The First Lady shared an opening message, calling for combined efforts to address root causes of poverty. Photo/First Lady’s Office.
The First Lady, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame has called for concerted efforts to tackle challenges affecting families worldwide, including poverty and unequal access to economic resources, which have an impact on the wellbeing of people and nations.
Mrs. Kagame made the call at “Breaking the Cycle: Overcoming the Cycle of Poverty” high-level panel session at the 2024 International Year of the Family Conference in Doha, Qatar, which is organized by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of the Qatar Foundation.
Speaking at the conference held at the Qatar National Convention Center on Thursday, the First Lady called for a reflection on the notions surrounding poverty and the fight for its eradication, pointing out that over the years, the African continent has been truly been set back, by extensive and systematic resource extraction, compounding debt, and foreign economic policies of austerity, that impede national development, all of which contribute to poverty.
In her opening message, Mrs. Kagame talked about the interlinks between family dynamics and the perpetuation of poverty, pointing out that the words “poor” or “poverty” are, regrettably, often used to define the identity of those who would instead better be described by their resilience, and drive to prevail over the exploitative politics of the Old World.
“Today’s exchange calls for reflection, but also experience, on the transformative journey that can successfully take a people from deprivation, to prosperity. While I look forward to sharing Rwanda’s story, I believe that a few questions must be raised first. I worry that without questioning certain notions, the scales may always be skewed against those deemed poor,”
Mrs. Kagame said that in order to break the intergenerational wheel of poverty, there is a need to examine the root cause of extreme poverty, assess and quantify the full extent of its damage to humanity, and reflect on the dynamics through which deprivation prevails.
“How can we truly eradicate extreme poverty, when it remains controversial, to raise questions on the lack of accountability and urgency, of the global institutions mandated to secure that change?” the First Lady pondered, adding that one has to question if the description of ‘poor’ necessarily quantify and qualify everyone’s productivity, in terms that may benefit some, but not others.
“If “poor” or “rich” are to be pertinent qualifiers of human development for entire nations, shouldn’t there be a more accurate and culturally-sensitive barometer, of the quality of one’s well-being, than the one that we currently uphold?” she asked.
Mrs. Kagame said that she believes that GDP per capita and other measures of Human Development Index can be biased or limited, and do not provide a full and complete picture of a people’s standards of living, particularly, in instances of significant inequality.
A good example, she said that one may deliver service with every cent while another may choose to misuse every full dollar.
“So much may occur in between acquiring funds, and actually putting those funds to good use. This gap is bridged by good leadership, strong institutions, and an engaged people. However, these markers of performance, like many more, often go undervalued,” she pointed out.
Sharing Rwanda’s story
The First Lady also took time to share Rwanda’s own experience and efforts to improve the wellbeing of the people, for the past three decades following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“In the case of Rwanda, Security, national unity, and the pride to have emerged, dignified and free, from the ashes of a once failed and divided state…for us, this, is hard-earned capital,” she said, emphasizing the importance of dialogue between countries to develop together.
‘Victimhood could never be a badge of honour. States, can no longer be disenfranchised, when measures are taken to, quote on quote, empower their people. Indeed, the time has come to revisit development cooperation dialogue, for a sincere and mutually beneficial relationship,” Mrs. Kagame said.
Mrs. Kagame attended the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF).
In tackling the aforementioned challenges, many of them resulting from poverty and imbalances in resources, Mrs. Kagame said that healthy nations that are prospering together can be achieved.
“A healthy and prosperous society produces healthy and prosperous families and in turn, healthy and prosperous families, sustain a thriving society. Our country embraces a people-centered model of governance, with a social protection policy enshrined at the core of our development efforts,” The First Lady said.
She noted that eradicating extreme poverty – remains a challenge, adding however, that the Framework of Sustainable Development Goals, provides a promising path to eradicating poverty by 2030 (SDG1), regardless of the considerable obstacles that may threaten the progress, among them population distribution, climate change, conflict and moral apathy.
Nevertheless, she pointed out that by implementing solutions that account for these threats; solutions mindful of the historical, cultural context, Rwanda has been able to trace her own way forward, which is reflected in the soon to be implemented National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).
Among other achievements, she said that Rwanda has implemented Universal Healthcare, commonly known as Mutuelle de Sante, covering over 98% of Rwandans, while Universal Primary Education, and Shelter for All are all areas the country has made progress.
The First Lady noted that homegrown solutions such as the Integrated Model Villages, provide decent homes to over 8, 000 vulnerable families, including those impacted by Climate Change, as well as a package of end to end services.
“Since 2000, the Rwandan economy has multiplied more than 7 times and Rwandans’ life expectancy has increased from 47 years on average, to 70 years now, and rising. 99% of our girls are enrolled in primary school, and child marriage, remains illegal in our country. School feeding has been implemented nationally,” she said, adding that every effort is being made to ensure school retention.
Mrs Kagame recognised the solid partnership between the Government of Rwanda and Qatar Foundation, highlighting that the Zero Out of School Project, spearheaded by Education Above All initiative, offers an encouraging prospect that no child shall miss school, by re-enrolling all dropouts, thanking the host country for its contribution.
Highlighting decades of progress
Among other areas, she pointed out that access to electricity has increased from 6% to 75% in the past 15 years and 50% of that electricity is now produced by renewable resources, adding that at the end of 2024, the cumulative connectivity rate in Rwanda will be 80%.
“Through the use of drones, Rwanda delivers medical supplies quickly and safely, to our most remote areas, saving numerous citizens. The digitalisation of services intended for the public has increased its efficiency substantially,”
“Our digital government services platform, “Irembo”, hosts over 40 different services, deriving from 6 different government agencies, removing the hurdles of bureaucracy in public service access. We look forward to the development of our six secondary cities, which will create a functional network of development poles that center green growth, and offset the social cost of rapid urbanization,” she pointed out.
Mrs. Kagame told the gathering that more than ever, there is a need for a generational mindset shift on the African continent and beyond; the kind that makes the world rethink the term “poor country”, the realities behind it, and the breadth of efforts necessary to achieve prosperity.
“For this, we are fortunate enough, to access rooms like these, where our efforts can be fed by the wisdom of the experts beside me,” she said, adding that “behind facts and figures, behind statistics, analysis and reports on poverty- related deaths in Africa, are real families, with aspirations and desires similar to everyone else’s: the health and success of our children. A life of dignity and security.”
Mrs. Kagame emphasized that the futures of those who have abundance, are closely connected with the lives of those in need, observing that economic challenges arising from poverty and insecurity, even when distant, will eventually permeate all households.
“The global inflation we’ve experienced in recent years, influenced in part by geopolitical conflict, has deepened our understanding of this connection. In many ways, our fates are interconnected,”
“So, we must all ask ourselves: Will this generation, at last, be the one to end extreme poverty? We are equipped with the resources, incentives and I dare hope, humanity, to do so. Will we make the only acceptable and rational choice?” she pondered.
She reminded the gathering that history and the young generations will judge, whether today’s chose to be active opposers, or passive enablers, of the biggest of thief of human life, of the 21st century,” she said, making assurances that Rwanda will always be open to partnerships and networking, to knowledge-exchange, with everyone that shares the ambition, to create a world of empowered families, where no one is left behind.
