Gahanga Cricket Stadium opened in October 2017 and has been dubbed the ‘Lord’s of East Africa.’ The not-for-profit ground consists of an ICC international standard wicket with pavilion and bar, as well as community facilities. It has won and been nominated for several prestigious architecture and engineering awards. The three vaults, designed to mimic the trajectory of a bouncing ball, as well as Rwanda’s rolling hills, were constructed out of 66,000 tiles made primarily from local earth excavated on site.
The tiles were each handmade, predominantly using local labour sourced through a Rwandan Government-led social protection programme, the Vision Umurenge Project, aimed at the two poorest categories of the population.
CBH plays a role in the ongoing maintenance, operation and sustainability of the GCS, with our project director acting as chair of a joint UK/Rwandan NGO that oversees the running of the ground. The GCS continues to act as a base for CBH activities in Kigali, and is being used to support grassroots cricket, including twice weekly coaching sessions for local schools. It has also hosted free HIV testing by the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, cricket open days to attract new players and spectators, and even a wedding.
