Congratulations to Rwanda on becoming the first country in the world to elect a majority female parliament!
See BBC coverage "Women to Rule Rwandan Parliament"
Rwanda
Rwanda is a beautiful country located in the heart of Africa filled with rich culture and natural beauty. MSI is excited that Rwinkwavu, Rwanda will be the site of its first boarding school.
| Profile of Rwanda |
| Secondary School Enrollment - 15% Life Expectancy - 44 Years Population Living on less than $1 per day - 52% Children (ages 5-14) involved in child labor - 35% |
Genocide
Rwanda, or "the land of a thousand hills," is a small, landlocked central African state known for its numerous volcanoes, stunning lakes, and nature reserves. Tragically, Rwanda is also internationally recognizable for its brutal 1994 genocide. Ethnic tension between the dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority had been mounting for years when, in April 1994, Rwandan Hutus made a nation-wide attempt to eliminate the Tutsi population. The massacres continued for nearly 100 days until the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), led by General Paul Kagame, prevailed over the genocidaires. This effort ended the horrific Rwandan genocide but left over 800,000 people dead and millions displaced. General Kagame, chosen as president by members of Parliament in 2000, was democratically elected to office in 2004. Today, Rwanda is a country set on a course of peace and growth.
Rebuilding
Rwanda and its people have shown great resiliency in the aftermath of the turbulent 1990s. Upon review of the key categories in the Mo Ibrahim Foundation contest, Rwanda was chosen in 2007 as Africa's "Most Improved Nation," ranking 18th on the list of 48 states while improving by 18 places over the past five years. The country's most significant improvement came in the Participation and Human Rights category.
Increased aid coming to Rwanda has in large part been spent on health and education, allowing Rwanda to reach many Millennium Development Goals. President Paul Kagame stresses "the need for education systems in Africa that are aligned to respective national development priorities" in order to drive Rwanda's growth. Britain's Department for International Development commends Rwanda for building upon their successes to continue on a path toward national unity and reconciliation.
For More Information on Rwanda
Books:
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch. We Wish to Inform You is a moving collection of first-hand accounts of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Films:
Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire. 2007 Emmy Award winning documentary by Peter Raymont on the Rwandan Genocide. Official site
Articles:
New York Times article on women in Rwanda's Parliament
Boston Globe article on Paul Farmer's organization Partners in Health and its involvement in Rwanda
New York Times' blog "Two for the Road" chronicling development in Rwanda
Tourism: