User:Ikirezi

Ikirezi... Rwandan. An old word for "a precious pearl".

In the culture of Rwanda Ikirezi has a subtext that a person being referred to as an "Ikirezi" does not appreciate how valable they are.

Ikirezi was the name chosen by a widows and orphans cooperative that produces essential oil to fund the economic needs including education, housing of its members.

Ikirezi Natural Product (www.ikirezi.com) is led by Dr Nicholas Hitimana a refugee of the Rwanda genocide in 1994. His wife an child were brought to Scotland in May 1995. The funding was provided by The Charles Bilinda Memorial Trust set up by Lesley Bilinda, possibly the only "white" widow of the genocide. Nicholas subsequently completed a PhD in agriculture at Edinburgh University and returned to Rwanda in 2001.

Ikirezi as a word is at an early stage of development as symbolic of the uniqueness and value of a person in the context of self esteem and personal leadership.

A chorus has beed written "Uri Ikirezi Cy' Imana", "You are a precious pearl of God" and is being developed as an international message of encouragement to the human race with regard to each person's potential and purpose in life.