All of us here at ONE are about to escape DC’s infamous August heat and take a much-needed week of vacation. But before we go, I wanted to share a few concluding thoughts about our visit to Rwanda.

I think our delegation returned from Rwanda inspired by what can be achieved and encouraged by America’s role in supporting that country’s groundbreaking efforts. We were fortunate to have such a diverse and distinguished group together for such a concentrated period of time – a rare thing these days. The group chemistry was great and we generated a number of valuable discussions.

Here are a few of the important ideas I think our delegation took away from their experience in Rwanda:

First and foremost, we were able to witness firsthand the remarkable resilience of the African spirit and the unwavering commitment to creating a better future. Here in the U.S., we are accustomed to reading about African failures-famine, conflict and, yes, genocide. But Rwanda is a clear example of how African countries are rebuilding and moving forward aggressively and progressively. We saw how central women have been to this rebuilding process, from governing and reviving the economy to reconciling and healing the nation. This leadership and commitment is translating into dramatic progress in the fight against poverty and disease.

Second, we saw that partnership with the United States and other donors is critical to realizing Rwanda’s vision for a healthy, well-educated and prosperous country. This is true across Africa, where American partnership and support has helped catalyze and consolidate gains in poverty reduction.

Third, we came away mindful that the sustainability of our investments in the region depends on the strength of Africa’s underlying delivery systems. These systems include a need for reliable, low cost energy and infrastructure, as well as human resource capacity, faster growth of exportable goods and increased regional trade. I believe this underscored the importance of long-term U.S. investments in areas like infrastructure and education.

Fourth, and in a similar vein, we heard repeatedly about the importance of achieving more efficiency in the delivery of U.S. assistance. U.S. programs are often implemented in a way that works around host governments rather than through them. But in the case of well-governed countries like Rwanda, we were told the U.S. should consider providing more flexible financing, including experimenting with direct budget support. Providing such support, in conjunction with stringent transparency and accountability measures, would ensure that more aid is used for its intended purpose. It would also have the benefit of strengthening the government’s ability to manage and coordinate donor investments.

And lastly, while Rwanda is truly an exceptional country, it’s important to remember that Rwanda is certainly not the only success story in the region. Africa is a continent on the move and what we saw in Rwanda is being replicated elsewhere in places like Ghana, Liberia and Tanzania. Our challenge is to help replicate these successes everywhere.

These are just some of the impressions I want to leave you with. Thanks for following along.

-David Lane