Umuganda

In 1998, the concept of Umuganda was reintroduced in Rwanda. It had other names and other drivers previously. This time, the idea was to get the peoples of Rwanda to learn to work side by side, in peace, to rebuild a nation brought to its knees by the horrific genocide of 1994.

And so, every last Saturday of the month, starting at 8 am and continuing for 3 or 4 hours, the people are asked to come out and work together on a shared project. Building, repairing, tidying up, creating and landscaping - any kind of project is welcome. Committees throughout the country coordinate the work. This concept is one of the reasons that Rwanda is really different among African nations. 

Of course a national organization on this scale has issues. In some places no one knows how to get started. In others, there is no funding available for projects. Leadership may not work well. But by and large, it has been an extraordinarily successful initiative and it is estimated that up to 80% of the population is involved on any one project day.

The president, Paul Kagame, who has led Rwanda since the end of the genocide, leads by example and joins in in person with a hoe! No one is above physical labour. 

Public transit shuts down during Umuganda. It starts up again at 11 am.  How do you think such an idea, in one form or another, could work in our beautiful country Canada?! In this age of individualism perhaps it would not fly far!   Our pioneers worked together to survive. Why couldn't we?