Rwanda has four official languages: Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, French and English. Kinyarwanda is the only native language of Rwanda. It is a Bantu language, which means it is part of a large family of languages spoken in central and southern Africa. Given the considerable amount of regional travel for centuries and given its shared status as a Bantu language, Kiswahili is also widely understood in Rwanda. French was first made an official language during Belgium’s colonial rule (1918-1962). In 2008, the Rwandan government decided to make English (rather than French) the primary language of instruction in schools. Today, many people can speak or understand multiple languages--though there tends to be a generational divide, with older Rwandans speaking more French and younger Rwandans speaking more English.
The Rwandan franc is the main currency. Although there are bills, many people use an online banking app, Momo, to pay for things.
A bottle of water typically costs 600 francs (80 cents). Tap water is typically not safe to drink here, so I boil my water at home and then store it in my fridge to reduce plastic use.
