Dear Dad,
I have been thinking a lot lately about those thirty years you spent in exile as a refugee.
I grew up hearing the stories, but I know I can never truly be an expert on the weight of that life—the feeling of being a “guest” who is not allowed to sit at the table, or the pain of having potential that no one will let you use.
But Dad, this week, I saw something in Rwanda that made me wish you could see how the world is changing for people who carry the same “refugee” status you once did. At least, in Rwanda.
The math of dignity
Dad, some 127kms drive from Kigali, sits Mahama refugee camp in Kirehe District, Eastern Rwanda.
Here, there is a group of refugees under a cooperative called the Indashyikirwa. They formed it in 2015 – with an aim of becoming model farmers. At the time, they started with just ten cows and a bit of hope. Today, they have grown to 128 members strong, managing a herd of 505 cattle.
A refugee tends to a cow at a shelter in a refugee camp, where farmers earn incomes comparable to those of professional degree-holders through daily milk production and are working toward a more secure future.
Holding other factors constant, I sat down and did the math, Dad, because I know you always appreciated the hard numbers behind a success story.
Here is what “opportunity” looks like in 2026 for these courageous refugees:
Daily production: 2,500 liters of milk.
Daily revenue: At Rwf400 per liter, they bring in Rwf1, 000,000 (approx. $730) every single day.
Monthly impact: That is Rwf30M ($22,000 a month.
The individual share: If you break that down, each member’s share of daily revenue is roughly Rwf8, 000.
To put that in perspective, Dad, a university graduate in the city often starts on a salary of Rwf234, 000 a month.
These farmers, living in a refugee camp, are earning the equivalent of a professional degree-holder’s salary just from their morning milking and hope for a better future.
Building wealth in a “Temporary” home
It is not just about the daily cash flow. It is about the assets. You used to tell me that a man with cattle is a man with a future.
The cooperative’s 505 cows are valued between Rwf350M and Rwf500M ($255,000 – $365,000). They have built modern cattle sheds and sustainable systems that do not look like “emergency aid”. They, instead, look like an empire.
At a time when United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Rwanda reports that they are short 70% of their $77.5M budget, most people see a crisis.
But for these 128 families, that shortfall does not mean hunger. If the aid agencies packed up and left tomorrow, these families would still eat, their children would still learn, and their lives would continue. They are not waiting for a handout; they are driving the economy.
Why this matters
More interestingly, Dad, the president of the group, Mon Ami Nzayikorwa Rwamuningi, says something that reminds me of you. He says this success gives them a “broader sense of belonging.”
In Rwanda today, the 138,000 refugees living here today are not hidden away behind fences. They are not defined by their IDs.
They are running businesses in urban centers and rural valleys alike. They are treated not as a burden to be managed, but as neighbors with talent to be tapped.
I wrote this because I wanted you to know that the cycle of helplessness we saw in the past is breaking. The “refugee” label is no longer a life sentence of poverty.
Here, they have been given the one thing you always said was most precious: a fair chance.
I miss our talks, Dad. I hope these numbers bring a smile to your face, knowing that the “foreign land” can finally feel like home.
With all my love and respect.
Dan Ngabonziza is the Managing Director, Kigali Today Ltd, the parent company of KT Press, KT Radio 96.7FM, Kigali Today (Kinyarwanda) and Kigali Today TV channel.
