to making personal health care enjoyable and exciting. A method that will assist thousands of Rwandans in monitoring their health and lowering their risk of contracting Noncommunicable diseases.
Peace Ndoli and Stephen Ogweno founded Lifesten. Their goal is to help Rwandans understand their well being and ensure they are taking care of themselves.
According to her, most people do not adequately care for themselves. “How many people measure their own blood pressure?”
In 2021 during the Covid-29 pandemic, she became inspired to start Lifesten. She worked as a nutritionist at the hospital at the time. She ran into one of her friends who had Covid-19 and was suffering from dangerously high blood pressure.
With a background in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (UR), she made it her mission to nurse her friend back to health.
“I made it my mission because Asha [the friend] was diagnosed early and there was a good chance she’d recover quickly,” she explained.
“Asha sought help very early, which we rarely see at the hospital,” she continued, “most people tend to seek help when they are in critical conditions.”
She explained that many young people, like Asha, do not know how to care for themselves. She then came up with a solution that could raise public awareness and save thousands of lives by preventing the spread of non-communicable diseases.
Non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), are increasingly becoming the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to WHO, these diseases were responsible for 37% of deaths in 2019, up from 24% in 2000. According to the report, these NCDs are also responsible for nearly 70% of all deaths worldwide.
According to the WHO’s National Strategy and Costed Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in Rwanda, NCDs, injuries, and disabilities accounted for 58 percent of total annual mortality in Rwanda in 2016.
Ndoli and her team created Lifesten at an opportune time to help reduce these deadly statistics.
How does it work?
Lifesten is a mobile app that provides users with incentive-based wellness programs that create experiences that help them achieve their health goals in a fun, exciting, and rewarding way.
No more frowning at the prospect of beginning a diet or performing simple exercises. Lifesten motivates its users through the use of amusing techniques. Users can also earn points that can be redeemed for Lifesten partner discounts or subscriptions.
Lifesten Health currently collaborates with accredited hospitals and gyms to assist its clients in remaining healthy and engaged in the program. The program has earned $25,000 since its inception.
Lifesten took first place among the top five finalists in the Hanga pitchfest 2022 competition, winning 50,000 dollars to further their work and achieve greater impact.
This award comes at a good time for Lifesten, as they are looking for more than Frw 150 million to expand the program.
