I cannot keep down the urge to pick up the trumpet and blow Rwanda’s tunes. Why should I anyway when the sound is so sweet, even to those who would rather not hear it? Long-time readers of this column know of my unsuccessful struggles to keep this urge in check and my reference to the words on this subject of a wise man from a neighbouring country who, sadly, is no longer with us. We could actually consider him one of our own since he was born on a hill overlooking one of our many lakes, in honour of which birth and location he wrote a poem about Lake Muhazi. John Nagenda, bless his soul, was always quick to silence accusations of blowing his own trumpet with the curt reply that he did not know the use of a trumpet that could not be sounded. His utterances could sometimes be dismissed as the words of a man not particularly famous for his modesty, especially by those who bore the brunt of his brutal bluntness. He once angered many of Kampala’s elite when he said he preferred the company of the cows in his upcountry farm to theirs. About that, another time. Back to our trumpet, that gives a beautiful sound to Rwanda’s score. Two weeks ago, we learnt that Sudanese students whose medical studies have been interrupted by war in their country were coming to Rwanda to complete them at the University of Rwanda. They chose Rwanda, we were informed, because it is a safe country, and of course, Rwanda made the offer. Indeed, one of their professors said that 50 of the students were female and that in their country they are very protective of their women and so would never send them to a country where they would not be safe. Of course, Rwandans have always known this and get perplexed when others do not, or refuse to see what is so obvious. They do not understand why some even go to court to seek legal determination about whether Rwanda is a safe place. The Sudanese professor and his students did not see any dispute about the country’s safety that requires expert legal interpretation. They knew it, saw it and felt it. The students were visibly happy when they arrived here and eager to resume their studies and eventually use their knowledge and skills to save lives. Rwanda has always been a welcoming country, especially to those in distress wherever they may come from. Ms Shahana Basij-Raskin, founder and head of the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), and the young girls that attend the school know that very well. Two years ago, they relocated to Rwanda to continue their education because it had become impossible for them to do so in their country. You do not hear much of that or the story of the medical students from Sudan in the foreign media or from those eager to go to court to have their prejudices upheld. First, the reason is simple. It does not fit into their chosen narrative of bias about Rwanda, actually runs counter to it. Second, they are partly responsible for the plight of the Afghan girls and do not want a reminder of that role. Some might say the Afghan girls and Sudanese students had no choice, that circumstances forced them to come to Rwanda. Fair enough. But they could have gone anywhere else. They chose Rwanda, and for a reason. What would some of those say about the hundreds of students from across Africa who choose to study in universities in Rwanda? Have they also been compelled by circumstances beyond their control? News of the medical students from Sudan coming to Rwanda to continue their training broke shortly after a global women’s conference had ended in Kigali. Women Deliver had brought together more than 6000 women from across the globe, representing diverse interests and causes. One could expect fractious meetings and discordant voices, and even irreconcilable positions. While there must have been lively debates, the picture overall was one of harmony and a wonderful, warm feeling of sisterhood. Perhaps they had fallen under the spell of the Rwandan way of managing differences. Even the slight discordance triggered by the utterances of the president of Romania was in reality proof of the spirit of the conference and its hosts. Unanimity is a very rare achievement among human beings. Accommodation is the nearest thing to it Few are better at this sort of thing than Rwandans. In the recent past Rwanda has been host to some big continental sports events. That baffles some people outside this country who think we have no right doing that since we are not a sporting superpower. That may be so, but the ability to organise and promote sports does not depend on sporting prowess. That may, in fact, develop from vision and organisation. Rwanda, together with partners in the business and sporting world, has been developing facilities that provide a wonderful environment for some of humanity’s finest young people to develop and display their talents and skills for our entertainment and edification. The impact of these developments goes beyond sports. As President Paul Kagame has said time and again, they inspire self-belief and a work ethic among young Africans to turn what is obviously great potential into real achievements in many other fields. As more of these conferences and sports events come to Rwanda, so too do leaders from across the continent and beyond. World leaders do not wake up one morning and decide to go visit a friend or neighbour. They visit because there is something that can be gained from it for their countries, region or the world. Usually such visits are a good measure of a leader’s or country’s standing. We are used to hearing that Rwanda is a hub of this or that. That, of course, may be true or simply a wish. However, the country is in many ways becoming a centre of inspiration in many areas – sports, culture, education, governance, ICT, finance, and many others. Strong enough reason to blow the trumpet.
