I was at school in New York when the COVID-19 outbreak started spreading across the world. I decided to come home to Rwanda to be near my family since all academic activities had shifted online anyways. The day I left for Kigali, the ministry of health had reported five cases of COVID-19. On my arrival at the airport, I had to go through screening to determine whether I should be tested for the virus or not. I was only cleared to go home after a health inspector had read me all the precautions recommended by the ministry. The next day, the director of my town hospital, the secretary executive of my sector, and the representative from local police paid me a visit. Their purpose was to reiterate what the health inspector had read me, provide me masks, and explain that I have to spend 14 days in self-isolation. No doubt I expected a robust response to the coronavirus outbreak from the government, but the level of discipline, organization, and resources I witnessed first-hand from the response team was beyond my very own projections. It pains me, then, when I hear or see friends, colleagues, and acquaintances abroad arguing that the government is probably hiding the actual numbers of COVID-19 patients on the sole basis that the situation in Rwanda is too good to be true. I want to point out that what these people are putting in question is the professionalism and resources of Rwanda’s health team, the cooperation of government officials and forces on all levels of administration, and most importantly the solidarity and resilience of people in Rwanda. While the post-colonial narrative of African nations has been synonymous with poor governance and corruption, adopting such view as absolute and unalterable reality is impending the African mind to a world shaped by neocolonial ideologies. In a period like this that requires a united front in all aspects, any one of the mindset of such “too good to be true” is simply not good enough for Rwanda and Africa we want. Today, banks and financial institutions have shifted to more online and mobile transactions, companies have embraced technology to encourage employees to stay home, e-learning is allowing students to learn remotely, and the government is providing relief to those with no income in this period. I would rather recommend everyone to see this whole response to COVID-19 as a sign of the 2020 vision we aspired to for long. The innovation and support from the private sector to meet the public needs, the level of professionalism and sacrifice from health and government officials, the unity and solidarity of the Rwandan public exemplify the Rwanda we all envisioned in 2020. I cannot think of a better spirit to have heading into the commemoration week on April 7th. The writer is a student of economics and political science at Columbia University in New York City.
