Nkumba: The nursery bed of Rwanda’s leadership

November was an eventful month in Rwanda as it saw the climax of a series of elections that started from the lowest administrative unit of the country – the village – up to national level for some constituencies while others went up to the district.

Among those that went up to national level were the youth, through the youth councils. In the beautiful hills of Nkumba in Burera District, the freshly elected cadre of youth leaders were groomed into the deserving leaders of our nation. 

Full of energy, they are all under 30. Majority of them are new in the leadership roles, the reason why they were taken for an orientation clinic which is an indispensable exercise.

This year’s cohort is particularly very interesting. They represent the diversity of our country, coming from different historical backgrounds and experiences, reflecting our country’s realities. 

At Nkumba, we have young leaders who were orphaned by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, those who were born from survivors of the genocide, those who were born from parents who played a role in the genocide and, those born out of rape during the genocide.

As tough a mix as it sounds and as much as it seems impossible to have such persons all converged towards one goal, the mood at Nkumba is as unique as the new cluster of youth leaders.

Their matchless distinctiveness though, is how they all describe this fascinating characteristic of their cluster when they say: “This is us, this is our country.”

They are noticeably dyed-in-the-wool to their new resolve, becoming active actors in the transformation journey of Rwanda. 

The 10-day curriculum training programme at Nkumba is a robust mainstay to this.

What package are they getting at Nkumba and how ready are they for the heavy task ahead? The aim of the training being to equip the trainees with adequate leadership skills, they had the chance to interact with highly experienced trainers including top-level officials such as ministers to successful business owners. 

Senior security officers such as General James Kabarebe and ACP Linda Nkuranga also had the opportunity to engage with the country’s new cadre of leaders and reminded them of their role in preserving the gains of Rwanda’s liberation and in sustaining the country’s transformational journey, bearing in mind that two things impose themselves as imperatives in achieving this; national security in all its scopes and good leadership skills. 

The trainees are not only exposed to theoretical engagements during their training. They are introduced to basic military drills as well. The programme is a unique blend of a training curriculum that will mold the youngsters into the resilient leaders well woke to the task ahead; one to take the country to the next level.

To be able to carry on the mantle, they need special skill-sets that one will not get on the blackboard of a conventional classroom. These skills include but are not limited to being capable of analyzing diverse set-ups and coming up with adequate solutions.

From specific issues that affect youth development programmes to broad issues that have to do with the transformation of the nation, the curriculum has been tailored to serve just that. 

To the youth, I have a special plea; the first one is a cue that being trained is one thing and what you do afterwards is a completely different thing. The young stars at Nkumba should aim at becoming better persons and socially responsible folks in their obligations.

My last appeal to them is to always remember that our diverse historical backgrounds should be the main source of inspiration in the transformational journey of our nation for the youth and the driving force of the positive changes that the nation needs to achieve.

Build on our troubled past to build a brighter future for our nation. You have got all it takes to make it happen.

My message to all Rwandan youth is; be the shield that protects the country. Mwimane u Rwanda! This is the task of your generation.