Rwandans have become avid debaters – certainly on social media. Actually, this is not exactly accurate. We have always been. Only that we do it differently - in a less confrontational manner, more as a conversation, a disciplined discussion whose purpose is to enhance the understanding of issues, not to impose a particular viewpoint. We debate anything – from parenting to baby and bridal showers, (mal) nutrition to food waste, education and leisure, from morality to rights and freedoms, religion to politics, the economy to the national interest and sovereignty. We will talk about whether the Russians are such horrible creatures for invading Ukraine and messing up global economies, or whether they are, in fact, demonised by the western press. We question whether bodabodas are a necessary evil or angels sent to help us move along Kigali’s narrow and congested streets. On all these diverse subjects, we will argue our case vigorously and passionately, and can take very extreme positions. The ongoing discussion on dress and indecent exposure illustrates this point. As it stands now a consensus on the subject seems unlikely. Even a judicial determination will put the matter to rest. Still, some people say Rwandans are afraid to speak, do not speak freely, or they are gagged. Those who hold such views are ignorant or choose to be, or simply do not want to see or listen. But it is not the subject of indecent exposure that concerns us here, exciting as it is. Before it took up a lot of space and time on social media, there had been another one, perhaps less polarising, on education, especially abroad. Strong views were expressed about the worth of sending Rwandan students to some type of colleges. I will not go into their merits or otherwise notwithstanding. The arguments raised other issues which merit attention. The government of Rwanda, individual parents and some organisations have been sending students to study abroad, mainly in North America, Europe, and now, increasingly, China and other Asian countries. It is a measure of the value they attach to education, in itself but also as a tool for transformation. They send them there to seek knowledge and skills, especially that which they cannot get at home, and exposure to others’ cultures and experiences. It is, of course, for the students’ own benefit, but also a societal one. There is an unspoken purpose that once they have acquired all they went to seek, they will come back and use it to uplift society in general. Of course, they don’t have to. That is only the general, and reasonable, expectation. And indeed some do come back, prepared in varying degrees, to apply what they learnt to our specific conditions. They earn praise and gratitude for that decision, but also derision from some quarters for spurning the opportunity to live and work abroad. Others do not return. Some, because of their exceptional knowledge and skills, are retained by the government or corporate world of the country where they have been studying. There are others who choose to remain there, lured by available opportunities or the good life. Similarly, they earn condemnation for being selfish or praise for doing what most would do given the chance. There is nothing wrong with these choices. However, one hopes that those who elect to stay away retain connection with home and are vested in its advancement, and so can still gather some useful information that will facilitate this. Along the way, there are some who for different reasons, usually not academic, fail to complete their courses. There have also been reports of unusual deaths and accidents. All these lead to several questions. How do we as a nation prepare our students before they depart to all the corners of the world? Do we make them ready for the differences in culture, lifestyle and attitude to life they will meet in the different countries and, more importantly, how to cope? Do we help them learn how to conduct themselves in unexpected situations? And in the event that they do and are unable to handle and need help, where and to whom can they turn immediately? Do parents or other individual sponsors take keen interest in the school to which their children are admitted and find out whether it offers quality or relevant education, or even whether it can help the individual to grow, develop and mature intellectually and socially? Or perhaps they just send them, load them with cash and other things to make life comfortable and tell them to go and make the best of it. The government, too, does it know who these students are, where they are and what they are studying? Does it keep an interest in them and encourage them in their search for knowledge? Or perhaps they do the easy bureaucratic thing- lecture them about patriotism and duty and similar stuff instead of having a dialogue and mentoring them. I wonder if we do any of these. And yet we should if we are to reap full benefits from investing in education abroad. The views expressed in this article are of the writer.
