Diaspoman: Commending tremendous strides 14 years later

Tomorrow is yet another day which brings back sad memories. We all look back and try to fathom what exactly had overcome Rwandans in April 1994. It was such a crazy period which sparked off mass killings that left the whole world in shock. As we start the week of mourning, we also look back and commend a job well done by the gallant Rwandans who took up all the incredible challenges with boldness and patriotism. Instead of letting our heads drop down in defeat, we pulled ourselves up and took on the problems head on. We mobilized all the meagre resources at our disposal and worked on the rebuilding process. Now, Rwanda is at the forefront in terms of good leadership and democracy. The peace that prevails in the country has created a friendly environment which has attracted many tourists and investors. Not to leave out many of my fellow Diaspomen who have also packed up their belongings to join in the rebuilding of our dear motherland. Ever since I came back from the Diaspora 4 years ago, I have witnessed this tremendous growth of the baby country. The strides that have been taken are just quite simply awesome. Whenever I have the chance of travelling abroad, I always tell my fellow Diaspomen about the progress in Rwanda. Some people remain sceptical. But many others concur with me with a smile on their faces. In the process, we have seen increasing numbers of tourists and foreign investors with a lot of interest in Rwanda. In order to match the expectations of the investors, the leadership of this great land has embarked on developing capacities through human resource development. The investors need highly educated people to be able to run their enterprises and realise healthy returns on investment. It is in this spirit that universities in Rwanda have sprung up so fast. In the past few weeks, we witnessed graduation ceremonies in both Kigali and Butare. Also the number of students undertaking graduate master’s programmes has increased. What was once a weakened economy has since become a shining star within the region. The Macro economic stability can be confirmed by the steady inflation rate and growth in GDP. When the first new post genocide Government was sworn in 1994, there was no single penny left in the coffers of the Central Bank. Everything had been looted. In fact, the little resources that had been accumulated from supporters of RPF around the world were used to prop up the new Government. Last Tuesday, the President of Rwanda amused us when he revealed that some of these collections that had been received were used to buy new suits for some Cabinet ministers whose belief was that a Minister had to dress up in a suit – regardless of the prevailing circumstances. Today the country boasts of great economic success with tax revenues surpassing the set targets. The creation of the Rwanda Revenue Authority ensured that the right taxes were collected. The Government has used this revenue to rebuild infrastructure. Everywhere tarmac roads are curving and meandering around Kigali and indeed the whole country. The pavements have been rebuilt and street lights have been erected all over. Despite the problems of electricity, the Electricity Company has maintained a constant flow of electricity and the masses have been educated on how to minimize electricity consumption with the use of low voltage bulbs. It is all great! Our friends from neighboring countries have been taken aback by the cleanliness of the country. There is law and order. The traffic policemen will be seen smartly dressed even up to the wee hours of the morning. This has truly been a great success story 14 years after the terrible days of 1994. All we can do is to support this great cause and work as a united force against the negative elements that we have seen; such as that infamous Judges in Spain and France. For us, we shall continue to focus on what is good for Rwanda and all Rwandans. So fellow Diaspomen, do not shy away from what is happening in our great land. Let’s all join in and work for a better future. Contact: diaspoman@yahoo.com