Author Rosine Uwamahoro Encourages Children to Dream Big and Cultivate a Love for Reading

Author Rosine Uwamahoro delivered a message to young children, urging them to pursue their goals regardless of discouragement from others, emphasizing that no dream is too big to achieve.

These were her words during the book launch of “A Boy Who Painted the Moon”. The book tells the story of a boy named Kwezi who always dreamed of drawing the Moon, but other children discouraged him—yet he eventually succeeded.

She said:
“Honestly, it may seem impossible at first, but what I wanted to convey is that no dream is too big to achieve, and one should not let discouragement stop them.”

She added:
“This book is meant to inspire children, showing them that even the biggest dreams—like becoming a pilot or a famous football player—can be achieved. I also want to show parents the importance of supporting their children’s dreams.”

Rosine Uwamahoro also urged parents to encourage their children to develop a reading culture, explaining that reading strengthens the bond between a child and their parent or teacher and helps the child’s brain grow.

She shared that as a child in primary school, she often saw teachers reading books to students, and her parents continued this at home. This instilled in her a love for reading and writing.

Looking back, she realized that the stories read to her by her parents and other adults helped expand her thinking, deepen her understanding of language, and ultimately supported her in achieving her dreams.

Uwamahoro emphasized the importance of parents reading to their children or providing them with time and opportunities to read.

However, she noted some challenges:
“In Rwanda, the culture of reading is declining because parents often give children phones or turn on the TV so they can do household chores and then go to bed, leaving little time for attention. But what they provide is harmful because children cannot follow or fully understand what they are seeing. So I urge parents to teach their children to read. Reading strengthens the bond with your children, boosts their confidence, and helps them develop critical thinking beyond what they see.”

One parent attending the event, Umutoni Diane, who has a 10-year-old child and has also written a book titled “Seana Au Paudium”, emphasized that connecting with children allows parents to understand their dreams and help them achieve them. She reinforced that parents should guide children to develop a reading habit.

She said:
“My advice to fellow parents is to teach children to read so their thinking can expand. Consistency and showing them that even as children they are capable builds confidence.”

Mukamuhire Ernestine, representing Akitabu Publisher, which helps authors sell books, also highlighted the importance of teaching children to read as it broadens their minds.

She stated:
“Given the times we live in, social media has diminished the value of reading. As a bookstore, we hope parents give children time to read, read to them, and introduce books to them at an early age. Reading helps children develop mentally and acquire a wide range of knowledge.”

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