Thank you very much, Honorable Minister of Education, Your Excellency, Major General. It’s such an honor for us to host this occasion here at Ashesi University.
During our 30th anniversary celebration at Ashesi, I shared publicly for the first time that a major reason I decided to leave Microsoft and return to Africa was that the Rwandan genocide happened while I was at the company.
As an African who had immigrated to the United States and was working in the tech industry, I had fully intended to stay. Then this horror unfolded in Rwanda. The vice president of the unit I worked in, Mike Murray, started a fundraising campaign to support the people of Rwanda, and I contributed. Until then, I had only made donations to my alma mater, Swarthmore College. That moment left a deep impression on me.
Shortly after, my son was born. I found myself raising an African child in Seattle and reflecting on how events in Africa affect people of African descent everywhere. Even if I stayed in the United States, the negative stories coming out of Africa—from Rwanda, Somalia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia—shaped how all people of African descent were perceived. It became clear to me that we needed to change that narrative, and that those of us who had opportunities had a responsibility to be part of that change.
So, I eventually left Microsoft and returned to establish Ashesi University—a leadership institution for the continent.
Through my work with Ashesi, I later visited Rwanda for the first time, attending conferences and meetings. I remember visiting the museum dedicated to the campaign against the genocide. As I walked through it, I came across an exhibit about General Anyidoho and his contingent, and what they had done. Until that moment, I did not know that story.
We all knew about President Kagame and his troops, who brought the atrocity to an end and went on to lead efforts in truth and reconciliation and in rebuilding a nation in remarkable ways. But I had not known that a Ghanaian soldier and his troops had played such a critical role.
I left that exhibit thinking: we do not tell our stories of heroism enough. We do not tell the stories of courage, of forgiveness, of peacebuilding.
For me, having this monument and commemoration here is a profound honor. It represents the very beginning—the moment that awakened me to the work I am doing today.
To have a monument that celebrates the best of leadership, courage, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the protection of human rights—I cannot think of a more fitting first memorial for this campus.
I would like to thank you, Madam High Commissioner, for your partnership. And I want to assure you that Rwanda will always have a home in our hearts and on our campus.
We are proud to have many Rwandan students here. They enrich the Ashesi community in meaningful ways. Today, we also have students pursuing their master’s degrees at Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali.
It is inspiring to see this bond continue to grow. We are also actively engaging with the African School of Governance to explore opportunities for collaboration across multiple areas.
Because having these bright, shining examples for our continent matters.
On that note, I would like to thank you all for being here. Thank you, General Anyidoho, for your service. And thank you, Honorable Minister and Your Excellency, for joining us.
Welcome.
