Rwandan youth have highlighted the country’s development journey 27-years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Their insights on business and other opportunities were highlighted on Sunday, April 18, in a short documentary showcasing African young talents. The series, dubbed #BESMA were earlier shot in the country and previous episodes were shot in Algeria and Ivory Coast, organizers say. During the episode, Rwandan youth shared insights on ‘Agaciro, the Rwandan spirit’, highlighting that while a dark history lives with the country, nationals should not allow to be defined by the same atrocities. “Rwanda is a country that wants to be exceptional, most of the times our government real tries to be quite ambitious with the target that it sets,” said Faith Keza, the CEO at RwandaOnline—a local tech firm that runs e-government programs. “This means that there is a lot that needs to be done in a short moment of time. So when you have ambition, or when you have a project or you have a goal you are more likely to find support here.” According to Keza, the Rwandan government is small and ‘nimble’, “So they are able to also partner better with large multinationals, small start-ups that like to advance their projects and their targets. So I believe Rwanda is really now being developed as a proof of concept hub.” How do you create a strong eco-system for the young generation? According to Aphrodice Mutangana, a tech-enthusiast, “It is when you have all the players working together. When you have the government putting in place the policies, when you have the academia producing talents, you have investors investing money, and there is a well-structured private sector, as well as donors who associate with your vision.” He added, “So this is what the country is doing, and becoming the land of opportunity.” Mutangana currently serves as the Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operations Officer at Digital Africa, an initiative that seeks to, among others, develop expertise and create a regulatory environment that supports African innovation. Meanwhile, Patrick Buchana, the Chief Executive at AC Group highlighted that, for the young generation, sometimes what is needed is not mainly the budget but the spirit of innovation. “The first thing that people talk about is huge infrastructure, and sometimes you don’t need that, because innovation is supposed to be that bridge between how you can use the current technology to get where you want without spending a lot.” He added, “So the ability to be able to sit down and design the future using the current resources that we have makes a difference for us as businesses.” Vying for a unified future While the memories of the Genocide against the Tutsi are still present, Yvan Mugemanyi a make-up artist called on the youth to be pioneers in the fight against Genocide ideology. “Memories continue to live with Rwandans. Every year we are also reminded on the national level. But we still see deniers every now and then and definitely this is not something Rwandan youth can draw from.” As a singer and songwriter, Ariel Wayz, pointed that she could still see the pain of fellow singers who experienced the dark history. “It is not like everything is in the past now. I can still see the pain and people are dealing with it. But choosing to let had made a big change to our lives.” In addition, Faith Keza said, “Our story is such a great story not just for us but to the rest of the world to prove that there can be so much light at the end of darkness.”
