Don’t view Rwanda 

in history’s eyes

Which portray a country 

Torn apart by genocide,

like ants destroyed with insecticides.

Don’t view Rwanda in history’s eyes,

For gone are the days,

when evil men found their ways

Into hearts sewn together by a common language,

Poisoning peaceful minds, 

leading to the decimation of budding lives.

All hail Zula Karuhimbi!

For with witchcraft she saved more than fifty-nine.

But a million lives were still on the line,

The innocent shot, butchered and stabbed with dampened knives.

In 1994, Africa’s darkest night.

But the story does not end there,

The story continued

When men found forgiveness.

Let bygones be bygones,

They sang and covered each other with the blanket of love.

This is the story of Rwanda 

which must be told.

It’s their progress which must be sold,

The love which they do now unfold.

Africa’s cleanest,

the continent’s fastest-growing economy.

A country of a thousand hills,

Green plants everywhere

And forests still celibate.

Rwanda, this is the story we shall uphold.

Now, Africa, arise and collaborate

with your wisdom, let’s initiate,

Africa, arise!

Innovate and facilitate,

before the white man comes to dominate.

Africa, arise and educate,

teach with stories to free and liberate.

Africa, arise and protect your young,

Africa, arise but don’t forget the lost.

Those who shared their blood to make Africa strong.

Those who paved the path

Unto our civilisation.

Yaa Asantewaas and the likes of Captain Mbaye

Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela

Who didn’t hail from Wakanda,

But fought with their hearts

and exchanged their lives for our generation.

Now, Africans, arise and protect your nations

Africa, arise!

For this is the time for sober reflections.