Many young adults were not yet born when, on October 1, 1990, a group of young men and women crossed Kagitumba, a border outpost that divides Rwanda and Uganda. It was the beginning of a three-and-a-half year liberation struggle that would forever change the socio-economic fabrics of Rwanda. The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) was its architect. Despite being outmanned and outgunned, the spirit of the young men and women of the RPF did not waver. They pressured the then government to grudgingly sign a peace deal it knew it would not honour, as it had a secret weapon up its sleeve; the execution of the world’s fastest genocide that left over a million Tutsi dead in a span of just three months. That was 24 years ago, and since then, the RPF has not been idle. It has had to deal with the uphill task of rebuilding a shattered and emotionally burdened nation, on top of returning hope to a traumatised society. The journey has been long but worth it despite the human sacrifices. All the pieces have fallen into place and the nation is now on the move. All this would not have been possible had the government, steered by the RPF, not effectively invested in its future; the youth. With over 60 per cent of the population below the age of 24, and all enjoying equal opportunities that had lacked since independence, the future is assured. The ball is now in the young generation’s court. They should jealously guard and consolidate the gains laid on the foundation of blood, tears and sacrifice, and not look back.
