Rwandans last night welcomed the New Year with pomp and hope. In the capital Kigali, the year 2018 was ushered in with spectacular fireworks displays, musical shows and overnight prayers with many thanking God for welcoming the New Year safe and sound and looking forward to what 2018 brings with it.

Individually, the beginning of a new year is often a moment of stocktaking, reflection, and new resolutions and ambitions. People tend to look back at the closing year, celebrating their achievements and ruing the missed opportunities, with many hoping for a fresh start in the New Year.

For Rwanda and her people, the last two decades have been eventful and remarkable in many ways. Every New Year has come with its own challenges and fresh possibilities. 2018 will be no different. It presents infinite opportunities to the people of Rwanda but, as with the past years, it will not be without challenges and difficulties along the way.

What matters most is for the country and the people of Rwanda to remain united and keenly aware of the present and future challenges and to constantly draw on their past experiences, resilience and sheer willpower to succeed against all odds. Rwanda’s story of transformation and determination should spur each of her citizens to punch above their weight and break down the barriers to their personal breakthrough and success.

If you are the type that sets New Year’s resolutions, you should commit to never losing your focus and to periodically assess how you are faring on each one of them in the course of the year, and to learn lessons from the glitches you encounter along the way so as to know how best to move forward and when to move on, if necessary.

At the national level, it is critical that those entrusted with the responsibility to lead the transformation agenda do not take their foot off the gas, rather use the New Year as an opportunity to reinvigorate, reenergise and recommit to their duties.

The New Times Publications family takes this opportunity to wish all our esteemed readers, clients, partners and Rwandans in general a very happy and prosperous New Year.