Unity, Cooperation and Ndi Umunyarwanda

1The school garden

The P6 class at a school in Kamonyi has one week to plant a vegetable garden. On the first day nobody works together: Gatete digs alone, Uwase waters the wrong beds and Mutesi's group argues about whose idea is best. On the second day the teacher divides the work, and everyone helps everyone. By Friday, the garden is finished.

"What changed?" asks the teacher. "We stopped working as small groups," says Gatete, "and started working as one class."

2Two important words

• Unity (ubumwe) means being one: people standing together as one family or one nation, even though they are different.
• Cooperation means working together to reach a goal that everyone shares.

A football team shows both. The players are united as one team, and they cooperate by passing the ball instead of each trying to score alone.

3Ndi Umunyarwanda: "I am Rwandan"

Ndi Umunyarwanda means "I am Rwandan". It is a national programme started in November 2013. It invites every Rwandan to put their shared Rwandan identity first, above any division, and to live in peace with all Rwandans, whether they were born Rwandan or became citizens later. It encourages people to talk honestly about the country's history, so that trust can grow and the past is never repeated.

4What breaks unity

• Discrimination: treating people unfairly because of where they come from, their family, sex, religion or disability.
• Divisionism: spreading ideas that split people into "us" and "them".
• Lies and rumours that make people fear or hate each other.
• Selfishness and corruption, when a few people take what belongs to everyone.

5Why national unity matters

When a country is united, there is peace and security, everyone's rights are respected, people trust one another and can work together to develop the country. Rwanda's history, including the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, shows how much harm division can cause. That is why unity is at the heart of Rwanda's laws and values.

6How you can promote unity

• Respect every classmate and play with everyone.
• Refuse to repeat jokes or words that insult a group of people.
• Work in teams and share what you have.
• Take part in community activities and national events.
• Tell a teacher or parent when you hear someone spreading hatred.

7Symbols that unite us

Every Rwandan shares the same national symbols:

• The flag (adopted in 2001) has three bands. Blue stands for happiness and peace, yellow for economic development and green for the hope of prosperity. The golden sun with 24 rays stands for unity, openness and the enlightenment of the Rwandan people.
• The coat of arms (the national seal) shows the sun, sorghum, a coffee branch, a traditional basket (agaseke), a cogwheel and two shields, inside a green rope tied in a knot. The ribbon at the bottom carries the national motto: Ubumwe, Umurimo, Gukunda Igihugu (Unity, Work, Patriotism).
• The national anthem is "Rwanda Nziza", which means "Beautiful Rwanda".

We show respect for these symbols by standing still when the anthem is sung and by never damaging or misusing the flag.

Try it yourself