Rwandans in UK.com

The exercise that kicked off recently in Kampala, Uganda saw the commission’s Executive of Secretary, Charles Munyaneza briefing the Rwandans residing in Uganda on the August polls.

Commission has also visited Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya and other countries to connect with the Rwandan Diaspora community.

Speaking to The New Times, Munyaneza said that the sensitization campaign will help to solve some problems that the Diaspora faces during elections.

“We have decided to come to Uganda with the aim of educating all who are to engage in election to avoid inconveniences which might occur.”

During the three day visit, the duo met with Rwandan students and other Rwandans residing and working in Uganda.

The first councilor at Rwandan High Commission in Kampala, Daniel Mutezintale called on the community to come forward and register at the embassy to avoid last minute rush.   

Reported in the New Times

Addressing the press shortly after the meeting, Sharma, who said he was proud to be the first Commonwealth SG to visit Rwanda after its admission.

He disclosed that during discussions with the President, they focussed on a number of areas where the organization will be partnering with Rwanda to foster development.

“I am here as the first Secretary-General to welcome Rwanda into the Commonwealth, and it is a very historic moment. All of us are relishing this moment,” he said

“We had very substantive discussions on where we can both give value to each other. The tremendous achievements of this country will be of great benefit to the organisation, to the members”.

He added that the Commonwealth being a value-based organisation, and one that moves on a wide front, there is a lot of scope that ‘naturally’ exists between the two (Rwanda and the Commonwealth) and that it was ‘quite easy’ to draw lines along which they will operate.

“The next step now is for the formal ceremony that will take place in the month of March in London for the installation of the flag of Rwanda and on Commonwealth day, I look forward to receiving the President,” Sharma said.

He noted that the main areas of cooperation will be governance and human resource development.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, the talks were also meant to initiate Rwanda into the group and how it can work with existing member states in the areas of economy, education, youth, ICT and trade.

She noted that despite Rwanda being two months old into the body, the country was chosen to host the Commonwealth Youth Conference to be held September this year.

Reported in the New Times

Davidson M. Mugisha, the Director of World Tours Rwanda, a local private company said that the income will be generated by residents as land managers, entrepreneurs, service and produce providers as well as employees.

Community-based tourism is whereby local residents (often rural, poor and economically marginalized) invite tourists through cooperatives to visit their community activities as a way of generating income. 

“At least part of the tourist income is set aside for projects which provide benefits to the community as a whole,” Mugisha told Business Times.

He said that this new tourism niche enables tourists to discover local habitats and wildlife by celebrating and respecting traditional cultures, rituals plus wisdom.

“The community will be aware of the commercial and social value placed on their natural and cultural heritage through tourism, and this will foster community based conservation of these resources,” Mugisha said.

Citing 30 members of community-based tourism in Bugesera district under World Tours Rwanda where Rwf8 million was generated in 2009, Mugisha said that residents in rural Rwanda can boost their income by 95 percent.

“The advantage of community-based tourism is that it does not rely on weather seasons,” Mugisha explained.

He added that the reconciliation village in Bugesera where Genocide survivors live with Genocide executor has impressed a host of tourists.

However, he mentioned that the project (community-based tourism) is held back by limited awareness and lack of involvement by stakeholders.

Reported in the New Times

The call was made by president of the Rwanda Diaspora Global Network (RDGN), Gustave Karara in a communiqué to the community.

Karara commended the Rwandans living abroad for their continued efforts in the development of their motherland and urged them to commit even more, especially by being the country’s ambassadors wherever they are.

Karara applauded the Diaspora-initiated development projects especially the One Dollar Campaign (ODC), a fundraising campaign that has raised over Rwf 1bn for the construction of hostels meant to house students who are victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

The global network also recently set up a mutual fund – the Rwandan Diaspora Mutual Fund (RDMF), to help invest back home.

“We appeal to you to maintain the love and patriotism you showed to all Rwandans and our country – this enabled the Rwandan Diaspora to have a real role in developing the country and it is now being considered as another province of Rwanda,” Karara said.

Reported in the New Times January 11, 2010.

During his two-day stay likely to begin January 20, Sharma is scheduled to meet and consult with top government officials as well as address the press.

Efforts to get a comment from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to confirm his coming were futile by press time.

Sharma’s visit comes barely two months after Rwanda was welcomed into the 54-member organisation.

Its admission supported by many was largely based on accomplishments in key sectors such as democracy, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

The Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of England, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, recently congratulated Rwanda upon her  admission to the grouping and noted that the country had made significant progress in the last 15 years “since the terrible events of 1994.”

Since 2004, the Commonwealth diplomat has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation.

Reported by the New Tomes,  Wednesday 6, 2010