Rwandans living abroad have been urged to actively take part in the forthcoming National Harvest Day, commonly known as Umuganura, with officials saying that this was one of the ways to reconnect with the country’s rich history.

Umuganura is celebrated every year on the first Friday of the month of August which this year falls on August 6.

Ahead of the celebrations which will this year be held at the family level owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Youth and Culture together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a conference with the theme "The role of Rwandans living abroad in conserving the heritage of the ancestors who founded Rwanda.”

The conference featured panelists including Edouard Bamporiki, the State Minister in the Ministry of Youth and Mathilde Mukantabana, the Rwandan ambassador in the US.

Other speakers at the virtual conference included Sandrine Uwimbabazi Maziyateke, is the director-general in charge of Rwandan Communities Abroad in the foreign ministry and several ambassadors representing Rwanda in different countries.

"The National Harvest Day is a Rwandan holiday that unites us without any form of discrimination; it is heritage from our ancestors. We must all give value and celebrate the day because it is a symbol of our unity,” said Bamporiki.

Bamporiki drew comparisons between the way the day is celebrated today and how it was marked in the old tradition, saying that all celebrations must be geared towards sharing good harvest with their neighbours and use the opportunity to discuss strategies for better yield going forward.

Mukantabana demonstrated how Rwandans in the United States always come together in different ways to work, develop themselves to make Rwanda. She said that they normally use such an opportunity to discuss how best they can contribute to the country’s development.

Pascal Murasira, one of the Rwandans who lives abroad and actively taking part in developing the country through an entrepreneurship hub, shed more light on the subject. 

"Rwanda is a good country to establish a business because of the support system in place to help a business grow,” he said.  "There are a lot of opportunities in Rwanda; let’s invest in our country and build more enterprises to develop more," he added.

Bamporiki emphasized that: "Umuganura is our day as Rwandans and we must own it. It is from our ancestors and so it is our heritage that we must preserve for generations to come. It is a gown that we wear today and which will be worn by all Rwandans no matter where they will be born.”