Matthew Thomas: 3 Myths About Rwanda & the Truths that Busted them

Matthew Thomas: 3 Myths About Rwanda & the Truths that Busted them

Written by Matthew Thomas

I am one of the fortunate few. Fresh out of my undergrad, I was able to secure a job at the United Nations, through an internship program offered by the United Nations Association in Canada. Having only arrived two weeks ago at my field office, I still see my host country with fresh eyes. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on my hillside porch, looking out at the magnificent vista before me, watching the morning haze roll over the hills of Kigali.

My placement sent me to Rwanda, a country known for the troubles of its past, and not for the successes of its present. Upon telling friends and family that I’d gotten this job, and that I was being sent to Kigali (Rwanda’s capital), I got mixed responses.

“Rwanda, why on earth would you want to go there?”

“That sounds dangerous, will you have a bodyguard at all times?”

“Rwanda? Isn’t that the country where they kill each other?”

You get the idea. Through these responses, my own view of Rwanda was obscured. I had never lived outside of my native Canada prior to this, so I was a bit nervous. These nerves very quickly evaporated upon landing in Kigali.

Perhaps western media is to blame. Perhaps it’s casual racism. Perhaps it's just indifference. At any rate, due to lack of interest in the tiny African country with no natural resources, I was woefully misinformed about what to expect. For better or worse, here’s three misconceptions about Rwanda, and the three truths which shattered them. 

1. Rwanda is dangerous

Public memory is short. We like to compartmentalize things, and put them into neat and orderly boxes. It makes the world easier to understand, even if it skews our view of reality. It’s comfortable. For that reason, the thing which comes to mind when most westerners think of Rwanda is genocide. They think that Rwanda is a wildland; a country in turmoil. They are quick to classify it as a society which is inferior to their own.

Not to say that I held these views, because I didn’t. But I know many people back home who did, and perhaps some who still do.

In truth, Kigali is one of the safest cities in Africa. The police force was just ranked the second most reliable on the continent, and crime is at an all time low. Perhaps this is because of there is a police officer on nearly every street corner, armed with a semi-automatic rifle. Nevertheless, I feel just as safe walking down a street in Kigali as I did walking through Washington DC. In both cases, its the military men with guns that put me on edge. 

2. Rwandans don’t like Canadians

As I mentioned, people like to compartmentalize. They like to classify society and the world around them. The same goes for Rwandans as goes for westerners. As most of you likely know, the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda was an utter failure, working with an inept mandate, unable to protect the people of Rwanda from the terror and devastation that surrounded them for weeks on end. And as some of you may know, the commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda during the genocide was a Canadian.

Going into this internship, I was told by many back home that because of this, Rwandans didn’t like Canadians. They wanted someone to blame, and cast that blame unjustly at the feet of the Canadian commander, Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire.

I won’t speak for all Rwandans, of course, but the few that I’ve met in my first two weeks have busted this myth thoroughly. They have shown me incredible kindness, hospitality, and patience as I struggle to complete transactions in french, or direct a motorist during a ride. All the while, my Canadiness has been on full display, due to the maple leaf I have tattooed on my right bicep.

A few Rwandans have even gone so far as to make positive associations between myself and Lieutenant-General Dallaire, because we are both Canadian. Lieutenant-General Dallaire being one of my personal heros, I take this as a compliment in the highest regard, which seems genuinely how they meant it. 

3. Rwandan food is bland

As part of this internship program, I am one of 18 Canadians being sent to 10 different countries to work at UN agencies. During the pre-departure training in Ottawa, many of my peers were raving about the culinary delights of their host countries. Thailand, Peru, Cambodia, Columbia. All countries known in Canada for having amazing cuisines.

A quick google search of Rwandan food reveals that it is largely carb-based pasta, potato wedges, and rice are all staples. Being a foodie, I was worried. I needn't be.

Enter: brochette. Simple, delicious, and cheap. For all my anglophones out there, brochette literally translates to “skewer”. It’s meat on a stick. What kind of meat? You name it. My personal favorite is beef (I used to work in a steakhouse, developed a taste for beef), but you can get goat, chicken, even fish brochette.

Not “foreign” enough for you? Try some sambaza straight out of lake Kivu. Sambaza is tiny lake fish (about the size of an anchovy) fried, and eaten whole. I’m not a lover of anchovy, personally, but I can’t get enough of sambaza. Served (as most things are) with sides of mayonnaise, salt, and some sort of hot chili sauce.

In sum, the land of 1000 hills has blown away any misconceptions that I had previously held. The people are extremely kind, and immensely proud of their country. They want to share it with the world, and show people what this tiny Eden has to offer (so long as you’re an Arsenal fan). Are you looking to vacation in paradise on earth, largely untouched by western tourists? Rwanda is the place to be.