Close to 130 employees of the National Rehabilitation Service (NRS) over the weekend completed a five-day civic education training at Nkumba in Burera District.
Speaking at the official closing of the training on Sunday, February 13, Jean-Damascene Bizimana, the Minister of Unity and Civic Engagement, said the five days gave the attendants an opportunity to understand Rwanda's culture and patriotic values.
"Having people who understand their culture is crucial, because a country cannot develop when its population are not united by their culture," Bizimana said.
"From culture, we derive the values of developing oneself and the country in general. Therefore, a civic training like this helps one to remember those values that enabled Rwanda to endure for many centuries."
He stressed that alongside the trainings offered at the Nkumba Leadership and Peace Centre, village-based Itorero should help in the civic education.
"We would like to see the village-based Itorero work and that will help solve the problem of delinquency. National unity cannot be achieved when some young people are on the streets, while they should be in school or working for their country."
Minister of Unity Jean-Damascene Bizimana.
He urged them to include cultural values in the package they offer during their trainings, adding that this will be a major tool against delinquency.
The training was attended by the personnel at the NRS headquarters in Karongi District and those working at three rehabilitation centres namely Iwawa, Nyamagabe and Gitagata.
They said Itorero boosted their commitment to the work of rehabilitation.
"There were gaps in our work at the NRS, where we could not link rehabilitation and the Rwandan cultural values. After Itorero, we have resolved to include cultural values in our work and help the people in rehabilitation centres to heal their wounds and return to the community," Jean Nepomuscene Ngwije, an employee of NRS said.
"We are thankful for the leadership for allowing us to attend this training; we are ready to do our work and help the people under rehabilitation to regain hope for their future," Josephine Uwajeneza said.
As he commended the NRS initiative to organize an Itorero session for their workers, Bizimana called upon other government and private institutions to consider civic education trainings for their personnel.
Itorero civic education is in line with the government’s seven-year National Strategy for Transformation, which prioritizes the "[reinforcement of] Rwandan culture and values as a foundation for peace and unity."