BLUE, YELLOW, AND GREEN
By Gloria Mwivanda
Hypothetically speaking, if I were an alien photographer sent to Earth, specifically to Rwanda, on a photography mission, without ever having seen the country’s flag, I would quickly conclude that its colours must be blue, yellow, and green.
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In my first week in Kigali, shades of yellow stood out everywhere. From the reflector jackets of motorbike riders filling the streets to the MoMo (mobile money) umbrellas dotting every corner, yellow seemed to pulse through the city. At sunset, the sky often burns bright yellow, casting dark bluish shadows across the many hills, while green spreads over the land. It feels as if someone once looked at Kigali at sunset and painted the flag from that very scene, including the sun itself.
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Leaving the capital for rural Rwanda, I discovered even more layers of these three colors. Houses, often made of brick and mud, are usually left unpainted, but their doors and windows stand out, almost always painted green or blue. Curious, I asked around. To my surprise, most people hadn’t consciously noticed the pattern. For many, blue or green was simply their favorite color, so they painted their doors and windows in those shades.
In retrospect, Rwanda feels softly mellow and quietly relaxed. Yellow seems fitting for this reason; it carries a warmth that mirrors the country’s atmosphere. I wonder what came first: the feeling or the color? It’s a chicken-and-egg situation. The clean streets and serene neighborhoods radiate a calm that belongs to blue. And every morning, women carrying baskets of fresh green produce pass me by, anchoring the scene in yet another shade of the flag.
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These color patterns have become deeply significant to me. Once I noticed them, I could not unsee them. For me, Rwanda’s beauty rests in the quiet harmony of these three colors. Looking further, I learned that the flag’s symbolism reaches beyond the visual: blue represents happiness and peace, yellow symbolizes economic development, and green signifies hope and prosperity. The golden sun with its 24 rays stands for enlightenment, unity, and a bright national future.
As I near the end of my stay, I find myself reflecting on these colors, the feelings they stirred in me, and the meanings they hold for Rwanda. I am left wondering where else in the world I might find a country whose colors are as intentional and as evident in daily life as they are here.
