Service delivery again came up during the just-ended Rwanda Day in Bonn, Germany, that attracted thousands of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda in their thousands. President Kagame exhorted those in attendance not to accept bad service and should be the first line of defence. As usual, the President received many petitions of injustice, some that had lingered in government corridors for years with no solutions in sight. Rwanda Day is a place to bring the Diaspora up to date with developments back home and the available opportunities, but many use it to plead their case. They are discouraged when they are deliberately tossed here and there and their issues are not solved, so they wait for Rwanda Day. Some of the delays are deliberate because they know time is not on the side of the plaintiffs as they have to fly back to where they came. In the end, they throw their arms in the air in desperation and give up. The government must have realized that most people with unresolved issues back home regard Rwanda Day as their only salvation. There they have an opportunity to petition the President directly; at least they are assured of some action. So the creation of Rwanda Community Abroad, a division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that will deal with issues like the ones raised in the meeting, is very timely and will surely dry the eyes of many. One will not need to travel to Rwanda to personally deal with issues, they will simply liaise with the nearest diplomatic representation for wheels to start rolling. That is what comes out when people with diverse ideas come together just like Rwanda Day; innovative solutions are sure to come out. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
