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
Share
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..