First Lady, Jeannette Kagame yesterday called on youth leaders to cultivate positive values, which will lead Rwanda through future challenges.

Mrs. Kagame said this while at the Young Leaders Conference themed "Sowing seeds of excellence in young leaders generation”, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata, that brought together about 250 young leaders from across the nation—representing various sectors.

The first edition of the Young Leaders Conference was organised—by Rwanda Leaders Fellowship (RLF)—as a prelude to the National Prayer Breakfast to be held today. Pastor Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, the Chairperson of the Rwanda Leaders Fellowship reiterated that the rationale behind the creation of the Fellowship is to affirm conviction that the Bible has much to offer in terms of molding the character of leadership.

Rutayisire, who extensively talked about the principle of legacy in his presentation dubbed "Developing excellence in your leadership”, challenged the youth that the legacy they should struggle for should be the one modeled to bring about excellence in their endeavors.

"Leadership is not about position but about service to people you lead…the past destruction of our nation was a legacy of negative thinking and the current development has been inspired by positive visions,” Rutayisire.

The First Lady noted that Rwanda has evolved to become what it is today, because of the choices made by the current leaders, rather than sheer luck, hence challenging the conference participants to learn from the country's history and present situation to resolve greater ambitions for the future of the country.

"As builders of the future Rwanda, remember that the choices you make, will define how your community perceives you. Be aware of new practices and lifestyles appearing in the society, in order to always be conscious of what deserves your attention and the rules you live by. Engage fearlessly with the world, reflect the Agaciro of your culture, while always standing your ground when serving your community.

Ultimately, we want you to cultivate positive values that will inspire others to walk in your footsteps. Values that include speaking up against injustices and defending one’ rights, to not being afraid to stand out from the crowd, and making unpopular decisions when needed for the good of the community,” Mrs Kagame told young leaders.

The First Lady noted that the conference, aligns with the concerted efforts of the government and civil society, to build platforms that encourage youth to embrace the leadership roles they are destined to fulfill.

"The coming together of Rwandans from different generations, faiths and professions, who are intent on seeing the emergence of a young leadership that excels at its craft, is the perfect opportunity to discuss the ‘sowing seeds of excellence’ in today and tomorrow’s leaders,” she said.

The First Lady added that, after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the liberation of Rwanda and continuous efforts to lead the country towards a dignified future has been carried by the people who understood their purpose, and demonstrated resilience, strength of character and selflessness in fulfilling their ‘God-given mission’.

For these liberators, failure to achieve these objectives was not an option, Mrs Kagame said, adding, "I encourage you to learn from those who have paved the way for you and maximize from the many opportunities availed to you, the precious sons and daughters of this land.

Be mindful of the discipline you set for yourself. This will not only determine how far you go, but how well you will do in sustaining the positive impact you have on the many lives around you. This discipline should also extend to a strong sense of self-awareness, and auto-criticism,” she said.

With 78.7 per cent of Rwanda’s population, under 35 years, Mrs. Kagame noted that a lot rests on the youth to fulfill the many responsibilities of the nation.

"We expect a lot from you because those whose shoulders you stand on, fought hard so that you could grow up in a free and fair country. But remember that we – the older generations – are always standing by your side, aware of our responsibility to share our skills and experience to empower you, in order for you to effectively preserve the legacy of the last 20 years,” the First Lady added.

Speaking to Sunday Times, Clarisse Iribagiza Abakunda, Founder and CEO of HeHeLabs Limited, and panelist at yesterday's conference, said that this opportunity was a needful reminder that young leaders are accountable for the future of the country.

"Sometimes we think about life is all about entrepreneurship and growing financially, without thinking about God—as our ultimate provider, and also thinking about the people we lead. Such a conference is a reminder that we have responsibilities to fulfill beyond just our leadership roles,” she said.

The minister of Local government Francis Kaboneka, while giving closing remarks, called on the students to have integrity, focus, and humility, because these—accompanied with visions will ensure excellence in executing their responsibilities.

"The government of Rwanda embraces excellence in leadership; and that’s the reason we hope that this conference should add value towards achieving excellence in each one’s responsibilities.

"Excellence can’t be achieved accidentally…you have to have a visions of where you want to go and courage to take risks. If you want to be a good leader, think positively,” Kaboneka said.

The conference, brought together a diverse youth group that includes student guilds, young leaders in Universities, public servants and Entrepreneurs, among others. The conference aims at introducing young leaders to the Rwanda Leaders Fellowship platform, and teach them the principles of Godly leadership, nurturing them into exceptional leaders.

A number of delegates from National Prayer Breakfast from Singapore, South Korea, DRC, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, USA, Austria, Germany, Kenya, among other countries; who are also due to attend the National Prayer Breakfast today, were in attendance at yesterday's event.

On the programme for the day, were presentations on 'Developing excellence in your leadership' by Rev. Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, 'Creating the right environment for leadership development' by Col. Eugene Haguma, testimonies by Hon. Tony Nsanganira, Minister of State of Minagri; Clarisse Iribagiza Abakunda, CEO and Founder of HeHeLabs Limited; Nelly Mukazayire, Dep. Director of Cabinet; Mr. Samuel Lock , a businessman from Singapore. 

The Rwanda Leaders Fellowship (RLF) started in 1995 as an informal prayer meeting with the aim of bringing leaders in top positions for fellowship around a breakfast or dinner, praying for the leadership and the nation, sharing the word of God not only to revive their faith but also to instill Godly values in their leadership. The first leadership prayer breakfast took place in 1995 and since then, the meetings have been attracting leaders from different spheres of national life: Cabinet, Parliament, Judiciary, Police and Army, Private Sector and Civil Society, including Church. 

The monthly meetings attract about 100 leaders, mainly from Kigali City, but the annual National Prayer Breakfast attract between 400-500 high-ranking leaders. 

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