Tea was the highest contributing export, with a total of 510.3 tons valued at US$1,308,800. The main destinations for Rwandan tea were Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, and Iran.
Horticultural exports amounted to 707.5 tons, generating US$930,989. The primary markets for Rwandan vegetables included the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands.
Besides, Rwanda exported 0.77 tons of coffee, earning US$6,166. The major importers of Rwandan coffee were Switzerland, Zambia, and Oman.
Founded last year by T4 Education and HP in collaboration with Microsoft, the Africa Education Medal is Africa’s most prestigious education accolade.
The Africa Education Medal was established to recognise the tireless work of those who are transforming education across the continent – to celebrate the stories of those who have lit the spark of change so others will be inspired to take up the torch. It is given to an outstanding individual who has demonstrated impact, leadership, and advocacy in the field of education.
Rogers Patrick Kamugisha is the Country Director of Educate! in Rwanda, the largest youth skills provider in East Africa. Educate! tackles youth unemployment by partnering with schools and governments to equip young people in Africa with the skills to attain further education, overcome gender inequities, start businesses, get jobs, and drive development in their communities.
Hailed as a visionary leader, Kamugisha is an educator and an economist with over 10 years’ experience working in the Rwandan education system. He joined Educate! in 2015 to support its launch in Rwanda and subsequently assisted the organisation’s expansion into Kenya and Tanzania. He now oversees a team of 50 working tirelessly to implement Educate!’s teacher training and support model in the 30 districts of Rwanda.
Under his leadership, Educate! partnered with the Rwandan government on the country’s national curriculum reform efforts, focused on curriculum design and project-based assessment.
The results of a randomised controlled trial of Educate!’s two-year teacher training and support model showed participating teachers were 19% more likely to use active instruction techniques, and six months after graduation students were twice as likely to enroll in university, with a 167% increase in university enrolment for girls.
Kamugisha’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and long-term behaviour change in education practices has resulted in the implementation of innovations in Rwanda such as student business clubs and a new software platform, the Comprehensive Assessment Management Information System (CAMIS).
CAMIS enables teachers to continuously monitor students’ progress, incorporating project-based assessments and moving away from traditional reliance solely on exams. The data is uploaded to a central database at the national level, allowing for a detailed overview of student outcomes.
As a former teacher and National Master Trainer on skills-based education, Kamugisha has a unique affinity for educators in the region and understands the challenges they face. He has personally trained over 500 teachers on competency-based curriculum best practices, helped governments to develop education materials, and his work has had a significant impact on the quality of education in East Africa.
Kamugisha is a passionate advocate for education reform and providing opportunities for skills-based learning, having lacked these opportunities as a student growing up in Uganda. He uses his platform to raise awareness about the importance of skills-based education, giving lectures to university students about the value of entrepreneurship and working alongside the UN Industrial Development Organisation to introduce the subject of entrepreneurship in Rwanda. He sees that a quality education must go beyond theory and encompass practical experience. It is his firmly held belief that if young people are given the right support and mentorship, the economy will benefit from the entrepreneurs and leaders of the future.
Meanwhile, Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura is Executive Director of Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) in Rwanda, an organisation that empowers orphaned and vulnerable youth to build lives of dignity and contribute to a better world.
Nkulikiyimfura was born a refugee in Burundi. His parents were both orphaned and fled Rwanda in 1961, but taught their children that they would one day return to Rwanda and restore justice and dignity for all. Nkulikiyimfura did exactly that after the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi and began working to fulfil this promise.
Nkulikiyimfura first visited the ASYV campus in 2010, where he met a student named Fabien, a genocide survivor and orphan who inspired him with his determination.
This experience led him to enter the non-profit sector and work for ASYV in hopes of helping students like Fabien build dignified and self-reliant lives. The students of ASYV remind Nkulikiyimfura of his own parents; they have grit, resilience, and hope for a better future.
Nkulikiyimfura leads ASYV in its mission to empower vulnerable Rwandan youth to heal, build lives of dignity, and contribute to a better world. ASYV has provided 1,200 youth ages 14–21, including 500 current students, with secondary school education, medical and mental health services, extracurricular activities, and a loving family environment.
These services were designed to meet the complex needs of genocide survivors, and under Nkulikiyimfura’s leadership have continued to enable hundreds of the nation’s most at-risk young people to complete secondary school and access tertiary education and employment.
Among ASYV’s current first-year students, 63% have lost one or both parents, 65% come from households living in poverty, and 5% are refugees. In recognition of girls’ heightened vulnerabilities to leaving school, 62% of students are girls and 38% are boys. The results of the programme have been phenomenal. Over 60% of graduates have attended higher education, compared with 7% of young people nationally, while 44%, nearly twice the national average for youth, are employed, self-employed or interning.
Nkulikiyimfura also works to strengthen education in Rwanda nationally through ASYV’s Educational Resilience Programme (ERP). A groundbreaking partnership between the public, private, and non-profit sectors, the ERP is training upper- and lower-secondary school teachers from across Rwanda in digital education technology and life skills education concepts like mental health, gender equity, and sexual and reproductive health. The ERP has already impacted over 60,000 students.
His vision for ASYV has guided the organisation in its work to achieve several strategic goals, including digitising all curricula, developing vocational training based on national economic need and opportunity, closing gender-based gaps in programming, and developing a new trauma-informed curriculum that will train staff members to provide students with the emotional support they need to thrive. This work is enhancing learning outcomes and helping students build supportive relationships with their peers and educators.
Commenting on the selection of finalists, Vikas Pota, Founder and CEO of T4 Education, said: “Africa’s teachers and school leaders, and its leaders of governments, NGOs and businesses, all play a crucial part in unlocking the continent’s potential through quality education. African education stands at a crossroads in the wake of the pandemic, but if leaders from across the continent in every field can work together then they can build the lasting change needed.”
{{Below are top 10 finalists for the Africa Education Medal}}
● Mary Ashun, Principal of Ghana International School, Ghana
● Laura Kakon, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer of Honoris United Universities, Morocco
● Rogers Kamugisha, Country Director of Educate!, Rwanda
● Grace Matlhape, CEO of SmartStart, South Africa
● Mary Metcalfe, former policymaker and CEO of Programme to Improve Learning Outcomes (PILO), South Africa
● Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director of FAWE, Uganda
● Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura, Executive Director of Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, Rwanda
● Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa, Nigeria
● Sara Ruto, Former Chief Administrative Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Education and former CEO of PAL Network, Kenya
● Snehar Shah, CEO of Moringa School, Kenya
Nominations for the Africa Education Medal opened in February 2023 for individuals working to improve pre-kindergarten, K-12, vocational and university education who are either educators, school administrators, civil society leaders, public servants, government officials, political leaders, technologists, or innovators.
The winner of the Africa Education Medal will be announced in July. Finalists will be assessed by a Jury comprising prominent individuals based on rigorous criteria.
The Head of State made the advice as he interacted with students from Harvard Business School at Urugwitro Village on Monday 15th May 2023.
Reflecting on Rwanda’s remarkable transformation after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, he attributed the country’s success to its refusal to remain mired in darkness.
“The country we inherited here was completely crushed. First impression, anybody would come and say, will these people ever find a way up? Even those of us, some of them would be wondering, shall we ever rise from this?”
The President said that this also happens in daily life but stressed the need to keep soldiering on to forge the way forward.
“The first lesson, no matter how down you are brought by any factors or forces, just don’t accept staying down, find a way up. Don’t despair,” he advised.
Kagame said that developing resilience is paramount for the pursuit of dignity.
“Second, how do you realize that? There are certain goods that must be available to you to realize that. That freedom to be able to go to school, to have health provision, to have food on the table, to do business, to think and become productive by yourself between you and somebody else and in the country,” he stated.
Kagame also highlighted that working with people has been the key enabler for Rwanda to achieve current transformations after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
He is among leaders that often deliver talks to students from Harvard Business School where he shares Rwanda’s resilience journey after Genocide against the Tutsi, serving as a source of inspiration and motivation for others who seek to overcome challenges and create positive change.
As of today, around 30,326 individuals have been displaced and are currently being accommodated at various provisional sites.
Several countries including China, France, Turkey, China, Barbados, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Israel, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Senegal among others sent their condolences following the floods and landslides.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Coumba Dieng Sow, the Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rwanda and Rolande Pryce, the World Bank Group Country Manager for Rwanda are among other leaders who sent their condolences to Rwandans.
On Monday 15th May 2023, President Kagame took to Twitter to commend the leaders and friends of Rwanda for their ongoing expressions of solidarity during this difficult period.
“Thank you to all the leaders and friends who sent condolence messages following the loss of lives from the devastating floods and landslides in Rwanda. We are grateful for your solidarity and support to the people of Rwanda. As we work to rebuild and provide assistance to the survivors, your messages are a reminder that we will overcome these challenges,” he tweeted.
Rwanda continues to receive support from individuals and private institutions to bolster its emergency response to the recent disasters.
Philippe Habinshuti, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA), has told IGIHE that the country is receiving assistance in the form of various essential items and cash donations.
MINEMA has reported that approximately Rwf119 million in funding has been raised through contributions via mobile money and bank accounts to aid the affected individuals.
Last week, President Kagame visited the disaster-hit areas in Rubavu District, including Mahoko, Pfunda, and Nyundo. He also visited the affected residents temporarily housed at the Inyemeramihigo, Nyamyumba, Kanyefurwe, and Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle sites, where he assured them of government support in returning to normalcy.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Rwandan government requires about Rwf110 billion (approximately 98 million U.S. dollars) to rebuild the infrastructure damaged by the heavy rains across the country.
In response, the cabinet recently approved the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Policy, which aims to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for disaster management and enhance disaster management capacity at all levels.
Additionally, an emergency response plan was approved to reinforce efforts in providing urgent relief to communities affected by disasters, as stated in a recent announcement by the Office of the Prime Minister.
The resolution was reached following a tripartite meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland on 15th May 32023 at the United Nations (UN) headquarters to discuss the perspectives for voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees in Rwanda and Rwandan refugees in the DRC.
The meeting was convened by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and attended by delegations from both countries.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the modalities for voluntary repatriation of refugees in both countries and facilitate reintegration for those who choose to stay. The resolutions of the meeting, released through a joint communiqué on May 15, 2023, acknowledged the provisions of the tripartite agreement signed in 2010 involving the DRC, Rwanda, and UNHCR.
Both countries agreed to engage in constructive dialogue to create conditions conducive to the sustainable return of refugees and to uphold the principles of safe and dignified voluntary returns. They also resolved to address challenges related to security for returnees, exchange comprehensive information on areas of return, and ensure support for sustainable reintegration.
Additionally, they agreed to ensure continued access to asylum for those in need of international protection according to relevant international conventions. The parties decided to hold a technical tripartite meeting in Nairobi within one month to define practical modalities for reactivating commitments and structures contained in the 2010 Tripartite Agreements and develop a Comprehensive Roadmap for voluntary repatriation.
Since 1999, Rwanda has received thousands of Congolese refugees. However, there has been no coordinated voluntary repatriation for these refugees by the DRC or UNHCR.
The recent Luanda Roadmap, signed on January 11, 2023, demanded the DRC to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees, but the DRC officials including Minister of Education, Muhindo Nzangi Butondo and Patrick Muyaya, Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, Patrick rejected their refugee status.
This rejection indicates that the DRC government does not consider the request to provide a dignified life and opportunities for its citizens across different camps in the region. Rwanda, on the other hand, remains open for Congolese refugees but has repeatedly called on the international community to take responsibility for finding a sustainable solution for these “forgotten” refugees.
Rwanda has proven to be a safe place that offers protection to people in need of emergency assistance. The country has received over 130,000 refugees from various countries, including more than 80,000 from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese refugees in Rwanda are residing in different towns and camps, with specific figures indicating the distribution among various locations.
The majority of Congolese refugees in Rwanda are aged 17 and below, accounting for 50% of the refugee population. Those aged between 18 and 59 represent 45% of the population, while the remaining refugees are above the age of 59. Most of these refugees fled from the Northern Kivu Province (86.6%), with smaller percentages coming from the Southern Kivu Province, Haut Katanga (1.6%) , and other areas (1.4%).
After many years of rejecting them, the DRC government announced in March 2023 that the parliament would approve a resolution in the near future to determine the modality for repatriation of refugees accommodated in Rwanda.
At the opening of the 19th International Labor Organization (ILO) Regional Seminar for Labor-based Practitioners which kicked off on Monday in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Fanfan Rwanyindo, the Rwandan Minister of Public Service and Labor, emphasized the need to integrate employability skills development and job creation initiatives into national plans.
“Skills mismatch remains the primary barrier to job creation and labor productivity, posing a serious threat to the economies of countries,” she said.
To tackle this issue, Rwanyindo said that the Rwandan government is implementing a national skill development and employment promotion strategy, aiming to bridge the gap between labor market demand and supply.
Hendrina Doroba, the Division Manager for Education and Skills Development at the African Development Bank (AfDB), stressed the catalytic role of skills development and entrepreneurship in empowering and promoting sustainable growth in Africa.
Doroba emphasized the importance of creating an enabling environment for the private sector to generate sufficient job opportunities, as currently, a significant percentage of young people entering the labor market in sub-Saharan Africa remain unemployed or underemployed in the informal sector.
Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, the ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the significance of skills development and increased employment-intensive infrastructure investments in addressing employment challenges among both youth and adult workers in Africa. She underscored the need for innovative approaches and tools in policy and program development related to employment.
“African continent is working on developing an employment-intensive investment strategy, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and other key partners, to complement the ongoing youth employment strategy and address youth unemployment in Africa,” said Olonjuwon.
According to the ILO, although unemployment rates in sub-Saharan Africa remain relatively low, a significant proportion of employable youth face underemployment and lack decent working conditions.
Among the estimated total working poor in sub-Saharan Africa, young people account for 23.5 percent. Young girls often face greater disadvantages in accessing work and experience worse working conditions compared to their male counterparts, with employment in the informal economy being the norm.
The seminar, which will run until May 19, has attracted more than 1,000 people from across Africa and beyond.
“A large logistical supply of weapons, ammunition and fuel belonging to the rebel militia has been dealt with in a qualitative operation that targeted some areas in Sharq Al-Neel (eastern Nile) locality and bases around the East Nile Hospital,” the army said in a statement.
The statement said there were no civilian casualties during the operation, but the RSF said the bombardment resulted in the “death and injury of dozens of innocent citizens and the destruction of a large part of the hospital.”
Also on Monday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry condemned what it called the “RSF attacks” on a number of diplomatic missions in Khartoum.
“The Rapid Support Forces attacked and forcibly entered the diplomatic missions of the Kingdom of Jordan, the Embassy of South Sudan, the Embassy of the Republic of Somalia, the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda, the Military Attache of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Military Attache of the State of Kuwait,” the ministry said.
The statement said that the RSF damaged documents and furniture, and stole valuables, including computers and diplomatic vehicles without regard to international law.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission in Sudan on Monday issued a statement on the development of the situation in Sudan.
The commission condemned the use of air force and heavy weapons in the vicinity of civilian residences, which resulted in civilian casualties.
The commission further demanded the evacuation of all health and civilian facilities, urging the conflicting parties not to deal with these facilities for military purposes or as military targets under any circumstances.
On Sunday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report that at least 676 people have been killed since the clashes broke out on April 15.
According to the report, over 936,000 people have been newly displaced by the conflict since April 15, including about 736,200 internally displaced, and about 200,000 taking refuge in neighboring countries.
According to the United Nations, it is estimated that about 15.8 million Sudanese, or about one-third of Sudan’s population, will need humanitarian aid in 2023, and the figure is likely to increase as a result of the war.
On May 11, the Sudanese warring parties signed in the Saudi port city of Jeddah the Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid and guarantee the safe evacuation of civilians.
However, the two sides accused each other of breaching the deal and continuing the armed clashes.
The appointment of Félix Gakuba was announced through a letter signed by Dr. Didacienne Mukanyiligira, Chairperson of the Board at REG, on 15th May 2023.
Before his appointment as the interim CEO of REG, Gakuba held the position of Managing Director at the Energy Development Corporation Limited (EDCL).
EDCL is a public entity responsible for increasing investments in new energy generation projects, improving energy distribution through appropriate transmission infrastructure, and implementing energy access projects to meet national targets.
With over 18 years of experience in the energy sector, Gakuba has been involved in electrification programs, generation and transmission planning, and project management in the Great Lakes Region.
Prior to joining EDCL, Félix Gakuba coordinated regional and transnational infrastructure programs funded by multiple organizations at the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Region.
He has also worked for ELECTROGAZ, a former Energy and Water utility, where he contributed to various line rehabilitation and construction projects.
Ron Weiss, Gakuba’s predecessor at REG, had served as the CEO since May 2017.
Before joining REG, Weiss held the position of Senior Vice President in the Engineering Projects and Business Development Group at the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC).
The course on peacekeeping is conducted by Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
The PTS commandant, Commissioner of Police (CP) Robert Niyonshuti, while officially opening the course, commended the existing partnership between the RNP and UNITAR in capacity development.
“Through this partnership, we have conducted various course in peace support operations.
Rwanda National Police has always put training at the forefront in capacity building to address contemporary security threats either in Rwanda or in other countries, whenever required,” CP Niyonshuti said.
He added that in order to proactively address security challenges, there is need for competent trainers to drive a knowledge-based and skilled force.
“Peacekeepers require pre-deployment training, which cannot be acquired if you don’t have enough and skilled trainers. This demanding course was, therefore, organized in that line to have competent trainers,”CP Niyonshuti said.
Rwanda currently deploys Police peacekeepers in various countries, including four contingents in Central African Republic (CAR) and two in South Sudan.
Others are deployed as Individual Police Officers (IPO), who work as advisors and mentors, as well as professionals, who include the current Head of Police component for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), CP Christophe Bizimungu, and the Chief of Operations for the UN Mission in South Sudan UNMISS), ACP Felly Bahizi Rutagerura.
Elaine Maisonneuve from the Peacekeeping Training Programme Unit at UNITAR, said that they aim to increase the capacity of beneficiaries to respond to global evolving security challenges.
“UNITAR aims to step away from traditional methods of teaching; instead, rely on research to adopt best practices required by the Police forces to ensure they have the knowledge relevancy in dealing with the emerging security threats,” Maisonneuve said.
Speaking from the Seychelles today, the Secretary-General called for “swift and decisive action” to curb the illicit flow of money out of Commonwealth countries and to “build confidence that our institutions and systems in the Commonwealth are corruption-free”.
The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment that was ripe for embezzlement, false claims, kickbacks, and other forms of corruption. The post-pandemic global downturn, rising costs and pressure on resources, has made Commonwealth countries, particularly small states and developing nations, even more vulnerable to the impact of corruption. This crime often sees aid money lost to crime, undermining social and economic development.
{{‘Corruption costs quality of life’}}
On Monday 15th May, the Secretary-General joined Anti-Corruption heads from across Commonwealth Africa for the start of the 13th Annual Commonwealth Regional Anti-Corruption Conference.
The conference, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with the Seychelles Anti-Corruption Commission, is a focal point for the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa (set up by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2013) to meet, discuss and formulate actions to collaboratively tackle systemic corruption and the illicit flow of funds out of the continent.
Opening the event, the Secretary-General said: “While we tend to think of corruption in purely monetary terms, the truth is that it costs us the quality of our lives. No country, region or community is immune.
“It damages education, health, justice, democracy, prosperity and development – and it is one of the biggest impediments to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Tackling corruption brings multiple benefits; poverty is reduced, economic stability and growth are increased, and standards of living are raised.”
{{Trillion-dollar cost of corruption}}
Each year corruption and illicit financial flows cost the global economy US$3.6 trillion, according to the UN.
A trillion US$ is paid in bribes while an estimated US$2.6 trillion are stolen annually through corruption – a sum equivalent to more than five per cent of the global GDP.
In developing countries, according to the United Nations Development Programme, funds lost to corruption are estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance.
It was estimated that Africa loses more than US$50 billion a year to illicit flows, although this could be as high as $89 billion a year, or 3.7% of its GDP, according to UNCTAD’s Economic Development in Africa Report 2020.
Over the past 50 years, Africa has lost more than US$1 trillion equivalent to all the official development assistance received during the same period.
Since women and girls often have less access to health and education, they suffer most from the impact of corruption on aid budgets and government spending.
{{‘Decisive action’ needed to make Commonwealth corruption free}}
The Secretary-General added: “We need to take swift and decisive action to improve transparency and accountability, and to build confidence that our institutions and systems in the Commonwealth are corruption-free.
“Together, we can work towards… an approach which allows us to examine how tax authorities, anti-money laundering authorities and anti-corruption agencies can collaborate to solve this monumental challenge.
“And an approach which can enable international collaboration to track ill-gotten money and following through more opaque jurisdictions.”
The opening of the conference was attended by President of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan.
He said: “The challenges we face in combatting corruption call for a broad collaboration of agencies, stakeholders, experts and citizens. We do this well, but we could always do it better.
“I look to every individual in this room today, as well as those watching and listening at home and at work around the Commonwealth for help and support in that quest. We are all gathered for a reason: To come together as one family united through common aspirations; that is, the fight against corruption and the battle we endure when corruption tries to fight back.”
Also speaking at the opening, May de Silva, Head of the Seychelles’ Anti-Corruption Commission, said: “It is important for us to fight corruption, but it is equally important for us to unite when corruption fights back. Let us unite in sharing our experience, skills and resources.”
{{Commonwealth anti-corruption work}}
The Commonwealth Secretariat is providing practical technical assistance and development support to help national anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth countries build their effectiveness in dealing with corruption.
This began in 2013 with the creation of the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa to enable the collaborative sharing of expertise and best-practices.
The same year the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Botswana opened the first continent-wide Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Centre in Gaborone to provide practical guidance and training to officials across Commonwealth Africa.
