URUGWIRO VILLAGE - A visiting group of 12 students from Harvard University Law School were, yesterday, hosted by President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro.
The students, who are in the country as part of their annual African tour, chose Rwanda as a model country to conduct their African study.

President Kagame shared with the students the country’s experience. He told them how bad leadership led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and how the current leadership managed to turn things around, elevating the country and its economy to where it is today.

The students, who spent a week visiting rural areas, were particularly interested in how the country has managed to get back on its feet after the Genocide.

Speaking to journalists shortly after meeting the President, Tareah Ekemele Ikharo, one of the students, said that they had a "robust” and highly insightful discussions.

"We discussed US-Rwanda relations and many other topics. It was robust,” Ikharo said.

She added that they chose Rwanda as their study country because it has a powerful success story and noted that President Kagame was top of the list of leaders who have inspired turnaround.

James Nortey, another student, said that they have learned many lessons from Rwanda, and they were able to hear a story which is not well understood by the international community.

"One lesson that really struck us is the desire and the vision of being able to turn the country around. Unfortunately, the US community doesn’t have a full perception of what Rwanda is,” Nortey, a 3rd year student, said.

"As ambassadors, it is our job to show the world what we have learnt here and hope to change the perception about Rwanda. It is open for business, it is open for travel,”  he added.

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