This week I returned from a few days in Rwanda. The aim of the visit was to twin Brentford School for Girls with Kayonza Modern Secondary School. We had an amazing time and got a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the school. It was definitely the start of a long and special relationship.
Rwanda is one of Africa's poorest countries, which in the past descended into unimaginable barbarism during the genocide in 1994. 1 million people were massacred in 90 days - a faster killing rate than in the Holocaust.
Now, 14 years later, the Rwandan people are inspiring. The optimism, courage and resourcefulness of the people will never leave me. Against the odds, they are creating a new community after one of the most tragic episodes in history. They have learned how to survive and how to hope again. Out of the pain and despair, has come a future of forgiveness and unity. They talked to us about how they work together, share responsibility, trust and support each other in their communities. Here, in a small, remote country in Africa, is the perfect example of what we need to achieve here in Britain. This is what I believe Conservatism is about.
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