When foreigners in Rwanda struggled to discover a place to study Ikinyarwanda, Denise Umuneza noticed a possibility.
What started as casual classes in cafés after work in 2010 has grown right into a language schooling profession, with textbooks, structured programs, and lessons serving to foreigners, youngsters, and diaspora households reconnect with Rwanda’s mom tongue.
ALSO READ: Code-switching, overseas languages might erode Ikinyarwanda, officers say
On the time, there have been no colleges providing Ikinyarwanda classes for foreigners, so Umuneza started assembly learners in cafés after work, educating them primary phrases, expressions, and conversations.
ALSO READ: What we lose by not talking our native language
As demand grew, she developed her personal educating supplies and expanded the lessons past the casual classes she had began.
Umuneza had studied languages, specialising in translation, on the College of Rwanda. After finishing her research, she labored as a translator and later held positions in numerous establishments, whereas persevering with to show Ikinyarwanda within the evenings and on weekends.
ALSO READ: Fluent to the world, shedding our voice at dwelling
She mentioned: “I might come from work and nonetheless go someplace to show somebody. That meant I had a job, however I used to be additionally educating on the aspect. As extra individuals joined my lessons, I realised this was one thing I might construct, and I made a decision to focus extra on language schooling.
ALSO READ: To construct Rwanda’s future, begin with its first language
“Folks had been , and I might create supplies and dedicate my time to educating.”
One of many challenges she confronted was the shortage of assets designed particularly for foreigners studying Ikinyarwanda. Obtainable supplies didn’t deal with on a regular basis conversations or the wants of individuals studying the language as a second language.
ALSO READ: Ikinyarwanda: A uncommon nationwide asset value defending
She discovered an outdated ebook written by missionaries that defined elements of the language, however a lot of its content material was centred on non secular teachings. Her college students inspired her to create supplies that mirrored how Ikinyarwanda is utilized in on a regular basis life.
“They might inform me that I ought to write my very own books and create my very own curriculum. In addition they advised that I make audio information so individuals might pay attention and practise.”
In 2016, Umuneza wrote her first beginner-level Ikinyarwanda textbook and later developed 4 ranges of studying supplies, starting from newbie to superior.
The books mix vocabulary, dialogues, and workout routines to assist learners practise on a regular basis communication.
“I organised completely different vocabulary and introduced it in a conversational method, with dialogues and audio so individuals might practise actual conversations,” she mentioned.
As we speak, Umuneza teaches adults and youngsters by non-public classes and small group lessons from her workplace in Kimihurura. Her learners embody foreigners dwelling in Rwanda, guests, members of the diaspora, and youngsters who’ve had restricted publicity to Ikinyarwanda at dwelling.
She started focusing extra on educating youngsters after Covid-19, when she seen a rise within the variety of diaspora households returning to Rwanda.
“Many of those youngsters had grown up overseas, whereas others had been born to folks who had lived exterior Rwanda, leaving them with little or no capability to talk the native language.”
She started organising vacation programmes and lessons for kids based mostly on completely different age teams. She additionally educated one other trainer who later began conducting her personal Ikinyarwanda lessons.
“She got here and noticed how I educate for a couple of yr. Later, she began having her personal lessons,” Umuneza mentioned.
Preserving Ikinyarwanda
Umuneza can also be involved concerning the declining use of Ikinyarwanda amongst younger individuals. She mentioned many youngsters spend most of their day utilizing English or French in school, whereas some dad and mom additionally talk with them primarily in these languages at dwelling.
“Some dad and mom suppose they’re serving to their youngsters by ensuring they converse English as a result of it is going to assist them at school or after they go overseas, however they often neglect the significance of the native language,” she mentioned.
Umuneza mentioned colleges ought to dedicate extra time to educating Ikinyarwanda, together with its construction and grammar, so youngsters can higher perceive and respect the language. She additionally urged households to protect their id by making certain that the mom tongue isn’t forgotten.
Richard Hategekimana, the Chairperson of the Rwanda Writers’ Federation and Rwanda E-book Trade Affiliation, mentioned Ikinyarwanda is exclusive as a result of it’s Rwanda’s shared language.
“If we protect our language, we protect our id,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Ikinyarwanda carries Rwanda’s historical past, tradition, and values, including that it performed a central position in pre-colonial Rwanda, the place values akin to patriotism, management, and respect had been handed from one era to a different by Itorero.
“Some individuals nonetheless suppose talking English or French makes somebody extra educated. When somebody speaks Ikinyarwanda, it’s generally seen in another way. We have to respect our personal language,” he mentioned.
Hategekimana mentioned this notion has additionally affected literature, with books written in Ikinyarwanda generally thought-about much less necessary than these written in overseas languages.
“Go to our universities and take a look at their libraries; you’ll find only a few books written in Ikinyarwanda. But establishments such because the Library of Congress in the US purchase and protect these books,” he mentioned.
He urged dad and mom, colleges, universities, authorities establishments, and the non-public sector to take a position extra in selling Ikinyarwanda by books, libraries, and studying programmes.
“Now we have programmes that help English, and they’re necessary. We also needs to spend money on Ikinyarwanda and help individuals who write in our language.”
