As we celebrate Heroes Day, let us take time to reflect on the cause that Rwanda’s heroes fought for, while contemplating ways of how their unwavering patriotism and great aspirations for the good of the country can be entrenched in the present and future generations.

Whereas the challenges of the past necessitated some of our heroes and heroines to take up arms to liberate our country from decades of tyranny – many paying the ultimate price in the process – today’s challenges present another kind of struggle that requires different strategies.

Despite remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and development, there is still need to work hard and raise the levels of our competitiveness, through innovation, creativity and value addition. Yet, if we are to achieve long-term success in the war against poverty and its side effects, we must embrace family planning techniques to help check the looming population explosion.

With our economy largely agrarian, we need to embrace strategies that will deliver a genuine agricultural revolution –that will increase food production and exports, without jeopardizing our ecosystem. If the majority of the Rwandan people genuinely chose to walk in the footsteps of our heroes and heroines, we can easily achieve our development goals.

Indeed, all this cannot be achieved without peace and stability, national harmony and a common cause. In that light, every Rwandan must continue to jealously guard the hard earned peace.

Happy Heroes Day.

Ends