Faustin has devised an ambitious plan to train 30 new reconstructive plastic surgeons by 2030. For more than a decade, he was one of only two reconstructive surgeons serving Rwanda’s 14 million people. His goal now is to ensure that no surgeon in the country will ever have to carry that burden alone again.
Yet in a region plagued by armed conflict, and on a continent suffering from a significant brain drain, the success of this plan is far from certain.
Faustin’s response is simply to work harder. He combines long hours in the operating theatre with international lobbying to secure funding for medicines, equipment and the training programme.
The documentary follows Dr Faustin Ntirenganya and his team of young doctors as they work at a hospital near the Rwanda–Congo border. After leaving a lucrative career in France to establish Rwanda’s first reconstructive surgery unit to help patients with burns, tumours and congenital defects, Faustin soon found himself overwhelmed by the need for care. His answer was to train a new generation of surgeons to share the burden.
Among the aspiring surgeons are Vicky Mukamitari, a second-year trainee, and Yves Nezerwa, a recent graduate, alongside Dr Françoise Mukagaju, Rwanda’s first female plastic surgeon and a role model for many, including Vicky.
