On the April 7, 2011, I sat among tens of thousands of Rwandans who had assembled at the National Stadium in Kigali to commemorate, for the 17th time, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis that left up to one million people dead.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the weather was overcast, sombre and harsh; forcing us to find umbrellas to protect ourselves against the rain. As the ceremony wore on, it shone so bright that we used the same umbrellas to protect ourselves from the scorching sun. This situation reminded me of the idiom, “come rain or shine”, as I reached for the umbrella, seeing that I needed it both when it shone and when it rained.
As I looked around the stadium, it occurred to me how perfectly this idiom describes the resolve that Rwandans demonstrate. Written on the faces of Rwandans is a determination, come rain or shine, to never allow this horrific tragedy to occur again. In the audience, there were screams of trauma from individuals who remembered the terror they experienced. There were also testimonies shared by those who represent the majority of Rwandans that have managed to rise from the ashes and earn themselves much better lives than they could dream was possible.
Trauma or testimony, Rwandans at the stadium and beyond continue to draw strength from their pain, the journey they have so far taken and the resultant hope they have in the future. This draws them together not only as they congregated at the stadium on the commemoration day but every day that they live. They had all come together to remember, share testimonies and collectively continue to forge ahead towards a more prosperous Rwanda.
Creating a prosperous nation is at the heart of Rwanda today, and the pre-occupation of the populace and its leadership. This is not only a yearning but a result of inspiration that has arisen from a track-record of growth and achievements. Rwandans feel, and rightly so, that if they can be where they are today, the sky should be the limit.
At the stadium, President Paul Kagame reiterated this aspiration in a characteristically passionate and inspiring speech:
“Nobody can give us truth and dignity but ourselves.... The body of Rwanda was tortured, assaulted, and succumbed but the spirit never died. It is that spirit that should fight on, that spirit will never and should never be defeated. Defending Rwanda’s spirit is within our reach and means...... We must achieve the development that we deserve, working in collaboration with friends of Rwanda, our brothers and sisters from the region, and the rest of Africa to earn our respect and dignity.” The President challenged each and every Rwandan.
The President’s statement drove me to reflect on what we at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) are doing to contribute to this development. RDB was established in 2008 to fast track the country’s economic development and play a key role in ensuring Rwandans continue to gain their dignity through improved wellbeing. It contributes to this national agenda in three main ways:
Firstly, RDB attracts businesses both from within and outside Rwanda. These businesses have played a critical role in creating wealth, jobs and contributing to Rwanda’s tax base. Today, over 70% of Rwandans are employed in agriculture down from about 90% a decade ago. Moreover, this shift has been enabled by investments in education by not only the public sector but also the private sector that have equipped Rwandans with the skills to absorb the job opportunities that businesses bring. Rwanda hosts 29 Higher Institutions of Learning (15 public and 14 private). Before 1994, the National University of Rwanda, the only major tertiary institution had produced less than 2000 graduates between 1963 and 1994, while the same university has produced a total of 11,500 between 1995 and 2011. This university together with 28 others now produce almost 12,000 graduates in a single year.
The ability to absorb employment opportunities has meant that Rwandans on average are better off today than they were more than 10 years ago. In fact, Rwanda’s per capita income is about US$ 540 up from about US$ 230 a decade ago. .
Improved individual income of Rwandans is evidenced by Rwandans’ increased consumption patterns. The construction and real estate sectors have been one of the fastest growing, with more Rwandans owning their own homes. There are literally several parts of Rwanda that were remote and abandoned but now boast of modern buildings owned by individuals. Nakumatt, a regional supermarket chains first entered Rwanda in 2008 to open one supermarket but are now set to open a second one at the Kigali City Tower and are exploring plans for a third - a point that proves increased consumption capacity.
In addition to this, increased income has improved savings levels and in turn investments in the country. This has been expressed by increased businesses, especially SMEs that are owned by Rwandans. RDB on average registers over 6000 companies a year, which was a five year average before 2005. These businesses have contributed to the growing tax base that has enabled the government to invest in crucial infrastructure such as roads, schools and broadband all over the country
Prior to 1994, Rwandans mainly relied on government for their basic needs without contributing much to the growth of the economy. The country at the time had limited educated people as this was very exclusive, while few companies mainly state-owned contributed to the very narrow tax base. This was why the population looked up to the government for everything. The State, at the time, took advantage of this to spread the genocide ideology of divisionism. Rwandans today are more exposed, better off economically and have a lot of individual and national achievements to safeguard than ever before. They are more concerned about what the future holds, what they have to do to reach their goals than artificially created identities that would earn them absolutely nothing.
RDB also provides access to services and opportunities that that promote collective growth where everyone is a stakeholder. In its Business Development Centres and telecentres in all the 30 districts of the country, RDB works with local governments to nurture small businesses through training in business skills and use of computers. RDB also manages ICT buses that teach communities how to use modern IT tools for their day-today work. These have promoted collective work ethics and entrepreneurship. Similarly small businesses have organised themselves into productive groups such as cooperatives and SACCOs where collective resources are consolidated for meaningful gain. SACCOS have so far saved up to US$ 20 million. Rwandans have learnt that in order to thrive, they must work together for the common goal. Some cooperatives in Kigali and Huye for example, have developed from market traders to owners of modern shopping arcades because of collective strength. When they meet, they are not interested in identities; they are interested in how much progress they are making in their projects.
Thirdly, in promoting International linkages, RDB facilitates open mindedness, a competitive mindset as well as promotes new and innovative ways to conduct business. For example, Rwanda is the 9th easiest place to start a business according the World Bank, because we embraced international best practices. It takes just 24 hours to start a business.
Not only does RDB attract foreign investments to bring their strengths on board, but they also champion best practices and facilitate businesses to attain exposure through international road shows and trade fairs. Rwandans are no longer confined to norms happening within their borders, but have also developed consciousness for the international scene. These more exposed and open minds are no longer those that can blindly receive indoctrination of divisionism, but those that benchmark themselves with the rest of the world as they pursue their own ambitions in regaining their dignity.
And so on that 7th April commemoration day, as we stood up to sing our national anthem “Rwanda nziza” (Beautiful Rwanda), to mark the end of the ceremony, I reflected on all those beautiful things that define Rwanda. I looked at the faces around me and I saw, come rain or come shine, the resolve to never allow the erosion of our dignity. Never again.
Clare Akamanzi is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Rwanda Development Board.
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