{On Sunday, August 16th, 2015, Rwandans residing in the Midwest were honored with a visit from several Rwandan leaders, including the ambassador of the Republic Rwanda to the U.S.A, Mathilde Mukantabana, and first counselors, Frank Kayijuka and Manzi Lawrence. }
Rwandan Community leaders across the Midwest were also present for this exceptional opportunity to meet with Mr. Joe Ritchie.
Mr. Ritchie is the honorary consul of Rwanda, who has earned his love and respect from the Rwandan government and the Rwandan people because of his consistent involvement in the efforts in building a prosperous Rwanda. Among his many remarkable achievements in Rwanda, his most celebrated one is his leadership of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). The RDB, as an institution, holds a lot of the credit for the upward movement that the nation has experienced over the last few years.
After introductions of those who were at the meeting, the floor was opened for questions, and sure enough the first question was of mere curiosity, as to the reason why and how Mr. Ritchie gained so much interest in Rwanda. While a more expected answer would have been along the lines of business opportunities for this business mogul, his answer came as a surprise to many.
He recalled that when he was introduced to H.E. Paul Kagame for the first time, he was struck by his character, and that made him want to build lasting partnership with the nation he was leading.
He insisted that there are many presidents, but finding a president who isn’t striving to build his own personal empire, and instead truly cares for the development of his country, is rare. He pointed to the need for leaders with good character, and credited much of the post 1994 development to the integrity and hard work of many Rwandan leaders, who have taken it upon themselves to ensure the sustainable development of a nation that was on the brink of destruction twenty-one years ago.
To the young people who were present, Dr. Ritchie said,”The pool of highly educated Rwandans is of a pretty good size. That is not what we are looking for. We need those individuals who have the drive to tap into those gaping areas.” Among many other areas of growth in Rwanda, he used the educational system in Rwanda as an example of an area that could be revolutionized to benefit the country in a sustainable way.
In the discussion that ensued, there was a great emphasis on different ways that the diaspora can consistently be a strong presence in the development of Rwanda, and Rwandans.
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