President Paul Kagame on Saturday, August 19, joined a youthful crowd in Nyarugenge District, Norvege neighborhood to take part in the Giants of Africa festival Umuganda Day, where he implored over 300 youth to contribute and take pride in Africa’s development.
Kagame, alongside Giants of Africa co-founder Masai Ujiri, presided over the construction of a road lane that links the main road to the deeper sites of the neighborhood.
Also present were senior government officials, including the Minister of Youth Abdallah Utumatwishima, Minister of Sports Aurore Munyangaju, City of Kigali Mayor Pudence Rubingisa.
“To Masai Ujiri, Toronto Raptors, the NBA, Giants of Africa again, our young people from over the continent, and our very own from Rwanda, I want to thank you for being with us, taking your time to do sports and many other things that build not only individuals but countries and this time our continent,” the Head of State said.
Reacting to the Giants of Africa festival that has been underway in Kigali for the past week, Kagame commended Masai for setting the stage not just for Rwanda but also the continent.
“You have made us proud, that you showed up and you wanted to do what you were doing and it is like a spark that will spread a fire across our continent. I will add to Masai when he said that you don’t have to be rich or poor in order to be clean, I want to add that you can also be happy.”
Kagame urged the youth to perceive a festival like that of the Giants of Africa as a movement.
“Let us take this as a sort of movement if you will, bringing together on the continent. Everybody has something to give, if we start with that, then we can all be happy. We want to see you more and more here or there in any of the countries represented here.”
The Giants of Africa Festival comes to an end on Saturday, August 19, after a weeklong camp that brought together young African talents from different paths of life to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Giants of Africa.
On Saturday, Rwandans will be in for a highly anticipated concert that will see Africa’s best in Davido, Tiwa Savage headline the concert.
“It was very important for us to have all this youth here to learn what it takes to really build the country, and it starts from the local communities,” said Masai Ujiri.
He added, “This country is a testament to that vision because it doesn’t matter where you go, you will see cleanliness. It is very important for us as the Giants of Africa to have young people from all over Africa to learn and experience that with us here in Kigali.”
