Talent without principles can lead you astray, Rwandan author warns

Rwandan author, Lisa Munezero, has warned that people with talent but no principles can go astray, saying fulfilling one’s purpose requires integrity and uprightness. Munezero also said Rwanda’s post-genocide generation needs healing, adding that her book, titled: ‘The Well of Knowing’, seeks to contribute to that process. The business expert spoke at the book’s launch in Lagos, where she said the publication seeks to change how the world sees Africa.

She said: “Whatever you are good at, any talent you have, but if you don’t have principles in your life, if you don’t know how to set boundaries, if you don’t know what you should do, what you have to avoid, you always find yourself in a place where you shouldn’t be. Everyone should know their purpose. Even for Christians, the Bible says, it’s not something people created.

It’s something that even God created us to fill. There is a space we have to fill in this life. Purpose tells you why.” On how she started writing, she said: “My journey to write started when I was a little girl. When it started, I can say it was in a form of healing. In Rwanda in 1994, there was a genocide against the Tutsi. I was born after the genocide.

I grew up in a society where it started from zero. Families, government, everyone. As far as I remember, when I was in primary school, I used to write. I liked to write. In 2017, I wanted to write a book. “I used to write some stories. Different things related to content of healing, reconciliation, like other students. I had the privilege to write about how people like me, young generation, who were born after the genocide, came here.

We needed to heal too. We grew up in a family that lost so many people. Others were in jail. Some students used to say that fathers of family members are dead because of what they did. They feel ashamed. It was a challenge to me. After that, because I used to love to write, I found out that I’m a good writer because when I used to write, to teach, people used to come to me and say, I feel my life has changed.

“Wherever I am, I want to show that I’m from Africa. I want people to respect Africa as much as they respect other people from other continents. I chose to write something that I live in my life. My experience, my background, and African stories. In this book, there is testimony of Africa. I chose to go that way.” Also speaking at the event, one of the book’s reviewers, Adekunle Adekenambi, said that, unlike many other books, ‘The Well of Knowing’ contains several examples drawn from African experiences.

According to him, everyone interested in living a successful life, running a successful business or leading a successful family or administration should read the book. He said: “As a father, I picked something from the book. Do not force your child to do anything. Rather, study the child, what are his abilities, and try as much as possible to encourage it and build it.

The writer used everyday language and the explanation of concepts is very simple and highly understandable. The writer explains concepts like purposes, principles, in such a way that an ordinary reader will understand them in such different ways from what we used to know.” Another book reviewer, Anote Ajeluorou, said in the first part of the book, Munezero focuses on the qualities aspiring entrepreneurs should possess.

He added that she identifies six pairs of qualities: purpose and direction, potential and principles, power and knowledge, wisdom and discipline, strength and well-being, and rejection and dissonance. He said: “As can be seen, Munezero has not necessarily invented new ideas or business concepts. These are familiar ways and concepts that we throw around every day.

They are probably not the standard classroom concepts, but the sheer practicality of the application to every business life is what makes this book an interior one. Let’s remember that Munezero started out as a child who was curious about market women running their businesses. She paid close attention to these women, how they conducted their businesses, their customer care approaches, their sales pitches, and how they organised their businesses.

“She was quick enough to want to venture into sales as she grew older. Then her father recognised this early interest. Instead of only encouraging it, he invested in it even though he wanted a different kind of path in their sales for her daughter. “As with most parents, he wanted to project his own career ambition on her daughter. But he also recognised her daughter’s early curiosity and bought her a business book which would later potentially give birth to this, but even if not directly.” Meanwhile, Donatus Chimaobi of Whitefield High School said the book’s discussion of discovering one’s purpose encouraged him to reflect on what mattered most to him.

He said: “In discovering purpose, you must ask yourself what is important to you. I really loved that sentence. What is important to you? It really made me sit and think beca