UK Rwandan youth shares her first Ingando experience

UK Rwandan youth shares her first Ingando experience

My name is Diana Mbabazi Sentenga. I wanted to share my experience of two weeks in Ingando with other young people in UK. We were 6 of us who attended plus one who attended last year.

So what did I learn from the two weeks spent in the Ingando?

Apart from the drills and exercises which were good for our health I can proudly say that the two weeks made a lasting impact on me.

My perspective of Rwanda changed-The lectures (despite my poor performance due to language constraint) brought in me a certain surge of patriotism. I now look at myself as a Munyarwanda girl-not as a country of my parents.

The lectures inspired in us the necessity to not only to be proud of our motherland but also be part of its development- in terms of skills, investments and publicity wherever we are.

I now feel rightly as an Ambassador of Rwanda- who has to defend and promote the values of Rwanda wherever I am.  

There is a need in me and those of us growing up in the Diaspora to learn not ONLY the language but culture of our roots. (May I point out to those like me growing up in the western world to take seriously our parents when they want us to learn and speak KINYARWANDA- wait and see when you go to Ingando!!!-). I can’t emphasize enough the issue and importance of the language. It’s also important to learn the National Anthem (you can find the words and the tune on YouTube.

Ingando can be a forum to meet other young people studying and growing up across the globe, apart from 6 of us coming from the U.K, we had people studying all over – some from China, USA, Canada, Europe and a sizable number from the rest of Africa.

I will tell you something else we met the President- His Excellency Paul Kagame- he was kind to us and decided to speak to us in English- so no one would be left out!!! You now understand why I’m proud of him.

At the end of the course you get a Certificate of Participation.

I’m setting up a website to promote Ingando-targeting especially Rwandan young people growing up in the Diaspora.

Who qualifies to come to the Ingando?  If your parents or even one of your parents has the Rwandan origin then you qualify to attend- that’s how I understood it. You must also have completed high school or studying in a University outside Rwanda, between the ages of 15-25.

You also given guided tour of key sites in Rwanda (although this time round we did not get to see many-hopefully it will be incorporated in future).

There is a lot I can proudly say about the civic education - Ingando -what I strongly feel is that we as a Rwandan community in UK and elsewhere need to put our young people together, we need to know each other, plan events and collectively network with each other, support each other and be identified and proud of our motherland- Rwanda.

It’s my hope that one day through our embassy in London or Rwandan Community UK we shall as young people get to meet the President- he is such a serious person interested in the young people growing in Diaspora and how we can be integrated in Rwanda development.

I have developed a simple website -(still developing it)- http://www.rwandandiasporayouth.org/