“Abanyarwanda: are we proud or ashamed”: Jean Michel Habineza

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza published a note.

31 October 2010 at 20:37 ·

” abanyarwanda: are we proud or ashamed”

I think I am proud…

I am proud of my name and my origins,

I am proud of my native culture and customs

Proud of my early days and my languageProud of my beliefs and history

But am I?

When I meet one we share this “Pride”

I put my guards up I get cautious and vigilant

I study the territory before I open upI decide whether I reveal myself

or not I calculate my approach and my behaviorI protect myself from my own people

So, how can I be proud and guarded at the same time?

Sadly the human race battles its own kind

Evil seems to conquer over kindnessAnd I know the evil of the culture

I know the insiders’ secrets I know the depth of history and how it has hurt

I know the insincerities of the societyI know there is no freedom of identity

And I know that kindness and honesty will not do.

We have learned to handle this

We are toughened and observant

We have been burned and we learned

We are cultured in playing the game We have stopped being naïve and unripe.

We have become one of “them” because after all We are insiders.

We pass it on,We will train our kids because we love them

We will coach them to protect themselves

We will teach them so they don’t get burned We will share the rules of the game

We are qualified and convinced.But we will also teach them to be proud

It is a contradiction and we understand it.Alarming, I know.

So what’s the deal? Are we proud or are we ashamed?

Have we learned anything from history?

Or are we extending it even more?

Are we better or just the same?

Have we given up for others to sort out?

Or just hoping it will get better with time?

There is no “us” and “them”, we are all to blame.

We must be proud, We have always stood tall and ready to defend ourselves

We are passing our culture and customs down to new generations

We keep our names and language alive

We teach history and brag about the thousand hills.

So we are proud. Right?

Or are we ashamed?Ashamed of our history and disgrace

Ashamed of the division between the same people

Ashamed of the hate and dishonesty

Ashamed of being one of “them”

Ashamed because we have no freedom.

Ashamed? …

… Or both?

margo Rukashaza

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Nelson M. Girinshuti and 48 others like this.

View previous comments…

Natasha Uwimanzi

WOW, Thank you very much for the awareness, even though most wont listen cause they dont understand some will realize the dilemma. thank you very much.

· Hide · 31 October 2010

Peace Liliose

touching…… i believe if we have a spirit of togetherness with love, we can get far. If people aren’t ready to hear us we can make them. Love is the way to maturity so may it reign among youth.
I just hope more people will get to read this.thanks J M

Hide · 1 November 2010

Micha Ru

tres bien ecrit.mais c un texte ki est fait pour etre lu a haute voix, jaimerai l´entendre dans une de nos Conventions, or YOuth Meeting…loud,clear-so that people listen! and take a second to reflcet & look inside themselves.
ki est cette jeune margo rukashaza?

· Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

NO FREEDOM? those that helped colonizers r no proud those that fight for unity of rwanda r proud!FDLR is not proud RPF is proud.u yu muntu wandiste iyi poem ni igipinga muyisome neza.lol

Hide · 1 November 2010

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza

@ romain, what do u define as igipinga??

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

and no sadly they divide an conquer and our culture is not evil money is

Hide · 1 November 2010

Dora Tesi

can i steal this plz?! lool

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

igipinga is a person not sure if he is proud or not

Hide · 1 November 2010

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza

yes dora you can!! umhhh so igipingas are manyyyy!!!!!!

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

no its ibipinga and its yes we can see through you!!!!

Hide · 1 November 2010

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza

haaahahahahahahhahaahahahhaahahh

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

don’t be ashamed!!!

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

don’t be ashamed!!!!

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

be on point.

Hide · 1 November 2010

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza

i dont get you explainyourself

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

if you don’t have anything to be ashamed of then you should be proud to be Rwandan no-matte what happens

Hide · 1 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

and i am not explaining my self i am telling you straight up take it or leave it.

Hide · 1 November 2010

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza

romain read the whole poem again and stop trying to categorise people!!

· Hide · 2 November 2010

Yoruba Warriorz

I’m not from Rwanda, but I feel the message you were illustrating in this piece. I really appreciate it, and I thinmk it needs to reach more people. Respect!

Hide · 2 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

@ Habineza its black and white if you good then u should be proud if you do bad then you should be ashamed and its you not you not your father brother or whoever

Hide · 2 November 2010

Jean Michel Kabuba Habineza

@ romain re-read it again i think you are mising the point

· Hide · 2 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

whats the point ?

Hide · 3 November 2010

Ekii Joe Jack

Why study the territory be4 you open up? So pathetic!! This shows that your not proud of what you are ! Appriciate humanity without ‘colour’ the spirit of patriotims will work out it self hence a solution to all…pride…

· Hide · 4 November 2010

Umugeni Hope Nixy

True word 4rm a native! Hope they undrstand that we r the ones who knw ourselves beta n it has 2 begin with us…..

Hide · 6 November 2010

Eric Bee El Mágico

the text is intense! I can read and locate myself through it. The doubt inside me, the doubt inside our youth. Many feel it but few talk about it… U may b a heroe man.

· Hide · 11 November 2010

Eric Bee El Mágico

@Jean Michel, i think Romain is
miss a point here. Pride is not
what we have been taugh in
high school as ‘sciences exactes’…
Everyone can have a position
when it comes to ‘pride’ and it is
well explained in da poem. A lot
has happened in Rwanda among
them are things that make us
proud and others that make us
loose our pride.

· Hide · 11 November 2010

Kabahizi Romain

yo!U kunda urwanda natere agatoki hejuru lol

Hide · 11 November 2010

Vanessa Giramata

definitely I’m proud n ashamed
how come even if they were colonizers n all division,WE rdans we are still in that we don’t move on??like GANZA says few will listen that’s why actually we can’t move on but those who listen and don’t do anything are to blame too,me I won’t sit down and blame others I’m going to move on and do whatever I can so that MY world won’t b like that.at least I’ll b in peace of mind

· Hide · 14 March 2011

Clauz John Augustus

The shame is to read this poem and get no msg * if really * you’re Rwandase..only someone who has positive thoughts will understand..