President Paul Kagame has called upon Rwandans to work hard so that they can get a better life without relying on other people's generosity. He made the call on Saturday joining Masaka residents in Kicukiro district in umuganda.

"We deserve a decent life. It's our rights," he said. "We should not wait for other people to come and do it for us. Where will there come from? Nowhere. It's up to us to take the lead."

According to the President, umuganda is one of the ways that Rwandans can use to transform their lives. "It should be better if it was taking place like twice or more per month, but even this is enough," Kagame said. "It's a reminder of what we should be doing every day."

He added that all Rwandans should have that spirit of work as a key value for any human being. "No one else should be reminding us to do so because it dignifies ourselves and our country."

Therefore, Kagame noted, there is a need to change our mindset to achieve that transformation. People with a good mindset are able to achieve big things even when they start with little, he argued.

The President also urged Rwandans to stay strong-minded in the face of the current criticism of the country. "What you have been hearing is like wind blowing," he said. "When you are in a well-constructed room, it just blows over."

Kagame noted that a lot still need to be done so that Rwandans can get their prosperity. "There is still a lot of hard work to do for our country. The best is yet to come," he promised.

In Masaka, President Kagame and local residents planted 8,000 trees and accomplished activities to avoid erosion on 20 ha of land.

Apart from Msaka residents, their local leaders and top officials of the country, the community work was also attended by a delegation of 14 Ethiopians who are in Rwanda for a study tour on solid waste management.