The journey of the Rwandan community in Poland offers a perspective on these questions. It is a story of how a small group of Rwandans began building connections, creating spaces for remembrance, sharing Rwanda's story and exploring ways to contribute to the country's development while living abroad. Above all, it reminds us that a community's strength is not determined by its size at the outset, but by the purpose, commitment and continuity of its members.

From a small community to a shared purpose

When I arrived in Poland in 2009, the Rwandan community was very small. There were only a handful of Rwandans, including students and others who had come to work, pursue opportunities and establish their lives. We were far from home, in a country with a different language, culture and history. Yet we shared something fundamental: our connection to Rwanda and our desire to remain united.

We began by bringing people together. These gatherings allowed Rwandans to meet, exchange information, support one another and maintain a sense of belonging. Over time, these connections laid the foundation for more organised community activities.

Remembering Rwanda and sharing its story

One of our early priorities was to create a space in Poland where Rwandans could commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi, strengthen our unity and help others understand Rwanda's history.

In 2010, we held our first Kwibuka commemoration in Poland. These gatherings were more than annual ceremonies. They provided opportunities to honour the victims, preserve the truth, educate others and reflect on our shared responsibility to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.

As the community grew, the commemorations evolved. In 2010 and 2011, we held modest gatherings and invited other international students, including Polish students, to join us in remembering. In April 2012, Rwandans and friends of Rwanda gathered in Łódź for the 18th commemoration in a larger setting. In 2013, the programme reflected on the theme of self-reliance, linking remembrance to the determination to rebuild. In 2014, Kwibuka20 provided another opportunity to bring Rwandans and friends of Rwanda together around the themes of remembering, uniting and renewing.

These milestones formed part of a wider effort to ensure that Rwanda would be understood not only through the tragedy of 1994, but also through the determination of its people to rebuild, restore dignity and shape a different future.

In 2014, prompted by what I perceived as a lack of understanding of our country and its history, I published my book, Forgiveness… The Rwandan Way.

President Paul Kagame has repeatedly emphasised the importance of telling our own story rather than allowing others to shape a false narrative about our history and resilience. My book was a contribution to that effort, seeking to share Rwanda's difficult history alongside the courage, discipline and resilience through which Rwandans have worked to rebuild their country.

Discussions about the book, including in academic and community settings in Poland and later at Auschwitz, created opportunities to engage people in conversations about memory, reconciliation and the choices societies face after profound human tragedies.

In April 2015, Kwibuka21 activities included a commemoration and exhibition at the National Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw. Such initiatives demonstrated the importance of working with institutions and communities beyond our own. Remembrance and education require dialogue, openness and sustained engagement.

In 2016, a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum offered another opportunity for learning and sharing. A survivor of the Genocide against the Tutsi was invited to speak, and I had the privilege of discussing my book with the participants.

The Holocaust and the Genocide against the Tutsi occurred in distinct historical contexts and must be understood within their respective histories. Nevertheless, encounters with places of remembrance can deepen our understanding of the consequences of hatred, dehumanisation and indifference while strengthening our shared commitment to human dignity and the prevention of atrocities.

From cultural engagement to economic cooperation

Building the community was never solely about social gatherings or commemorations. It was also about recognising that relationships between countries can create practical opportunities for development.

Through cultural exchanges, engagement with other migrant communities and participation in wider public discussions, Rwandans in Poland had opportunities to present their country, learn from others and establish connections beyond their immediate community.

Economic cooperation was another important dimension of our engagement. In 2011, Rwanda's ambassador to Poland at the time, Christine Nkulikiyinka, participated in the Africa-Poland Business Forum, where Rwandan students helped showcase opportunities available in Rwanda.

In 2012, we organised the first business mission to Rwanda, connecting potential Polish investors with opportunities in our country. Building on these efforts, the Polish-Rwandan Economic Forum was held in Warsaw in May 2015 and again in April 2016, bringing investors and friends of Rwanda together to explore avenues for cooperation.

These initiatives helped connect people and institutions around shared economic and development interests. They demonstrated how diaspora engagement can extend beyond community activities to help build investment links, partnerships and practical opportunities for Rwanda.

Building on the foundations

I returned to Rwanda in 2016 and had the privilege of serving at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, where I contributed to healthcare infrastructure and technology development. I later joined the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA), where my current work focuses on strengthening the regulation of medical products and manufacturing practices.

My journey illustrates how skills and experience gained abroad can be brought home to support national priorities and strengthen healthcare systems.

When I left Poland, I handed over a stronger community to capable leaders, including Dusabe Patrick and Alex Sankara. They subsequently passed the leadership to a younger team that has continued to build on those foundations. Today, the community has grown in both numbers and opportunities, reflecting the value of continuity, shared responsibility and leadership renewal.

Each transition reinforced an important lesson: community work must be bigger than any one individual. Leadership is temporary; the relationships, institutions and shared responsibilities we build should endure.

The opening of Rwanda's embassy in Warsaw in 2021 marked an important institutional milestone in relations between Rwanda and Poland.

These developments form part of a collective story. They reflect the efforts of many people across different periods: those who initiated activities, those who sustained them, those who took over leadership and those who continue to serve the community today.

Reflecting on these milestones is important because the current generation needs to understand the foundations on which it can build. Every generation inherits something from those who came before, and each has a responsibility to add value.

A responsibility to the next generation

As Rwandan youth and members of the wider Rwandan community from across Europe gather in Warsaw, it is an appropriate moment to reflect on what it means to represent Rwanda abroad.

Such gatherings offer opportunities to connect, listen, exchange ideas and consider the country's future. Their value, however, should not be measured by the meetings alone. Young people should be encouraged to take up leadership roles, take ownership of initiatives and develop new approaches suited to their generation.

Most importantly, patriotism should be expressed through action. It can mean using one's skills to solve a problem, creating a job, sharing knowledge, supporting a fellow Rwandan, challenging misinformation about the country, using available platforms to express one's views, building a credible partnership or helping a young person find their path.

Not everyone will contribute in the same way, and not every contribution needs to be large. What matters is that our efforts are constructive, consistent and directed towards a purpose beyond ourselves.

The next chapter

The journey of Rwandans in Poland began with a small number of people who chose to come together. Through gatherings, remembrance, cultural engagement, public education and efforts to build economic connections, they helped establish a foundation on which others could continue building.

The next chapter may look different, shaped by new technologies, professional networks, entrepreneurship and the aspirations of a younger generation.

As we reflect on the journey from a handful of Rwandans in Poland to a community with growing connections and institutional support, the most important question is not simply how far we have come, but what we will do with the foundation we have inherited.

Today, the community is hosting Rwandan communities from across Europe in Warsaw. It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this journey.

The pioneers had the responsibility to begin; those who followed carried that responsibility forward. Today's generation inherits that foundation, along with the opportunity and responsibility to take the community even further.

Having witnessed its humble beginnings, I look forward with immense pride to seeing how the next generation builds on what came before and achieves even greater things.

Francine Umutesi is one of the pioneers of the Rwandan diaspora in Poland and former president of the Rwandan diaspora in Poland (2009–2016).