"There is a strong need to revive cultural values within families to lay a stable foundation for children education and the future of Rwanda as a Nation.” Minister Nyirasafari Esperance made these remarks on this 06 December 2016, during a Press Conference on the upcoming Children Summit.

Minister Nyirasafari explained the rationale of the summit’s theme “Positive Parenting: foundation of culture” saying that the family is the foundation of the whole society, therefore it is the suitable place where children should learn and inherit a legacy of cultural values which they will preserve and guarantee the continuity of a Nation. “This is the reason why we have the responsibility to ensure stability in our families and observation of positive values we pass onto our children to shape them into productive citizens.” Minister Nyirasafari mentioned.  

Journalists present at the Presser asked questions regarding child rights protection especially street children, child labor and teenage pregnancies. Minister Nyirasafari emphasized on parental main responsibility of giving birth to children they are able to cater for and raise them in a proper way guided by the Rwandan culture, “no parent should give birth to children expecting somebody else to take care of them, also as it has always been in our culture, every child has rights to be raised in a family be it biological, extended or foster family. No child deserves to live on the streets or orphanages.”

The main challenges that the Rwandan family is facing today include the fact that parents have a tendency to be busy and give little time to parenting sessions aimed at instilling children with positive cultural values and practices that will enable them to appropriately fit in the community and equip them with the Rwandan cultural identity wherever they go. This mainly results into generations that are not aware of their rich cultural heritage and that are consistently tempted to copy foreign cultural practices and norms that are not always appropriate for their society.

Although the Genocide against Tutsi had destroyed the Rwandan family, the Government of Rwanda is strongly committed to develop Rwandan children into productive and patriotic citizens through encouraging parents to be role models of their descendants and teaching children from their early age positive cultural values and norms of Rwandans.

Since 2004, the Government of Rwanda, from the children’s request, has taken a deliberate commitment to hold a National Children’s Summit on an annual basis. The purpose of the summit is to enhance child involvement and participation in the national development. The 11^th Children Summit will be held on the 08^thDecember 2016 at the Parliament of Rwanda Building, Kimihurura.