During a Digital Ambassadors’ capacity building workshop, The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary: Claudette Irere, commended their hard work to bridge the Digital Divide in Rwanda and she reminded them that they are the heart of digital transformation of the country. This took place on Friday January 18, 2019 in Kigali.

The Permanent Secretary reminds the Digital Ambassadors that ICT is considered an enabler of economic development, and that is why digital literacy is critical amongst the citizens.

“We really want to see real transformation; training the citizens how devices work is not ICT transformation; think of something else beyond that would bring true transformation. Make sure the citizens are benefiting from the ICT infrastructures that the Government has put in place. I want to tell you that this is not a MINICT and DOT’s initiative; it is a Government initiative.” Says the PS Claudette Irere.

“I do commend the excellent work you are doing. Though you are still few, keep the good work. Because if you succeed, we will increase your number.” Adds the PS Claudette Irere.

The PS promised the DAs to help them in mobilizing the community and reiterated on being exemplary; revisiting their behaviors, as the community is learning from them.

Emmanuel Nzeyimana; the DOT Country Program Manager utters that such a workshop helps the DAs share experience and get knowledge to take to the community.

“We are here to increase their knowledge and capacity to deliver the program. Normally, we do knowledge sharing: al the DAs share their experience from respective fields: challenges and solutions they have come up with. We also do capacity building aiming at increasing their skills as facilitators and their career development.” Utters Emmanuel.

Annette Mutegwamaso, who is DA in Kayonza District says, “Such trainings help us a lot because we hear others’ experiences; challenges the have encountered and how they have overcome them. Also, having acquired more skills shared by our trainers help us a lot while we are in our respective communities.”

The three-day capacity building workshop brought together fifty (50) DAs who are working across the country. Today it operates in twelve (12) Districts across the country. Thus far, more than twenty-seven (27) thousands have been trained by the digital Ambassadors (DAs).