Thousands of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda from around Europe today descend on the western German city of Bonn where they will congregate for the 10th edition of Rwanda Day. The annual event is a big celebration largely used the Diaspora community to reflect on how to find solutions to the country’s challenges and advance its development agenda. “This is more than just a get together of the Rwandan Community Abroad; it has become a signature event where Rwandans and friends of Rwanda reflect on building the Rwanda We Want,” Amb Richard Sezibera, the Minister of Foreign Affairs tweeted on Friday. Rwanda Day has, over the last decade been held at least once a year in various cities in Europe and the Americas. Last year, the ninth edition event was held in the Belgian city of Ghent. The first Rwanda Day event was held on December 4, 2010, in Brussels, Belgium. This year’s event, being held under the theme “Rwanda25: Owning our Future,” has a new feature, linking job seekers to job opportunities. The Career Speed Dating session starting from 10:30am to 11am will connect Young Professionals within the Rwandan community abroad with 16 organisations seeking talent. These companies are Bank of Kigali, I&M Bank, Carnegie Mellon University-Africa, Babyl, Cogebanque, RwandAir, Business Development Fund (BDF), Bridge 2 Rwanda, Study in Rwanda, Westerwell, Garden Fresh, BBOXX, Andela, Mara Phones, Irembo and Davis College Rwanda Akilah Campus. Like other before, this year’s edition is also set to be a spectacle as top local artists including traditional music icon, Masamba Intore, commonly known as Masamba Intore and Jules Sentore are expected to give a great performance. Others to perform include Bruce Melody, Jules Sentore, Charly and Nina, King James, Itetero dancing troop, DJ Princess, Igor Mabano and Teta Barbara Besides the fun and entertainment, a highlight of the day’s programme indicates that there will be exhibitions, discussions on culture and heritage, as well as on innovation and global connection, among others. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
