A group of 140 diaspora youth and children, on July 29, paid a visit to the Kwigira and King's Palace Museums located in Nyanza District, which are some of the key heritage sites in the country.

The primary purpose of these visits was to provide the youth with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of their country’s culture, heritage, and history.The youth come from various countries, such as Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

This was part of the group’s five-day camp held at Green Hills Academy, where they also had the opportunity to learn about the Rwandan traditional dance, speaking Kinyarwanda, values, and cultural taboos, among other culturally relevant topics.

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During their visit to the Kwigira museum, also known as the Arts Museum, originally built for King Mutara III Rudahigwa- who unfortunately passed away before getting a chance to stay there- they learned about Rwanda&039;s home-grown solutions that played a crucial role in rebuilding the country after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

While at King's Palace-Rukari Museum, they learned about various topics related to the kingdom and its history in Rwanda.

Aimable Twahirwa, the Director-General of Culture Promotion, highlighted that the camp program, which covered five days and included various visits, has greatly enriched the knowledge of the diaspora youth about their country.

Twahirwa highlighted a concerning gap in the knowledge of culture and history among the youth living in the diaspora, particularly regarding their country. This program aims to bridge that gap and tackle the issue directly. With ongoing collaborative efforts, there is a hopeful outlook toward its eradication.

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"Such initiatives provide the youth in the diaspora with a valuable opportunity to engage themselves in their country&039;s culture, history, values, heritage, and language. They pledge to embrace and learn about Kinyarwanda, now that they can access online resources for learning. Moreover, they have been able to visit various historical sites, engage in meaningful discussions, and gain a deeper understanding of their roots,” he noted.

Going forward, he tasked parents living abroad in aiding their children's understanding of their native country and upholding Rwandan values, adding that the government alone cannot reach every individual effectively. But by engaging parents as key partners, the program can potentially reach a larger number of people.

"This collaboration aims to enhance the children's knowledge about Rwanda and raise a strong sense of cultural identity,” he said

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Alyssa Akamanzi, who lives in Switzerland, said that the camp was really useful and helpful to them in matters of cultural heritage.

"The camp managed to educate and train the youth on the important pillars of Rwandan culture such as Rwandan history before and after the Genocide; the values every Rwandan should yearn to have and many others,” she said

She added that her key takeaway from the camp is that she feels as though she now has a better understanding of what her culture is and what she as an individual can contribute to Rwanda’s future.