Factors and Challenges for National Independence
Senior 3 · History and Citizenship
Factors and Challenges for National Independence
Lesson 4 of 4
25 min
At the ninth National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano) in December 2011, Rwandans proposed creating a national fund that citizens and friends of Rwanda could contribute to. President Paul Kagame launched it on 23 August 2012 as the Agaciro Development Fund, Rwanda's sovereign wealth fund. According to the Fund, its purpose is to build up public savings to achieve self-reliance, to keep the economy stable in times of shocks, and to speed up development.
Analysing the case. Three things stand out. The idea came from a citizens' forum, not from outside. Its name, Agaciro, means dignity: the dignity of a people that does not wait for help. And it is meant for hard times, the shocks studied in Lesson 3. Self-reliance is not refusing all partners; it is being strong enough to choose.
Definition
Sovereign wealth fund: a fund owned by the state that saves and invests public money for the future. Example: the Agaciro Development Fund.
Agaciro: dignity, self-worth; a value that encourages Rwandans to rely on their own efforts.
Home-grown solutions: institutions drawn from Rwandan culture to solve today's problems, such as Umuganda, Imihigo and Girinka.
Sustain: to keep something going over a long time.
| Strategy | What it is | How it builds self-reliance |
|---|---|---|
| Vision 2050 and NST2 | Vision 2050 (MINECOFIN, 2020) aims for upper-middle income by 2035 and high income by 2050; NST2 (2024 to 2029) is the five-year plan towards it | Long-term plans chosen by Rwandans guide the budget and partners' support |
| Domestic revenue mobilisation | Wider tax collection by the RRA, electronic billing machines for VAT receipts | A larger share of the budget paid from Rwanda's own revenue |
| Made in Rwanda (2017) | Supporting local factories and encouraging citizens to buy local | Fewer imports, more jobs and taxes |
| National savings | The Agaciro Development Fund (2012); the Ejo Heza long-term savings scheme (law of 2017, launched 2018) | Money for investment and for shocks, without borrowing |
| Home-grown solutions | Umuganda (community work), Imihigo (performance contracts), Girinka (a cow for a poor family), Umushyikirano | Citizens solve local problems with their own labour and ideas |
| Education and skills | Technical and vocational training (TVET), science and ICT | Rwandan experts replace hired foreign ones |
Self-reliance is sustained by many small acts, which together form a cycle:
Worked example: applying the cycle to your school
Question: Suggest two ways in which a school club could promote self-reliance, and explain each. (4 marks)
Way 1: run a school garden and sell vegetables to the canteen. The club produces and earns, and the school buys less from outside.
Way 2: start a savings scheme in which members save a small amount each week. Saving builds the habit of planning, and the savings can fund a small project, such as buying seeds.
Each way is linked to a step of the cycle (produce, earn, save, invest).
Some people say self-reliance means never accepting help. Others say it means using help so well that one day you no longer need it. Which view does the Agaciro Development Fund support? Explain.
Tip
Two levels in every answer. For "how can self-reliance be promoted?", give measures by the state (Agaciro, Made in Rwanda, Vision 2050) and by citizens (saving, paying taxes, buying local). Examiners reward both levels.
Practice
Further reading
Sources and credits
