Speaking directly to young Rwandans, President Paul Kagame delivered a message that cuts through the usual conversation about ambition and success: get healthy first. Before the career goals, before the family plans, before the nation-building, your body has to be in order.
Kagame's point is grounded in something practical. Poor health, he warned, does not just affect the individual. It ripples outward, limiting a young person's ability to grow, to show up for their family, and to contribute meaningfully to Rwanda's future. When you are not well, everything else stalls.
It is a reminder worth sitting with, especially for a generation that often pushes through exhaustion as a badge of honour. Wellness is not a luxury or an afterthought. According to the president, it is the foundation on which everything else gets built. The question now is whether young Rwandans, and young Africans broadly, will start treating it that way.
Originally published by AllAfrica.