A 23-year-old man’s rare audacity has left the country of Rwanda with a sense of pride and inspired many compatriots.
Emmanuel Niringiyimana, a resident of Murambi Sector in Karongi District, became a social media sensation Wednesday after a story about a seven-kilometre road he singlehandedly built in his village went viral on social media platforms.
The TV1 story about the road works, which Niringiyimana embarked on when he was only 20, featured the man himself and his fellow villagers who confirmed that he had built the road all alone.
“He started working on the road from across in Mwendo village and then proceeded here, some people thought he was mentally ill,” a resident of Gisovu Village in Nkotu Cell, Murambi Sector, says in the report.
Now residents are all in praise of the young man, pointing out his extraordinary courage, determination and consistency to carry on with his mission even as no one else rendered a hand, “not even through umuganda” (the monthly communal exercise).
Niringiyimana, who appears in a video still working on the road with a hoe, said the idea to build a road for his community first came up in 2016 when he was working in a garden and saw people virtually struggling to move because of lack of a road.
He immediately abandoned what he was doing and embarked on a daring task he continues to religiously carry out three years later.
“I started by clearing a shrub that was inhibiting people’s movements and then carried on,” he said.
Niringiyimana said he works on the road twice a day, from 7a.m-11a.m, and then from 3p.m-6p.m.
“Social media erupts after #Rwanda-n man builds 7km road in three years – unaided” https://t.co/JysSOa1rFu via @NewTimesRwanda
— James A. Munyaneza (@JMunyaneza) July 18, 2019
The gripping story, which first circulated on WhatsApp, has since inspired an avalanche of public reactions and attracted the immediate attention and keenness of leadership.
The Ministry of Infrastructure announced on Twitter Wednesday evening that it would dispatch a team composed of its own personnel, and officials from Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA) and Karongi District Headquarters to Murambi Sector on a fact-finding mission to ascertain how to extend support to Niringiyimana.
“A joint site visit is planned for to assess possible support for this commendable initiative,” the ministry tweeted in response to a post by media personality Fiona Mbabazi praising the young man’s patriotic cause.
Reactions continued to pour in throughout the evening, with Mathew Rwahigi tweeting, “This is the best example of consistence. He has done this every day for three years. You don’t have to solve everything, just do what is in your power and see miracles.”
Another Twitter user, Guillaume Rutembesa, wrote: “Some people just rhetorically say that ‘we’ll build Rwanda’, others implement, others build the country only after receiving their pay cheque, this guy is another thing, an inspiration, a motivation.”
“What a young man! This one is truly unmatched,” added one Egide Kubana, who went on to call for a special medal for the 23-year-old.
“Amazing!!!!!!! This is a living hero,” commented another Twitter user Lee Ndayisaba.
ZNBC
Chitotela should read this, hooo sorry he is now a hippo killer at Ministry of Tourism.
Zambia pays $1 million per kilometer, and a kilometer takes 3 years.
Now think of that young man with just a hoe.
That’s what nation building is all about. That’s how the great nations such as the USA and Japan started. One person trying to make a difference.
We have too much Crying Games and bitter Armchair Critics. We forget that everyone is part of the Grand Solution. Dont wait for the government. No government is rich enough without counting of the private sector
And … Well done to this young man
In Zambia that road would have cost $7 million plus $3 million just to round it off
Bafika.la pa Rwanda are bad, the left one chap to do a road alone while they watched.
All I see is what looks like a ditch. Where is the road ba LT?
That is how fools act. You are talking about Chitotela , What have you yourself done with your years? Have you ever built even a poster in your village?
You zambians are poor in your minds-you behave like wizards. Quick to blame others yet you do nothing with your useless years. All you know is impregnating and getting pregnant, alcohol and then insult your own leaders. What a shame!!!!
Nostradamus, HH should read this and learn that the best criticism is doing something extraordinary like selling all your cattle to help finish projects in lusaka and the copperbelt provinces
That is initiative not waiting on Government to do everything. You will wait forever, lazy as.s!
Commitment and consistency indeed and love for his community! The road may not be as even as when machinery is involved but eases movement of the villagers and it’s a development in the community! Of course one will always stand out among those who always expect free things that’s why this particular person received no helping hand. Governments must be inspiring to its people in how the available resources are being utilized as the case is in Rwanda whose development is manifesting in a visible national transformation.
@ Shu Shu Shu stop a minute and be real! Why should HH fund projects for government that are not of his personal desire to help out? There are those who will vouch for HH silently helping out with the needy and funding some community beneficial projects such as the…
This young man deserves special attention from the president himself, Paul Kagame.
Kagame is busy hunting his opponents
This guy is better suited as a minister of infrastructure development pa Zambia.
That is how fools act. You are talking about Chitotela , What have you yourself done with your years? Have you ever built even a poster in your village?
You zambians are poor in your minds-you behave like wizards. Quick to blame others yet you do nothing with your useless years. All you know is impregnating and getting pregnant, alcohol and then insult your own leaders. What a shame!!!!
HE IS A MORON LIKE CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI
It is in the bible .Where God tells Israel to build a road so that the twelve tribes could return.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Well you don’t have to study civil engineering and all that engineering.Those students could leave university right now.And build roads and infrastructure.Peter Carlos Hinds.
It is time we honour the Atlases and Herculess among us.The Greeks did that.And the Greeks were great.Peter Carlos Hinds.
He did a better job than if he was half God half mortal.Peter Carlos Hinds.
“My reward is with me.to reward every man according to his works”.Yes God rewards effort.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Israel was full of holy men.Why Can’t Africa be full of supermen.Peter Carlos Hinds.
In slavery and you work hard like that.The white man would give you a wife.The immorality of slavery was that the church tried to end it.Peter Carlos Hinds.
contd…. sinking of boreholes in some communities yet the recognition does not come forth as it all gets lost being politicized because of his standing in politics. Each and every Zambian must have a passion to making a difference for the good of the country.
@hinds peter PLEASE DONT QUOTE THE QOURAN IN THIS PLATFORM ALL THOSE YOUR TUMA TYOPET SAYINGS ARE BY HINDI PIPO , ALSO JUST COMMENT ONCE U FINISH SPACE AND INK FOR OTHERS WITH SENSIBLE COMMENTS