In a pioneering partnership, Canada and Burundi are redefining inclusive pediatric care. Megan Walker, Founder and CEO of WeeCare Pediatric Home Health Care in Canada, has teamed up with Dr. Alexis Nizigiyimana, Founder and CEO of Ubuntu Village of Life (UVL) in Burundi, to establish the Ubuntu-WeeCare model. This initiative includes a multidisciplinary Special Needs Centre linked to a Community-Based Program dedicated to children with special needs. Ubuntu-WeeCare represents a groundbreaking pediatric care initiative located in Mugamba, Burundi, resulting from the collaboration between Ubuntu Village of Life and WeeCare Pediatric Home Health Care.
Overview: What Is Ubuntu-WeeCare?
The program aims to address the urgent and often unmet needs of medically complex children—many of whom reside in remote areas, lack access to existing services, or age out of care prematurely.
Kids with Special Needs with the U.S Ambassador to Burundi Lisa Peterson within the Bururi American Corner
This initiative extends beyond mere healthcare provision; it confronts the stigma and neglect faced by children with disabilities in Burundi and across Africa. With a holistic, community-based, the Ubuntu-WeeCare Centre aspires to be the continent’s first of its kind, offering treatment, education, life skills training, and empowerment to millions of children with special needs in Africa.
A Journey Rooted in Compassion
Megan Walker’s journey commenced in Canada, where her early experiences with special needs care shaped her career. Volunteering at a pediatric hospice as a teenager and working at summer camps for children with disabilities solidified her desire to become a pediatric nurse.
“While caring for a medically complex child, I realized there was no company specializing in care for children with such needs,” Megan recalls. This insight inspired her to establish WeeCare, a home healthcare company focused on medically complex children.
Megan Walker carries a baby with special needs in her arms at Ubuntu Village of Life in Mugamba
“I noticed a significant shortage of trained professionals to support children with special needs,” she explains. “I created WeeCare to address that gap. Every nurse we hire is trained to understand the unique challenges these children face.“
Megan’s path took a significant turn when she learned about Ubuntu Village of Life and its founder, Dr. Alexis Nizigiyimana. The introduction was facilitated by Adrian Schauer, CEO of AlayaCare, who supports both initiatives.
Adrian first met Megan at a user conference and later at a home care event in Ontario, where she expressed a strong interest in international development. Familiar with WeeCare’s use of AlayaCare software to enhance operations, Adrian connected her with James from the Madiro Foundation and encouraged her to explore the Ubuntu Village of Life project. Shortly thereafter, Megan reached out to Dr. Alexis via email and Zoom, and within two weeks, she was on a flight to Bujumbura—her first visit to both Burundi and the African continent.
Megan and Dr. Alexis at the Melchior Ndadaye International Airport of Bujumbura
Shared Values, Shared Vision
For Dr. Alexis, the mission is profoundly personal. The loss of his sister during childbirth in a remote Burundian village motivated him to create Ubuntu Village of Life, bringing essential health services closer to families in need. He soon uncovered a hidden crisis: hundreds of children with disabilities were isolated in their homes, lacking access to healthcare and education.
“It was heartbreaking,” Dr. Alexis shares. “These children were essentially forgotten by the healthcare system. When Megan arrived, her expertise was exactly what we needed. It was the answer we had been waiting for.”
Together, they envisioned the Ubuntu-WeeCare Centre—a fully accessible, purpose-built facility offering rehabilitation services (including physiotherapy, speech therapy, and hydrotherapy), mental health support, nursing care, and residential programs. The campus will also feature a farm with animals and gardens, providing life skills training and therapeutic experiences through agroecology and animal-assisted therapy.
Dr. Alexis gives to Megan a certificate of acknowledgement
A Blueprint for Africa
What distinguishes this project is its comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. Unlike the fragmented services currently available in Burundi and elsewhere in Africa, Ubuntu-WeeCare will centralize care, training, and education under one roof. “There’s nothing like it on the continent,” Megan states. “It’s not just a center—it’s a blueprint.“
The long-term vision is ambitious. Within five years, both founders envision the center flourishing and inspiring similar models in other countries. “This is Ubuntu and WeeCare in action,” Dr. Alexis emphasizes. “It’s about community, shared humanity, and working together to heal and empower.”
Breaking Barriers, One Child at a Time
The founders are aware of the challenges ahead, including financial constraints and social stigma, but they remain resolute.
“You don’t stop because of barriers,” Megan asserts. “You find ways to navigate around them. It might not resemble what we have in Canada, but taking action is better than doing nothing.”
Megan and Dr. Alexis working tirelessly on the Ubuntu-WeeCare Centre project
The Ubuntu-WeeCare Centre exemplifies what is achievable when compassion, innovation, and international collaboration converge. “It’s not just a facility—it’s a movement to restore dignity, inclusion, and hope to children who have long been marginalized,” concludes Dr. Alexis.
