The grassroots community in the vanguard of inclusion: the post‐genocide Rwandan prospects

Abstract

More than a decade has passed since Rwanda was plunged into the most atrocious genocide of our time. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost and many more were left in desperate conditions. The economic and social reconstruction of the country has since dominated the national agenda for recovery. It is within this reform agenda that this paper looks at the situation of the post‐genocide young people with disabilities and the possible pathways for their inclusion. It points out that it is not all gloomy news. In the face of the challenging socio‐economic situations, the search for appropriate inclusion models for Rwanda should be guided by two important factors: The lessons learnt from the past mistakes, and by exploring alternative prospects that may involve rediscovering the untapped potentials within the grassroots communities.