President Kagame | Meeting with a delegation from the Hope Haven Christian School, led by Founder and President, Hollern Susan.
Kigali, Rwanda – President Paul Kagame has once again emphasized the enduring importance of education in Rwanda’s development, sharing a deeply personal reflection on the nation’s journey during a meeting with a visiting delegation from Hope Haven Christian School, led by Founder and President Susan Hollern.
“Thank you—for doing what our country and our people needed,” President Kagame told the delegation, commending their contributions to education in Rwanda. “When we began this journey, there was an urgent need for people to have access to education. That need has not gone away. Education never stops being important.”
In his remarks, the President recalled the humble beginnings of his own education as a child in a refugee camp. “We studied under trees. We used our thighs as notebooks and dry pieces of grass as pens. That gave us a good start. It was difficult—but we knew it was the right thing to do.”
He drew a powerful connection between his early learning experiences and Rwanda’s wider national struggle. “During the struggle to liberate our country, we found ourselves once again in a different kind of school—this time, in the forests. We were still learning. Every step of that journey was a lesson.”
Describing Rwanda’s liberation as not only a political movement but also a mission of self-discovery, President Kagame reflected on the deeper purpose of education: “The mission to liberate our country was, in many ways, a mission to discover the truth—about ourselves, our people, and our responsibilities.”
Founded in 2012, Hope Haven Christian School, which has grown to become a model of community-based education in Rwanda, focuses on holistic development for students in underserved communities.
President Kagame praised the school’s work, saying: “When you provide education, you are not just teaching—you are helping young people reach their dreams and shape the future of our country.”
The meeting served as a reminder of how far Rwanda has come—from makeshift classrooms in exile to a nation investing in world-class education infrastructure. Yet, Kagame noted, the mission is far from over.
Schools like Hope Haven, built through partnerships between local communities and international supporters, play a vital role in that vision.
