Obtaining Rwandan nationality was a transformative experience for Amandine Ndikumasabo, a TV news anchor at Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA).

Originally from Burundi, she arrived in Rwanda in 2008, to study. Her desire to become Rwandan began to take shape during her time at ingando, a civic education programme during which Rwanda's vision deeply inspired her.

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Ingando camps gave her clarity, she noted, of what life is. It is at that point that she fell in love with Rwanda. She was inspired to apply for Rwandan nationality in 2021. She got it in August 2023.

She said: "I was going through a tough phase in life as a young person and ingando in Rwanda gave me hope. I got a clear picture of who I want to be in future. I realised that I too, can contribute positively, to my life and the nation.”

Happy, grateful, and satisfied

"Being Rwandan came with joy, with no limitation of services and opportunities, and a reminder to be true to what I took oath for. That included integrity and discipline. I would love to use the skills I acquired in Rwanda to benefit the country,” Ndikumasabo told The New Times.

"Everything changed after ingando; I chance upon something that words cannot express with this country and decided, in my heart, to be Rwandan. That’s how I went to Institut Catholique de Kabgayi to study Journalism and Communication.

"Family and friends always sent me links and opportunities enticing me to relocate to Europe or US. But for me Rwanda was better than all those places. I am now recognized as a Rwandan citizen. I&039;m happy, grateful, and satisfied.”

Just like Ndikumasabo, many other people have obtained Rwandan nationality. One of the most recent ones was Winston Duke, the Hollywood actor renowned for his role as M'Baku in Black Panther.

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An honour to wear the colors

Kenneth Gasana, an international professional basketball player, attained Rwandan nationality on May 23, 2022.

What inspired him to apply for Rwandan citizenship was, he said, the fact that he was playing basketball internationally and locally, hence the need to make it official as "it was always an honour to wear the colors and represent the country” he most familiarized with.

"As a proud Rwandan, I anticipate leaving a positive influence and inspiring young sportsmen in the country to achieve their goals, and to also be a positive role model,” Gasana said.

In 2019, Gasana signed with Rwanda-based REG BBC to play in the national Basketball League. He joined the defending champions, Patriots BBC, and went on to win the championship in 2019 and 2020 with Patriots.

Yann Gwet, a journalist and an author, was granted Rwandan nationality on February 2, 2021.

Greatness, genuine hope, resilience

For Gwet, applying for Rwandan nationality was inspired by the sacrifice that always goes with greatness, genuine hope that is rooted in actual achievement, and the nation’s resilience for the nation. He had read a lot about the country and knew that Rwanda was safer than many countries, at least in Africa, and therefore was not afraid of anything.

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In a February 2021 interview, he told The New Times that he first came to Rwanda in 2016 when working as a journalist at Jeune Afrique. When he first arrived in the country, he was surprised because, earlier, around 2004, he had read a book by a French journalist about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and "was shocked, with no idea that Rwanda would recover from it.”

However, years after reading the book, he read different news about the country "and felt like coming over here to see what the reality was.”

"I had read a lot about the country and knew that Rwanda was safer than many countries, at least in Africa, and therefore was not afraid of anything. Arriving here, it was obvious to me that indeed a lot had changed, compared to the book I had read about what had happened in 1994.”

Why did he apply for Rwandan nationality?

"Rwanda matters a lot to me because of three things,” he said.

"First, it means sacrifice that always goes with greatness. Secondly, Rwanda means genuine hope that is rooted in actual achievement, and the third one is resilience. Seeing these three things that I highly value, in the time I spent here, I felt the need to be part of the journey.”