The morning I entered Rwanda through Gatona, I first got my visa stamped at the immigration section and then enquired with them about exchanging money. They referred me to a money exchanger and the US dollar rate for exchange with Rwanda franc was 580 franc. But the changer gave me at the rate of 5.8 franc. I was confused but had already come about a kilometer across, so I asked about it in a restaurant. After realizing that I was cheated I went back to the money exchanger and asked him why he did so. But he told me that it was because I was exchanging small money (though I had already told him about it beforehand). At last he gave me back the remaining money since Rwanda is very strict in its rules and regulations and in that case his license could have been seized.

I had to travel almost 84 kilometers from the border including pedaling up the two mountains to reach Kigale. If we consider the situation of general people of Rwanda, it might seem like a poor country but on the other hand if we view the overall scenario of the country, our perception will change. The roadway to Kigale is so clean that I myself got surprised. The citizens modestly follow the rules and regulations. It seemed to me that they give priority to bicycle riders as they could even cross the streets along with other pedestrians. All the pedestrians and vehicles strictly follow the traffic signals and the vehicles are not allowed to cross their speed above 60 km/h. Similarly, Umuganda, a community cleaning exercise, is organized on last Saturdays of every month. It is a rule that every citizen throughout the country must get involved in some sort of community work on that day. The Rwandan government has been implementing this rule since the year 2000, which has now been recognized as the main reason why one million Rwandans are no longer poverty stricken.

It is the day when even the President of the country does not travel in vehicle. The roadway along the whole country is quiet and empty from 8 a.m to 11 a.m in the morning and everybody gives a hand in slashing the bushes, opening the clogged drainages, sweeping the roads, etc. Rwanda is a very small country with only 9,633 sq mi (24,949 sq km) of land area. Moreover, the war still went on until 1998 even after the genocide on 1994 and Rwanda was regarded as a poor and violent country. Rwanda can be seen as the Singapore of Africa. Because of the respect for law and order that the Rwandan people have and government’s genuine concern for her citizens, Rwanda is experiencing tremendous human capital and economic growth. The consequence of breaking rules are severe; if someone walks on the grass lanes instead of the paved road, he or she could be fined $500 along with 2 days of imprisonment. More than the fear of execution, Rwandan people truly care for the country. Rwanda already has its 50 years future plan, we Nepalese and Nepal must learn a lesson from Rwanda and its people.