HUYE - A programme dubbed ‘mobile museum’ by the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda to promote a culture of peace by enhancing tolerance, team spirit and dialogue among the youth has hit instant success, a museum official has said.

Andre Ntagwabira, the coordinator of the ‘mobile museum programme said that so far over 700 youths have participated in the programme activities.

"There has been great enthusiasm. Many youths find it a completely new experience because most of the activities cannot be traced in today’s living,” Ntagwabira said.

"Our target is to reach as many youths as possible so that they can learn about the country’s rich history and culture.”

Participants during the programme get a guided tour of the museum after which they hold discussions about what they have seen, relating it to the present while drawing conclusions for the future.

Other activities of the day include group cultural activities including traditional dances, dressing, cooking, drumming and painting. Through painting, students put their thoughts in pictures.

Vianney Rubimbura, 64, an expert in traditional wear noted that Rwandans of the past showed great innovativeness in the way they sought solutions to challenges they were faced with.

"Rwandans wore bark cloth got from special varieties of trees, on top of getting milk and meat from cows; clothing for women was got from cow hides. This spirit of innovation ought to be carried on by the youths of today,” said Rubimbura.

According to Martin Munyaneza, 17, the programme left him with lasting impressions: "The way people lived in the past is simply amazing; I have learnt traditional dances, donned traditional attire and eaten traditional food. The challenge for us today is blending the past with present for a better future,” he said.

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