Kagame discusses Rwanda's economic model at US meet

President Paul Kagame yesterday delivered the keynote address at an event held on the sidelines of the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, US, which attracted leaders from the profit and non-profit sectors. The President shared Rwandas history and its journey to reconstruction following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “We started from a very low base with one million lives that had been lost, four million refugees who were living outside Rwanda and a country that could have become a failed state. Today, Rwanda is still rebuilding itself but 11 million Rwandans are now hopeful that their future is a bright one,” he said according to a statement from Village Urugwiro.Kagame explained that recognising the value of every Rwandan was key in transforming the country.“We decided where we wanted to go, how to get there and created a shared vision that empahasised Rwandans as the nations most valued resource. “With twelve years free basic education, over 90 per cent enrollment rate and over 95 per cent access to health, our national budget prioritises the well-being of all Rwandans,” he said.Charles Edelstein pointed to Rwandas leadership and its approach to development as model beyond Africa. “Rwandas stunning turnaround can serve as an example globally and can teach each of us valuable lessons on how to run our businesses. Rwandas leadership is walking the talk and setting the tone from the top,” the statement quoted the President as saying. The Head of State described Rwandas vision as based on “the lessons of the past and the belief that working with partners should lead to achieving self reliance”“The resilience of Rwandans is driven by the anger caused by remembering where we have been and the determination to ensure that we develop as soon as we can and end dependency,” he told the audience.Hosted by the Apollo Group, Inc. and chaired by its CEO and Director of the Board, Charles Edelstein, the evenings discussion centered on the role of education in creating and sustaining economic growth.Apollo Group, Inc. was founded in 1973 by John Sperling who believed that changes in the working force would create a need for lifelong educational opportunities. Today, Apollo Group, Inc. has established itself as a leading provider of higher education programmes for working adults with a focus on servicing the needs of the working adult.

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Kagame discusses Rwanda's economic model at US meet