{"id":114733,"date":"2025-11-06T15:23:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T15:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage"},"modified":"2025-11-06T15:31:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T15:31:12","slug":"young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage","title":{"rendered":"Young Innovators Create Digital Gateway to Rwanda Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The government\u2019s efforts to preserve and promote its cultural heritage have entered the digital era, thanks to a group of young innovators developing a prototype platform to make the country\u2019s museums and heritage assets accessible online.<\/p>\n

The initiative, known as the Digital Heritage Preservationists (DHP) platform or Urubuga Ndangamurage\u2013IRAGE aims to allow anyone to explore Rwanda\u2019s culture and history with a simple click.<\/p>\n

Leading this transformation is Elisha Clever Rukundo, Founder and CEO of the Digital Heritage Preservationists (DHP) platform, a flagship initiative of Irage Corporation, a Pan-African cultural innovation enterprise headquartered in Rwanda.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome young people have heroism within them. We\u2019re working hard to prove it, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re planning to launch it on February 1 next year,\u201d he said. \u201cTwo out of three models have been completed. We\u2019re finalising the e-learning component and adding key contents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rukundo, 31, is one of the 80 graduates of the Rwanda Heritage Hub (RHH)\u2019s first cohort in 2024, representing a new generation of digital cultural guardians. RHH was a two-year program dedicated to nurturing young Rwandans passionate about safeguarding and reimagining the country\u2019s cultural heritage.<\/p>\n

Rukundo says the idea for Irage was born out of a simple observation \u2013 most people rarely visit museums physically, yet they are highly active online.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the government made efforts to restore much of our heritage that had been scattered or replaced by colonial structures,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, these sites remain under-visited, especially by young people. I felt a responsibility to bring them closer through digital access,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What will DHP offer?<\/p>\n

The Irage platform will provide a virtual bridge between cultural enthusiasts, learners, and museums across Rwanda. It is built around three main components.<\/p>\n

Digital access to artifacts and archives<\/p>\n

The platform will feature audio, visual, and photographic archives from various museums, offering users access to Rwanda\u2019s cultural and historical treasures.<\/p>\n

From royal artifacts and traditional tools to ancient art and colonial-era exhibits, Irage will allow anyone, anywhere, to explore Rwanda\u2019s history online.<\/p>\n

Cultural marketplace<\/p>\n

Beyond information, Irage will provide a space for artisans to showcase and sell traditional crafts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe designed a market category where heritage creators earn income while promoting culture,\u201d Rukundo said.<\/p>\n

This includes items such as Inkoni \u2013 traditional Rwandan walking sticks symbolizing authority and respect. Agaseke \u2013 handwoven peace baskets representing unity and love, Igisoro \u2013 traditional wooden board game symbolising wisdom and strategy, Imyambaro y\u2019Ubukwe \u2013 traditional wedding attire showing elegance and pride, Intango \u2013 wooden milk containers symbolizing purity and hospitality and many others.<\/p>\n

These artifacts, now digitised and available for purchase or viewing, preserve Rwandan craftsmanship while supporting livelihoods.<\/p>\n

E-learning and cultural education<\/p>\n

The platform will also feature educational materials, language lessons, and detailed descriptions of heritage items \u2014 helping users understand the meaning, use, and stories behind each artifact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aim to create jobs and instill pride in our identity,\u201d he said. \u201cThis heritage belongs to us and the next generations. Everyone has a role to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working hand in hand with cultural body<\/p>\n

Rukundo acknowledges the strong collaboration with the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA), which oversees the protection and management of cultural artifacts and museums.<\/p>\n

Together, they will ensure that Irage\u2019s content aligns with Rwanda\u2019s broader goal of decolonising museums and reframing narratives that were once told through a colonial lens.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of our artifacts were misrepresented as foreign discoveries,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s time we tell our own stories, truthfully and proudly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Rwanda\u2019s progress in reclaiming its heritage, cultural officials estimate that over 90 per cent of Rwanda\u2019s historical artifacts remain in European museums. Negotiations continue for their return, though in many cases, only digital or replica copies are shared.<\/p>\n

Museums you can visit virtually<\/p>\n

Through Irage, users will explore several of Rwanda\u2019s key museums from their devices. However, the model is not yet fully set.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe virtual tour is currently in demonstration mode, and the technical setups are complete. On November 10, we\u2019ll meet with the cultural body to discuss how to gain access and begin virtualizing all the museums. Both data collection and dissemination will be completed before January, and the launch will take place in February,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Once complete, visitors will be able to access key museums such as Kandt House Museum (Kigali) \u2013 former home of Richard Kandt, Germany\u2019s first colonial governor, now showcases Rwanda\u2019s life before, during, and after colonial rule.<\/p>\n

Rwanda Art Museum, once the Presidential Palace now hosts contemporary artworks from Rwanda and abroad, celebrating local creativity.<\/p>\n

Kigali Genocide Memorial \u2013 the resting place of over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, serving as both a memorial and an educational center.<\/p>\n

The Ethnographic Museum located in Huye District was gifted by Belgium\u2019s King Baudouin in the 1980s, this museum holds one of Africa\u2019s richest ethnographic collections.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s Palace Museum located in Nyanza District is a reconstruction of the traditional royal residence, complete with the famous long-horned Inyambo cattle tended by royal herders.<\/p>\n

The platform also documents historical events such as the Ndungutse Rebellion, the Conquest of Rwanda, and the Rucunshu Coup, key episodes that shaped Rwanda\u2019s political and social evolution.<\/p>\n

With Irage.rw, Rukundo and his peers hope to make Rwanda\u2019s heritage more accessible, interactive, and inspiring, particularly for young people.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur culture shouldn\u2019t just live in archives or behind museum walls,\u201d he said. \u201cIt should live in our devices, our art, our conversations, and our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. The government\u2019s efforts to preserve and promote its cultural heritage have entered the digital era, thanks to a group of young innovators developing a prototype platform to make the country\u2019s museums and heritage assets accessible online. The initiative, known as the Digital Heritage Preservationists (DHP) platform or Urubuga Ndangamurage\u2013IRAGE aims to allow […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":114732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,17],"tags":[8625,1085,139,1614,458,758],"class_list":["post-114733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-artifacts","tag-artists","tag-culture","tag-heritage","tag-museum","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nYoung Innovators Create Digital Gateway to Rwanda Heritage - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The government\u2019s efforts to preserve and promote its cultural heritage have entered the digital era, thanks to a group o ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Young Innovators Create Digital Gateway to Rwanda Heritage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The government\u2019s efforts to preserve and promote its cultural heritage have entered the digital era, thanks to a group o ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T15:23:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T15:31:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/11\/sm_1762430397.048806.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Young Innovators Create Digital Gateway to Rwanda Heritage\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-06T15:23:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-06T15:31:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage\"},\"wordCount\":933,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/11\/sm_1762430397.048806.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Artifacts\",\"artists\",\"Culture\",\"heritage\",\"museum\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Culture and Art\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/culture-and-art\/young-innovators-create-digital-gateway-to-rwanda-heritage\",\"name\":\"Young Innovators Create Digital Gateway to Rwanda Heritage - 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