Itorero Ry’igihugu launched

IN a bid to re-introduce traditional methods in mitigating Rwanda’s socio-economic challenges, President Paul Kagame on Friday launched ‘Itorero Ry’igihugu’ an informal education system.From this traditional school, people will be discussing issues like national unity and other social problems affecting the country.“We have again gone back to our good traditional culture to seek solutions to some of the problems we face…this shows how rich our traditional culture was,” said Kagame during the launching the school at parliament.He said that with Rwanda vying to join regional blocs, Rwandans should have in stock solutions to existing and future challenges.He gave an example of Gacaca traditional courts, the Abunzi (mediators), Umuganda (community work) and many other programmes that have been reintroduced to deal with problems Rwandans face.Kagame during his address urged Rwandans to have self esteem and not under-valuing the potential they have in solving their problems.He outlined four key issues that people must know if we are to develop.“One is personalizing our problems, the second is acknowledging that we have potential to solve them, third is having in mind that we are working for our own good and the forth is getting rid of the inferiority complex,” Kagame told the hundreds of leaders in different capacities who attended the function.This programme will be coordinated by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission countrywide (NURC).Itorero Ry’igihugu which according to Fatuma Ndangiza, the Executive Secretary of NURC has not got an appropriate name in English will be used to propagate various government policies.The director of Civic education at NURC, Alphonse Bakusi said yesterday during an interview that this programme which will go right from national level to the Imidugudu. It will be a platform to discuss several aspects affecting the country such as good governance, justice in a broader sense, economic development and social welfare among others.He however said that other activities will be taking place during the discussions including entertainment where people will perform traditional cultural dances known as Ibitaramo.After the launch, ten people were selected from every district in the country and it is these people who will train others in various districts.Ends