First Lady Jeannette Kagame has reminded young leaders that academic ability and professional success alone are insufficient to build stable families, urging them to develop the character, emotional maturity and relationship skills required at home.
She made the remarks on September 6, 2026, during the Young Leaders Prayer Breakfast, which brought together leaders from government, religious organisations, civil society, the private sector and youth groups to pray for Rwanda.
Mrs Kagame said many young people devote considerable effort to their careers and other development goals but sometimes overlook one of life’s fundamental responsibilities, building a strong family.
She noted that changing attitudes towards marriage and commitment are among the challenges affecting Rwandan families. Some people now consider marriage something that can be postponed until they have completed their education, secured good employment, cleared their debts and achieved other personal objectives.
“Commitment is increasingly viewed as optional, or as something to be delayed until every other box is checked,” she said.
She observed that after spending years pursuing those goals, some people gradually lose the desire to commit to marriage.
Mrs Kagame also addressed the changing structure of relationships, including the growing use of terms such as “situationship” and the numerous stages through which some relationships pass without reaching a clear commitment.
She said Rwanda has placed considerable trust in young people by appointing them to positions of responsibility in public institutions and across the private sector.
That trust is often based on measurable qualities, including education, intellectual ability, experience, skills and values. However, she questioned whether sufficient attention was being given to helping young people mature emotionally, socially and morally.
According to Mrs Kagame, intelligence may enable someone to excel professionally, but it does not automatically prepare them to maintain a healthy relationship with a spouse, raise children responsibly or preserve family unity during difficult times.
She said those responsibilities require additional values and abilities grounded in faith, character and healthy relationships.
Mrs Kagame described a stable family as the foundation upon which a country is built. She urged young leaders to strengthen that foundation in their own homes so that their children inherit a firm basis on which to build their lives rather than emotional wounds they must spend years trying to heal.
She also stressed that people do not enter marriage expecting it to fail. When a relationship does not develop as planned or ends in separation, she said, that outcome should not be used to measure or diminish a person’s worth.
Building a family normally begins with love and trust, she said, but sustaining it requires deliberate effort, patience and continued learning.
Rwanda Leaders Fellowship Executive Director Moses Ndahiro reminded parents that their professional or leadership positions do not replace their responsibilities at home.
He said Rwanda has made considerable progress in unity, peace, development and national reconstruction, but families continue to face economic pressures, misuse of technology, drug abuse and insufficient parental involvement.
Ndahiro cited the Rwandan saying that proper upbringing is more important than simply giving birth.
“Giving birth is only the beginning; raising a child, staying close, showing love and teaching respect require patience and sacrifice,” he said.
He added that children may forget material gifts from their parents, but they are unlikely to forget the time, attention, listening and affection they received from them.
The Young Leaders Prayer Breakfast provides a platform for leaders from different sectors to pray for Rwanda and discuss the responsibilities of leadership, family and community life.
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