Can We Get There?

It’s possible. Our country has certainly come farther in the past 16 years than even the most optimistic observers would have predicted. All of this development is important to recognize because it has been the government’s express policy to deliver basic services and economic growth to its people in order to mitigate genocide ideology. Despite three months of brutality in which an estimated 1,000,000 people were killed, Rwanda has rebuilt itself in the aftermath of that tragedy, setting itself apart from other developing nations in the region by intelligently, efficiently, and transparently making the most of other nations’ investments and creating the building blocks of success in agriculture, social services, entrepreneurship and basic infrastructure.
Under President Paul Kagame, Rwanda is now one of the safest, cleanest and least corrupt nations on the continent. Roads are smoothly paved, there is national health insurance, neighborhoods hold monthly clean-ups, commonly known as “Umuganda”, the computer network is among the best in the region and the public fountains are full of water, not weeds. Five years ago, traveling anywhere in the country was bound to be a bumpy ride, today, east-to-west and north-to-south, the road infrastructure is impressive and continues to expand. In Lake Kivu, which borders Rwanda to the west, an American Company, Contour Global, is building one of the world’s largest methane extractors which will later be used to generate electricity all over the country. Hotels are being built everywhere, and a real service sector is emerging to meet heightened tourism demand. Wireless broadband is being built out across the country with infrastructure from KT (formerly Korea Telecom) and the country has joined the British Commonwealth which ignites its purpose to move forward. Raging population growth continues to perplex the policy and development wonks in Rwanda. No worries, Rwanda can create opportunity for the 11 million who live here today, but can it do so for the estimated 14 million who will live here in 2020? In response, the government has embarked on an ambitious program to promote family planning.
Nations around the world, especially the United States and the UK, recognize and fully support our progress. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking in Kenya at the outset of her 2009 tour of the African continent, pointed to Rwanda as a "beacon of hope for Africa," just as her husband, former President Bill Clinton so often does. And on September 24, 2009, Bill Clinton presented one of his Global Citizenship Awards to Kagame, for leadership in public service. Two days later, at his Saddleback Church in Orange County, evangelical Pastor Rick Warren, who has made Rwanda one of his "purpose driven nations," presented Kagame with the second International Medal of P.E.A.C.E.
There are many who wonder whether Rwanda will continue to develop in stability or meet some sort of chaos. The challenges are epic, but so is the progress to date. Our nation has proved it can rise from the aftermath of unspeakable violence, and is determined to keep that momentum going and take the next critical steps toward real prosperity. Getting those basics right are only the foundation of our nation’s broader plan to become a middle-income country by 2020. And I guarantee that 10 years from now, Rwanda intends to be on par with Brazil, Thailand, and other nations that have pulled themselves out of poverty in recent decades.