Generation Rwanda students before the workshop began.



Generation Rwanda volunteers Megha Patel and Sushant Mukherjee hosted the workshop that took place at ISOKO Institute. Megha and Sushant had the students engaged in discussions about the definitions of a leader, theories of leadership, what a good leader does, and leadership styles. They did not “lecture” the students, but guided the discussion and encouraged them to share their opinions and experiences.

The students were asked to give examples of effective leaders, both good and bad. Everyone from Gandhi to Osama bin Laden was named. Megha, Sushant, and the students talked about what made the leaders effective, and the common threads among all the leaders mentioned: mission/vision (good or bad), task focused, determination, and confidence. The point of the exercise was to communicate that just because a leader is effective that does not make him or her a good leader, case in point Osama bin Laden. This challenged the students to not only be effective leaders, but good leaders.

At the end of the workshop Megha and Sushant passed out a form for the students to complete that assessed their leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire (Lewin, Lippit and White). They explained some students would be a combination of the styles, and that “it’s good to adapt and have an even score of all leadership styles.” By understanding their leadership styles the students will be more effective in their future endeavors.

Discussing leadership styles.

Through the knowledge and skills gained from Generation Rwanda’s scholarship and leadership education program these students will develop into the next effective and great leaders of Rwanda. ISOKO Institute was honored to meet Generation Rwanda’s students and looks forward to working with them again.

Generation Rwanda students represent the bright and hopeful future of Rwanda.

To learn more about Generation Rwanda visit their website-http://www.generationrwanda.org/

Manirakiza Emmanuel

By: Anna Reed

I have posted several times about one of my students at Sonrise, Emmanuel (see Anna’s blog post “Emmanuel,’God with us’”). I have known from the beginning that he is special….I was just waiting for the rest of the world to discover him. And they finally have. Just a brief history…Emmanuel is a double orphan from the genocide. His mother died in a refugee camp in the Congo right after the genocide, and then he was separated from his sisters in the camp. He literally wandered alone through the bushes of the Congo…when he was about 5 years old….dodging bullets, running from rebels and wild animals, and surviving off the little food he could find. After several years he made his way back to Rwanda and was miraculously reunited with his sisters, destined to live a life of poverty and despair with no parents. But instead Emmanuel was chosen as one of the neediest children in the country to attend Sonrise School the year that it started.

So fast-forward a few years. Emmanuel is in S5 (11th grade) and is the top student in his class. He is well known around Sonrise for his incredible leadership, his talent in preaching and public speaking, and most of all his love and compassion for his fellow students. There is not a student or staff member at Sonrise that does not love him dearly. Most students know that he is an orphan, but they have no idea the hardships that he has had to endure. He takes every opportunity that comes his way and seizes it, having no excuses or self-pity for the troubles he has faced.

The opportunity arose for Emmanuel to apply to the best academy in Africa. African Leadership Academy located in Johannesburg, South Africa focuses on teaching leadership and entrepreneurship skills to the top African students for their last two years of high school. Every year they choose the top students from every country on the continent to train as future leaders of Africa. This year they chose 3 students from Rwanda….and one of those students was Emmanuel. Amazingly enough, another of those students was one of Emmanuel’s best friends from Sonrise and one of my other students, Dieudonne. Two students from Sonrise were chosen out of the thousands of applicants from all over the continent!

Just imagine….a little orphaned boy trying to survive on his own in the harsh jungles of the Congo to a student in the best academy on the continent and destined to become a leader. Emmanuel also received a $50,000 scholarship to attend the academy, which is a lot of money to anyone but to him is absolutely unfathomable.

Emmanuel and Anna

I have tears in my eyes as I am writing this, because I have grown to love Emmanuel as my own family. He has the purest heart of any person I have ever known. He is pure goodness, wisdom, and compassion. He can win the love of any small child or entertain the intellectual thoughts of any grown man. I have to admit that I selfishly am a little bittersweet about his leaving. I feel like a mother sending her child off to college. Emmanuel told me some of the sweetest words I have ever heard… “Thank you for being the mother I never had and for doing all the things for me that my mother would have done.” But the funny thing is that he is the one who encourages me and gives me a renewed passion everyday for what I am doing here in Rwanda. Words cannot describe him; you just have to meet him. Someday you will….because mark my word, someday he will change the world!

Kigali — President Paul Kagame, yesterday, emphasised that what developing nations like Rwanda need is a “meaningful relationship” with donors, where people are accorded the right to think and do what they think is in their best interest, and strongly stressed the need for accountability.

Addressing the 9th Government and Development Partners Meeting which began yesterday in Kigali, President Kagame said that developing countries do not need “endless lectures” but rather aid that can help in sustainable development.

The President singled out donors who use aid to interfere in the politics of recipient countries, noting that Rwandans are better placed to discern what is best for them

“I want to stress that Rwanda has long since come of age and that this government is part and parcel of our people, fully representative as they have so decided. And as we are able to manage our socio-economic process, so are we able to manage our political project,” he said.

“It is therefore sometimes uncalled for, that we become subjects of endless lectures of how we should manage ourselves. We know what is best for us. No one should pretend that they know better than us what we need for ourselves,” Kagame said.

He added that while development partners play a role in providing financial support to strengthen the democratic process, this can only succeed if the support is predictable, effective and supports the democratic processes a given country is building.

Kagame thanked the donors and said that Rwanda values the support it receives from the development partners and which has undoubtedly contributed to the good progress the country boasts of today.

“The aid received by countries like Rwanda, should seek to help us develop sustainably and in a dignified manner, rather than create dependency.

“In this meaningful relationship, we are always open to good ideas and innovations, but ultimately it is us who need to make the difficult decisions,” Kagame said.

Kagame noted that Rwanda has met its commitments and effected basic, yet critical, reforms in areas such as Public Financial Management, planning, audit and procurement procedures, which constitute a firm foundation for further reform and development adopted in the last meetings.

President Kagame thanked the World Bank Vice President for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili for delivering the good news of Rwanda’s performance in the 2011 WB Doing Business Report, adding that Rwanda becoming the 2nd best reformer is a sign that the reforms have been effective.

“Since these reforms do have impact, I want to thank Ms. Ezekwesili for being the bearer of good news on Rwanda’s performance in the Doing Business rankings 2011.”

“We have no intention of resting on our laurels and today’s announcement strengthens our resolve to not only continue the reforms but go further still,” President Kagame said.

On her part, Ezekwesili noted that Rwanda is a model of countries that are well on course to achieve the MDGs, adding that it was the reason the country merits support, adding has it has proved to be a model for countries utilising aid.

“For us Rwanda is a very important partner because of the results that we can clearly see and it is because of countries like Rwanda that we continue to push the envelop a little bit further and even move beyond aid effectiveness and begin to look at aid as investment,” she said.

It was announced by Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Jacques Diouf in his speech at the commemoration of 30th World Food Day at FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy, yesterday.

One of the problems about increasing the number of hungry people in  the world as told Director General of FAO was the occurrence of long-term negative trend towards development assistance in the agricultural sector.

Development assistance which on the 1980s reached about 19% became only 3% in 2006 and now ranges from 6%.

On the other hand, according to FAO, low-income countries that experienced food deficits should be able to increase the budget for agricultural development from an average of 5% to at least 10% of the total construction budget.

That World Food Day celebration in Rome showed the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, as the main speaker.

In his speech, President Kagame reminded some ways to solve world hunger, such us for the assistance that had been promised at various meetings of the world for truly realized.

In addition, there needs to be political will from world leaders to realize the promises.

And in that commemoration, FAO also gave the Agrocola Medal award (post-humous) to the late Dr. Norman Borlaug, who is the father of green revolution of the world,.

Kigali — The Prime Minister, Bernard Makuza, will today present before both Chambers of Parliament, the government’s programme for the next seven years

This will be the first time the Prime Minister will be making a presentation of the government plans, before the public.

Speaking to The New Times, yesterday, the Premier said that the programmes to be promoted include good governance, social welfare, justice, economic development and others geared towards improving the lives of the Rwandan people.

“Over the next seven years, the Government’s programmes will focus on elevating Rwanda from being a poor country to a middle income country,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that, the government’s programs were based on what the Rwandan people had asked for and what President Paul Kagame had promised during the just concluded Presidential campaigns.

“The Government is going to put in more effort to improve the lives of its people and accelerate achieving the targets according to Vision 2020,” he added.

Augustin Habimana, the Parliamentary spokesperson, said that the Prime Minister’s presentation is one of the provisions of the latest constitutional amendments.

“Some provisions during the last amendment of the constitution require the Prime Minister to table government programmes in Parliament,” said Habimana.

MPs and Senators are expected to scrutinize Makuza’s paper before endorsing it for implementation.

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Housing: Bridge2Rwanda staff house available on a limited basis.

Please inquire for more information.

Last week, Rwanda president Mr. Paul Kagame was sworn in for a second seven year term in office. The president with a group of young liberators, fought a protracted war to fend off genocide and civil war. Today the RPF is heading one of the fastest growing economies in the region. This geographically small nation, has posted 7.1% GDP average growth since 2004.

Mr. Kagame, who has headed this strong economy for the past 10 years, needs more effort and support in sustaining this growth throughout his second term in office (2010-2017).

During his second term in office, the issues that he needs to address are helping the private sector access short and long term financing. Long term financing would trigger much needed development to maintain the current growth rate and grow a vibrant and sustained private sector to drive the economy towards the country’s Vision 2020.

Under the Vision 2020, Rwanda wants to become a middle income economy. However, access to capital for existing and start up Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) remains a huge challenge, which could slow the realization of this vision.

Long-term finances are also needed to finance mortgages and leasing which are crucial in creating wealth. For instance, coffee farmers who are using bicycles acquired through leasing indicate the metal horse has changed lives of the people in the rural areas. The farmers are able to deliver the fresh coffee seeds at washing stations in time and this in turn gives them premium prices.

This has improved the quality of coffee Rwanda exports and coffee has become the second foreign exchange earner after tourism. Examples like these ones and many other bigger, bolder and grandeur approaches need to be addressed in the next seven years in order to address to stimulate growth and development.

The government should come up with more practical measures to bring down lending rates in commercial banks for businesses to access short and long-term financing. Rwanda’s financial institutions should seek partnerships with strong foreign lenders and come up with joint projects on the local market.

The Isoko Institute for Entrepreneurship and Strong Societies for Africa is an initiative of Bridge2Rwanda, which was made possible through a grant from The S.E.VEN Fund.  An official announcement will follow soon.

Please enjoy the video below highlighting the progress.

Betsy on a moto taxi- It's the best way to get around town!

Besty brought her years of teaching experience from Oklahoma to Rwanda this August and has quickly found her footing at Sonrise Primary School in Musanze.  Her quick friendships with fellow teachers and matrons are helping Betsy face the new and difficult challenges of teaching in Africa. Spend 10 minutes with Besty and you will see that she is a loving and passionate woman. She loves her work and each child she is inspiring. Betsy went above the call of duty in Tulsa to make sure her students had clothes and mattresses to sleep on – And it is clear  Betsy’s dedication to helping children live better lives will be repeated in Rwanda.

I  first met Betsy at the beginning of our journey in the Washington-Dulles airport … And we became quick friends… It was more than the fact that we were traveling half way around the world together, and to this day we laugh at the fact we have only known each other a month.

Playing with the kids of Nke Nke village during our first week in Rwanda.

Betsy helping the kids of Nke Nke village paint at a kids camp. Always the teacher!

Betsy lives in Musanze and I live in Kigali, and we don’t get to see each other as often as we would like. To remedy this I packed my bags, boarded a bus, and headed to Musanze to see Betsy in her new world.  It was inspiring to watch Betsy use her gifting and passions and I look forward to seeing the impact she brings to her new family. A couple of days ago Betsy met Bishop John, the founder of Sonrise, who put his hands on her shoulders, looked into her eyes, and said, “Make your mark on Rwanda”. I can assure you Betsy will make her mark…in fact she will make many!

Below is my interview with Betsy;

 

What do you want to say to your family and friends back home?

 

Muraho! Thank you for being so supportive of me. Cheer on those Hogs, Hurricanes, and Cowboys for me! I love you!!!　

 

 

Betsy is right were she belongs!

September 8, 2010

Kigali — The world mostly knows Rwanda for the cruelty that was let loose in 1994; when over one million perished during the murderous frenzy that was unleashed against the Tutsi. Sixteen years later, Rwanda has evolved into a highly contrasting image of its former self, and left the world even more awed by its progress and resilience.

In her book, ‘The New Rwanda’, Sondra Meyers, a senior fellow for international, civic, and cultural projects at the University of Scranton, expounds on the journey to attaining a National Conversation in Rwanda-something she believes sets the strongest foundation for a democracy.

The handbook was created as a resource for discussions under the umbrella of ‘The National Conversation for Prosperity and the Public Good’ in Rwanda’.

It was the result of a roundtable discussion that took place in Kigali in March 2008 under the theme, “The Role of Universities in Building a Culture of Civic Responsibility, Interdependence and Prosperity.” This meeting brought together key Rwandan educators and a team of international academic leaders.

Having been endorsed by President Paul Kagame, the roundtable delivered a set of recommendations one of which was to enlarge the public arena by creating several opportunities for Rwandans to discuss the critical ideas and issues affecting their society, to take ownership of these issues and to act responsibly to achieve constructive change.

In the foreword of the book is President Paul Kagame’s call to action. He mentions how Rwanda has transformed itself yet continues to struggle for prosperity.

“Prosperity is a choice that requires the new Rwanda to develop citizens that can compete in a knowledge-based global economy,” he said.

Education being a priority in Rwanda, Kagame goes on to explain how the education sector has an element of leadership, responsibility and prosperity.

“Twenty percent of our national budget goes to education. It is essential that our educational system includes every citizen. Through both formal and informal education, every Rwandan must internalize the values of interdependence, civic responsibility and leadership,” Kagame said.

With a go ahead from Rwanda’s Head of State, the handbook has been deployed as a text for use in discussions taking place in schools, communities, churches and in all places where Rwandans gather to discuss issues of common interest.

“We the citizens of Rwanda have the responsibility to make Rwanda the great nation that it can be, meeting the needs of all our people, and bringing prosperity to all,” Kagame further asserts.

Sondra Meyers has written a book composed of interviews and texts from distinguished scholars and public leaders on the importance of building a civil society, and reports on Rwanda’s most pressing challenges.

Among these, Meyers briefly touches upon geographic and demographic facts and figures about Rwanda, revisits Rwanda’s history where she focuses on the pre-genocide, genocide and post-genocide era: she then expounds on the genetic make-up of a nation that has risen from tatters to strength in the heart of Africa.

Michael Fairbanks, the co-founder of The SEVEN Fund and founder of the On The Frontiers (OTF) Group, contributed to ‘The New Rwanda’ where he unveils the ‘Changing Mind of Rwanda.’

Fairbanks recounts how the world has entered into an era where it has become increasingly difficult for societies to breach the barricades that obstruct interpersonal trust, forgiveness, and self-esteem, propensity for civic engagement, optimism about the future and tolerance for those who attach a different meaning to life.

“There are no perfect examples of this kind of society. Still, there are nations that have much to teach us, and learning is especially interesting when it comes from an unlikely place. Rwanda may be such a place,” Fairbanks says.

Given the nasty image of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that the international media perpetually spreads, in reality the new Rwanda has undeniably achieved major successes in all spheres of society. Because President Kagame has asked Rwandans to forgive, they have forgiven; he asked them to keep the cities clean, they have kept them pleasant; he asked them to work together, they have instead reconciled and united for their own good.

In an exclusive interview with Meyers, Rev. John Rucyahana, the President the National Unity & Reconciliation Commission (NURC) and founder of the Sonrise Schools, further explores the subject of how Rwandans are taking ownership of their identity, a prerequisite for the destiny of the New Rwanda.

With outstanding Good Governance policies, a major reform has been established in Rwanda as a resilient state that is rising from one of the worst case scenarios of Africa to become the best leading example, and indeed Rwanda is a “work in progress.”

Speaking of reforms, Chapter Three of ‘The New Rwanda’ highlights Rwanda’s strategy of building a dynamic civil society at the helm of economic development, political stability and democracy.

Meyers affirms, “an educational protocol for entrepreneurship and other skills necessary for prosperity should go hand in hand with learning about the ways of democracy and civil society, in particular the central role that citizens play in making democracy work.”

“In my view, the most precious right that an individual can have is the right to be responsible for the public good. Responsibility gives meaning and dignity to our lives, and the hope that we can make the world a better place for ourselves, our children and grandchildren.”

More insight on the path to the new Rwanda is provided by scholars like: Benjamin R. Barber, a senior fellow at DEMOS, President of CivWorld and political theorist who explains the ‘Civic Tripod’-the State, Private Sector and Civil Society.

Armstrong O’Brian Ongera, Jr., the Executive Director of the Capital Youth Caucus Association in Kenya, who works with young people to strengthen the culture of democracy by teaching civic values explains how Rwanda’s youth are drivers of national renewal provided, “they are empowered with proper education at all levels so that they can further democracy, civic engagement and human rights which are critically important to Rwanda’s development.”

In Chapter Four, economic gurus like Eric Kacou, OTF Group’s regional Director for Africa, analyzes Rwanda’s Vision 2020 as well as Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). Michael Edwards, the Director of Governance and Civil Society at Ford Foundation captures the complexity of Philanthrocapitalism while Michael Brennan, a member of OTF Group’s Rwanda project, delicately finds the connection between Civic leadership and poverty reduction.

In an exclusive interview, Sondra Meyers has said she firmly believes that Rwanda is a democratic model for the rest of Africa – more precisely, a light of hope that is shinning for the world to see.

Speaking about democracy, Meyers said: “Authoritarianism is just as bad as weak leadership and anarchy. It creates fear. And as Rwanda saw in 1994, fear leads to unimaginable chaos and tragedy.

But it is dangerous to accuse strong leadership of being anti-democratic. Strong leadership is the basis for security and trust which is the root of any democracy. We see how lack of those two elements has virtually destroyed Pakistan and Afghanistan and how it cripples Iraq today.”

“There is good reason for critics to keep a close eye on Rwanda, just as there is good reason for Paul Kagame to use his landslide victory to lead his country into progress. There is less reason or justification for Western concerns about democracy, especially in the face of Western history in Africa.”

In January 2010, at the request of President Kagame a Kinyarwanda version of ‘The New Rwanda’ handbook was introduced.

With discussion questions at the end of every chapter, the handbook has become a vital tool for those citizens who engage in the habit of talking about ideas, issues and solutions to their societal problems.