When it was first announced that Rwanda and Russia would be collaborating to build a nuclear plant and develop related technologies for peaceful purposes, there were a lot of pessimistic comments on social media. Many were just nasty for the sake of it, but many were just too lazy to look beyond the stereotypes that African nations were born to fail. For others, it was just a matter of soar grapes, kicking themselves in the shin in frustration for being beaten to the tape by someone they considered lesser than them. It the past few months Rwanda has registered a number of firsts or unveiled innovative and trail-blazing ideas and policies that many critics thought was biting more than it could chew. That is exactly where the problem lies; how does one know the limits of one’s strength without taking the first step or throwing all caution to the air and just jump into the pool to test its depth? Former US President Barack Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope”, sums it all up; Rwanda wants to prove that nothing can hold it back in its bid to improve the livelihoods of its people. Sometimes the going is not very smooth but it learns from its mistakes and starts all over again where many would have been discouraged and thrown in the towel. So, today, Volkswagen, which already has a vehicle assembly plant in the country, will unveil its first-ever fully electric car on the African continent. Rwanda is not playing with expensive toys, it is just being realistic and worried about the future. The effects of climate change are real, so why not mitigate them by going green? That is what the leaders of this country like to call “thinking big”, and why not? It has never harmed anyone to do so.
