{Yesterday, 30th December 2015, all roads were leading to the Kigali Car free zone for the KGLTG (Kigali Tweet and Greet), a social event which was organized with the aim of linking all Rwandans on Twitter as well as other important social media personalities. The event was organized by Ejo Group with the support of significant twitter pundits like Gilbert Rwabigwi and Fiona Kamikazi among others.}
Throughout the event, Rwandans on Twitter were offered a platform to share ideas, interact and get to know each other outside of their twitter handles. The participants started the event with a fun talk dubbed ‘speed dating’ which allowed Rwandans on Twitter to interrelate and share their experiences with social media.
The KGLTG was also an important opportunity for small start-up companies to advertise their services. New corporations like MERGIMS, an ICT company with a remarkable social media prominence, got the chance to gain new registrations to their app by offering free airtime to whoever downloaded their application.
Not only ICT companies were able to show up but also various businesses among which are the “YEYOTE” music app which collects Rwandan music in one place, Chap Chap Food, a vibrant fast food facility located in Nyamirambo and Hello Food among others. The most active and fluent Twitter personalities were offered the Made in Rwanda POSITIVO BGH laptops as a way of advertising the developing brand.
The event was as well a powerful platform to share the benefits of social media. A Youth Connect hangout which was moderated by Contact’s Albert Rudatsimburwa and Nathalie, a Rwandan living in Toronto, was organized to explore the profitability of social media and how it can be used in a productive way. They explained that social media is not only a tool for interaction but that it also provides Rwandans with a large platform to propose solutions to the government and address their concerns to government officials on what is going on well or not.
An emotive testimony by Edmund Kagire, a well-known journalist at the East African also marked the event. Kagire explained that if social media hadn’t existed, he would have died of cancer. He narrated the story of his long journey to India, how he got diagnosed with liver cancer earlier in August this year and how, with the help of Rwandans on Twitter and Facebook, he received funds to go in India and receive cancer treatment.
He enforced the fact that social media is not only for interacting but that it is also an engaging and innovative way of sharing ideas and stories. He pledged that once the treatment is over, he will certainly find a way of giving back to the society.
The Kigali tweet and greet was as well characterized by music performances from Rwandan artists. Musician Mike Kayihura performed two of his most popular tunes, a cover version of “Genda Rwanda Uri Nziza” and “Gravity”. Other Rwandan artists like poet and musician Eric Ngangare and “Two 4 Real” member Dj Pius were also on spot and burned the KGLTG stage with their incredible slam poetry and music.
The event organizers promised more social events in the future and summits in the same lane as the KGLTG with the purpose of allowing Rwandans to share ideas on a continuous basis.
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