How Umushyikirano is a game changer

Author: Emma Mukasa

• 2023-03-04 05:34:00

In December 2019, during Umushyikirano, a primary school teacher, Theodosie Uwihirwe, raised a concern.

She told the gathering that teachers like her were at the time placed in category three of the Ubudehe socioeconomic classification. She explained how this excluded their children from the list of students who are eligible for government scholarship.

Uwihirwe then requested that Ubudehe categorization be removed from the set of conditions based on to offer students university scholarships.

After a month, in January 2020, the government announced that socioeconomic status would no longer be considered in offering university scholarships and bursaries.

From then onwards, student's academic abilities would be put into consideration when determining who qualifies for government scholarships.

Introduced in 2003, the annual National Umushyikirano Council gave birth to many ideas and initiatives that made important contributions to the well-being of Rwandans and national building.

The One Cow per poor family program emerged from the 2006 Umushyikirano. Agaciro development Fund (Rwanda's sovereign wealth fund) was initiated at the same annual dialogue in 2011.

Following the open and direct discussions between Rwandans and their leaders from both the public and private sectors, each Umushyikirano produces resolutions to be implemented in the following year and reviewed in next National Dialogue Council.

The 17^th Umushyikirano adopted 12 resolutions which positively impacted Rwandans lives as presented in 18^th Umushyikirano on February 27 to 28 following three years of suspension (2020-2022) due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Among them there were the decision on relocating residents from wetlands and high-risk zones to safer places; building more classrooms to solve the problem of overcrowded classrooms; introducing reforms in education sector; promoting Made in Rwanda products and services; improving health posts across the country; accelerating poverty eradication; establishing facilities for SMEs to store their products; and fostering Early Child Development (ECD) activities for the best of children’s physical, social and emotional well-being.

By February 2023, there were more than 30,000 home, community center and school based ECDs from which approximately one million children countrywide access early child development services.

Despite the pandemic which triggered the largest global economic crisis, Rwanda has tried to implement the resolutions.

Some 614 families, comprising 2,558 people were relocated from the wetlands of Kangondo and Kibiraro villages of Gasabo District to Busanza model village in Kicukiro District to protect them from disasters caused by heavy rains.

The village residents now enjoy a better life, security is guaranteed, markets, schools and health centers are near them.

By October 2021, Rwanda had constructed a total of 22,214 classrooms across the country, costing $126 million. This solved the problem of overcrowded classrooms and reduced the distances travelled by students going to and returning from schools that hindered the learning of children.

The government improved the welfare of teachers by increasing their salary up to 88 per cent for primary teachers and 40 per cent for secondary teachers. Furthermore, Rwf5 billion was allocated to Umwarimu Sacco to strengthen liquidity conditions and access to finance by teachers.

Rwanda’s health sector was also improved, in spite of the overburden and pressure of Covid-19 pandemic to health systems. To date, the government has built 510 health centers, 1,245 health posts and 56 hospitals across the country. They are equipped with adequate facilities to help doctors and nurses serve patients effectively and facilitate Rwandans to easily access health services.

The 17^th edition of Umushyikirano, requested government to collaborate with the Private Sector Federation (PSF) to improve industries’ capacity especially in promoting Made in Rwanda products and services. Young entrepreneurs and women who produce locally made products were given a free exhibition space provided by the City of Kigali in the Car-Free Zone to gain a wider market.

The years 2019, 2020 and 2022 have seen more Made in Rwanda exhibitions in Kigali and abroad in countries like Sweden and the UAE which offered a platform to local firms to interact with international buyers, widen their market reach and grow their enterprises.  

Small and medium enterprises were facilitated and the government constructed 1,477 drying grounds and shelters, 525 storage and warehouse facilities throughout the country and purchased 45 drying machines to reduce post-harvest damage.

In order to maintain the quality of products exported to foreign markets, 77 cold rooms were built, 50 built by government and 27 by private sectors.

Umushyikirano has been a game changer to Rwandans. They directly engage with their leaders, asking them questions, holding them to account, and participating in the decision making process.

The National Dialogue Council is one of the home-grown solutions that has hugely contributed to Rwanda’s development.