Rubavu urged to embrace ICT

Rwandans must embrace the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for creating wealth and ensure development, a minister has said. Speaking at the launch of a two-day ICT awareness campaign in Rubavu District last week, Youth and ICT Minister, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, urged local leaders to mobilise the youth to use platform. The national ICT awareness campaign was launched last year. During the campaign, local residents who had never touched a computer, were given the opportunity by DOT Rwanda, an ICT company, to get a feel of the keyboard, a move officials said would help demystify the computer. Alhough there weren’t enough facilities upcountry, the minister encouraged the people to share those available at local tele-centers and school labs as they wait for more services to be rolled out. “ICT is key for development in daily lifebe it in agriculture, business, healthnothing can be well done without the use of ICT. It is the way to a better future,” Nsengimana said. He urged residents, especially the youth, to defy the odds and embrace the use of ICT by cultivating a desire to learn. “The private sector has been invited to work with us to help in the campaign and there is hope that through mobilisation, investors will move into the sector.” Meanwhile, the minister met youth taking part in the national service, locally known as Itorero, and urged them to develop the culture of saving as a way of planning for a better future. While meeting them, the youth told the minister they had ideas of what they can do to become entrepreneurs but they lack capital to start the projects. Anne Marie Uwayezu one of them said: “The problem that hampers us is lack of capital. We have business ideas but banks require collateral before they can fund the projects. We wish the government can help us to ease the process of getting loans”. But the minister told the youth that creating wealth was not all about investing a lot of capital but they can start by saving the little money they get from their families. He said the government had availed opportunities for Rwandans and for the youth in general where it insures over 75 percent in Business Development Fund (BDF) among others facilities and urged them to take advantage of the opportunity. He urged the youth to transform their skills into ideas, be creative and have the right attitude and strategies to explore opportunities.