A group of 18 Rwandan women living in Diaspora on October 8 met with the top officials from the Diaspora General Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINAFET) together with the officials from the Rwanda Diaspora Global Network (RDGN).
The Foreign Affairs Ministry officials explained to them their role in Rwanda’s capacity building and discussed on possible ways of coordinating all Rwandans abroad.
Dr. Ismail Bikenan, the Secretary General of RDGN who attended the ministerial meeting held in Kigali said: “We gathered different Rwandan women from different parts of the world who are in the country to discuss with them and see how far they have gone with the activities of the Rwandan Diaspora Global Network.
“It’s also quite imperative to create awareness because some of them don’t know about the Network and its objectives.” He stressed.
The call was also intended to showcase Rwanda’s achievements on the globe through these women.
“Some of these women like others in Diaspora have spent years without knowing what is going on in Rwanda.
“Others have got false information and poor image about the nation, so we have to tell and show them what is on the ground for them to work as ambassadors when they go back,” Bikenan added.
During the presentations, women were told what the network in conjunction with the government is doing to coordinate all Rwandans in the Diaspora.
The delegation included women from Canada, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Burundi, Belgium, U.S.A, Holland, England, Sweden and Kenya among others.
Alice Cyusa, a Rwandan resident from the U.S.A said: “As a Rwandan and a patriot I knew the network before. After this meeting I am really convinced about its objectives and the things are going to change.
“I will have to talk to the Rwandan community in the U.S about the experience I have got today about the RDGN programs and projects” Cyusa said adding that Michigan where she lives has between 300-400 Rwandan community.
Faith Bakuru who is a Rwandan living in Uganda, a retired banker at Uganda Central Bank and now a Makerere University Banyarwanda Students Association’s patron said in a press interview: “We exchanged ideas, saw the challenges and we must seek possible ways to handle them in the areas where we live.”
The network is an umbrella of all Rwandan associations led by Rwandans in the Diaspora which among other objectives is to provide a guiding framework that sets out how the government of Rwanda wishes to see the Rwandan Diaspora being integrated in the national development of their native country.
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