 Receiving this award in Rwanda, I mean I won't call this place Rwanda, I'll call it home because this is my home. Country that changed my life. The first time that I came here, when I had the dream of traveling Africa to promote Africa in a positive light. I mean, you can only see this in Africa. I shared a dream with so many of my friends and they never believed in the dream. So I had to take a loan. And taking a loan, traveling within Africa, you know how expensive Africa is. And I found myself in Rwanda. Did you guys see how super clean Kigali is? I am Maya, singing is believing. And I was like, you know what, I need to do something crazy. I had to sit in a garter just to say Rwanda is the cleanest city in Africa. And that video exposed me to the world. This is the craziest thing I've ever done in my entire life. But I'm not scared because I'm in the cleanest city in Africa. This is Kigali, look at me sitting inside a garter eating without thinking of getting sick. This was the exact same words in 2019 when I did that crazy video. And that crazy video really changed my life. And I'm so glad that I came back here. But listen, it's been three years and the garter even looks cleaner. This time around, I'm not eating because a fantastic restaurant is closed down. I think they broke the entire building down because that's exactly the same place that I bought the food. So I had to get myself samosa. I'm the land of 1000 hills. Kigali, Rwanda. My favorite country in Africa. Actually my favorite person from Kenya. But Kenya is definitely not my favorite country today. I love Kenya. I love you so much. I love the lures and the kikuis. I love the kalengins. But I'm personally kikui. You know that? I'm kikui. You're funny. I'm kikui. I'm kikui because I know that. I'm kikui. I'm kikui because I know that. I'm kikui. The fact that kikuis are more entrepreneurial. They love business. They love money. And I love money so much. So that's why I'm kikui. I don't speak big English like the Laws. Like the Professor Lumumbas. The French Sudan. What we now call Mali regained her independence. They signed a pact to create what they call the African Union. They thought at that time that that would be Africa in her embryonic days. You know that my English is not on point. Truth is actually law. So Tali, give us some law big English words. A word wise heart. For example, I can say here in Kigali the sun is shining for me. It's penetrating my skin. And I'm trying to think of all the law. It's not easy to be law. This thing is not easy. You have to sit down. You just shock. You just bombarded me. Laws are not bombarded. We are told in advance. That's a typical law even though she thinks she's an African cocktail. I'm Kenyan cocktail. Got some law in me. Got some Kikuyu in me. Got some Luya in me boo. Oh wow. Yes, you marry Kenyan cocktail. So why do you love Ronda so much? Wow, that's a tough question. I love this country because this country flows at home. I love this country because the people of this country really love what I do and really appreciate my work. I like this man. You are welcome. Rwanda is now my home. And it gave you your viral video. I think I even told people that this country is actually the country that changed my life. Because my first Dora Vara video when I sat in the garter to eat that's when the video went viral and everyone got to know who what am I was. And that was the time that you know I told you that I actually collected loan to travel within Africa when I met you, right? So a big shout out to our way. It's been long man. How are you doing? My one and only Chinese friend who gave me money to what? Bike tickets to come to Africa. It was a loan. And that video that I did from Rwanda It made you enough money to pay back the loan. That's why I keep on saying that Rwanda means a lot to me. But apart from that Rwanda is so clean and I love cleanliness even though personally I'm not clean. I love countries that are well organized even though I know that my life is not organized. That's why I have her in my life to organize my life. Because I want to be like Rwanda. So that's why I have her. I love countries that I don't know when the system works. Yeah, I get what you mean because when you're in Rwanda it's a different vibe. Everything is so organized. Everything is so clean. And you can't help but wish that every African country will hold in the late Rwanda. I think every African country Rwanda should be more like a model. Big brother. Which is weird because Rwanda is so young but then it should be like a big brother. They really have a better history and I'm so glad that the leadership of this country has turned that around. See, if you have never been to Rwanda I'm just going to encourage you. Rwanda should be among your top 5 countries to visit in Africa. Just come and see Rwanda for yourself and I believe that you would definitely love Rwanda. I agree. There's this guy who came here yesterday and he was like he can't believe this is a country in Africa. He said are we in Europe? I'm like no. Singapore? Yep. And I think yesterday I was even watching the news and I saw President Kagame in Singapore. We went to Singapore. Singapore is our first country together. And I think we did a video comparing Rwanda to Singapore. That was like 2019. Wow, we've come from far away. Oh my God. I'm so sorry. It's more like we've been projecting Rwanda in the positive life for a very long time to the extent that we even went to Singapore to compare both Rwanda and Singapore. And you'd be surprised. They are so similar. Let me tell you first thing to identify that you are in Rwanda sometime you are in Singapore. This black and white the roads are actually the same in Singapore and Rwanda. They are cleanliness, you know. Speed camera. Yep. Do they chew in Rwanda? Do they chew in Rwanda? They don't have underground chewing so I don't think that bad things plastic bags are bad in Rwanda. I think when you compare all African countries the closest to Singapore is definitely Rwanda. I think they got a model from Singapore. But I don't want to talk too much about Rwanda. I think I need to I have only two hours more in Rwanda after our watch show last night. That was amazing. Oh my goodness. You know you are an inspiration to almost every African content creator. The reason many of us are inspired to start traveling the continent to explore Africa to show off our beautiful continent to the world you are the godfather you know. So it's true, it's a fact. It's true. If you've been inspired by Maya to create content around Africa who hasn't been inspired honestly? I think we need to be honest and we need to give credit so credit is due and you really deserved the award that you won yesterday because you're making such a big impact on the continent. Not just impacting African content creators but also the diaspora out of Africa to come back home. I mean I think we're living your purpose. What happened to you? I feel like marriage gave you the power to hype up me more than you. But it's true babe. Of course I am. If I'm not who will. I'm your number one fan and I'm also telling the truth guys not to be honest. And then you know the thing is we love celebrating people when they are gone and they say oh that was but we need to change the culture and celebrate people when they are lies like we need to give you flowers right now. So thank you for making a big impact on the continent and I'm so glad that it's been recognized all over the world so the award you got yesterday you deserved it big time. The guba excellence in tourism our celebrates an individual who has positively projected Africa to the world and contributed to the development of the continent's tourism using the power of social media and digital platform. Tonight we are privileged to present the guba excellence in tourism award to Mr. Wode Maya Wode Maya but all I want to say is that if you are part of this family I want to say thank you so much because without you definitely Wode Maya won't be there. So I just want to say thank you so much for being part of this family and a big shout out to Denta yo you are amazing I'm so proud of you have no idea how I felt what I was in the room to see the people that were present in the room it was like people changing the continent in sports, in entertainment in arts every different sector and you are all in one room and you just feel powerful and it's just one person that brought all of them to gain have so much respect for them yo Denta, I love you so much and I just want you to know that you have a brother right here who supports your dream listen, like what you did makes me feel like I'm so happy to know her you know what I mean I'm so proud of you if anyone knows Denta I'm definitely not going to send this video to her so if she sees it, fine but if you know her just tell her that Wode Maya told you to come and tell her that she's so proud of her and she's an inspiration just so proud of you Denta and listen I'm in Rwanda and anytime I come back to Rwanda my accommodation is always paid for wow, you're so lucky do you remember the first time we started traveling getting accommodation was a problem and we had to spend so much money on accommodation and the accommodation wasn't even good you suffer now you come to Rwanda and they're telling you it's on us let's start to tell people our story now wow we've been one to two minutes the first time we met in Ethiopia even our accommodation in Ethiopia I think we were paying $25 and even that $25 it was difficult oh wow, that's how we say that it was difficult right, then from there I came to Rwanda my first place that I slept they were charging $35 and it was extremely difficult not a week or a month and can you believe that I arrived in Rwanda on the 14th of February and the same day because I'm paying $35 I have to step out the same day just to go and make videos because if I don't make videos I won't be able to afford or get money to pay for my bills so the same day that I arrived in Rwanda on the 14th of November February 2019 I still have to step out and go make videos there's a struggle that we can go into now but thank God because things have gotten better there's this song that I've been singing the whole of last night and I think you all need to know do you know the song that I'm talking about can you give me the chorus see what the Lord has done see what what we were has come to pass see what I mean some of you might think that it's all your strength but for me I think your strength and God's presence in your life makes you move forward like when you were in our during our wedding the pastor who spoke said if God did not give you you wouldn't have it so everything is by God's grace so I would encourage you all to put God first so we are right here at Parking of which the same person who has been hosting me anytime I come to Rwanda and say I never told you go get out of my mind have a father feel so be a soldier and say if you're a fitness enthusiast like myself you're gonna have a blood chest like what am I you're gonna have huge arms like what am I whenever you come in here I know that parking by Ravisin Ponshi they have a complete gym with all the facilities in here you wanna swim yeah let's swim by the pool they got like a pool right next to the gym so as an Olympic swimmer myself anytime I come in here I swim from here to the bottom and right from here I just head to the gym we also have a bath they have a bath so when you're here swimming you can get yourself a drink behind here I would love to enter but I don't like showing off as an Olympic swimmer I hate to show off because this water is not deep it's just 0.4 meters I really love a pool that is like 10 feet because with Olympic swimmers we don't joke with 0.4 to 1.4 meters swimming pools this is for babies this is a baby that's why she wants to swim in here so anytime you come to parking by Ravisin don't forget that they got you they got a swimming pool right here and Kigali can be cold but Kigali can be extremely hot right now as I'm talking to you Kigali is hot I know that the best thing to do during the hot weather is to immerse yourself in water go where? in the water no no that whenever you book an accommodation with parking by Ravisin you got yourself a good Wi-Fi if you're someone who works from home they got one of the fastest internet in here that's actually my favorite thing about this hotel the Wi-Fi than the food yours is the food than the Wi-Fi yep yep yep I think we need to go to the city to check it out before we go to the airport let's go to the city Kigali I mean the first time you came to Kigali did you ever no no no that's what I wanted to ask you since the last time you came here do you feel like some things have changed a lot has changed I mean the first time that I came to Kigali all this place were under construction I think they were building even this park right here it was not down it was more like covered it's a place where people can sit and use Wi-Fi for free do you have Wi-Fi? I think so I need to bring it do you have Wi-Fi here? they have Wi-Fi they have Wi-Fi here so it's like people come and sit in here just to use Wi-Fi it's right in the city center I think the last time that I came in here it was under construction it's just beautiful man all you can do is to just come in here how are you? good to see you it is what it is it's a beautiful garden this is what I think we need in Akra a beautiful garden where if you just want to sit somewhere think about life you can literally come and sit, just look at me I just have to sit down right here and the city right in front of me it's right in the middle of the city center and when I came here the last time even that building was under construction now it's done this is one of the things that I really love about Rwanda the fact that every time you come in here you see something different every time you come in here you see changes you see development the city does not see the city is always moving Africans I mean, sit down with his excellency just to get a model how he managed to do this so that some of us can do our small cities I mean, yeah, some people will say that Rwanda is small but can we start from our small cities I mean, if we can do our cities like this I think it will be awesome for so many of us well organized people come and take photos right here in the garden what has really changed I will just tell you guys that where I am right now where I am walking currently this place is called Car Free Zone it's a zone within the city where, I mean, no car passes here it's just people businesses people minding their own businesses have you been to this place before? I just came here yesterday exactly so this area we call it Car Free Zone the last time I came here it was not like this because actually the place that I stood to interview one guy asking how clean Kigali is I did a video here but it used to be a road just a termock road but this time around they got pavement photographers come here to take their photos yeah, people just come and chill well what is this what is this a house a house for what this is where people will be renting the next area to put some businesses coffee if people want to just sell coffees within the Car Free Zone area wow yeah, I think so when they move to Rwanda when they move to Rwanda but this is so creative man if you are a content creator this is actually the best place for you to come and create your content I know right because you can just sit here and start recording and no one will, I mean, worry you and that's the thing about Rwanda we haven't been disturbed so much when you are filming here I find compared to other African countries we are more free to create content it is what it is I like how this place looks like right now I think they are giving a lot of people access to, I mean, enjoy themselves without hearing the horns of a car it is just a bicycle is allowed wow you see they come here to take photos that is a new business here coming oh oh nice that's a new business coming up so you can actually rent this place and then if you want to sell coffee or anything like that you can come and do it here that's incredible the place next you can go everyone who doesn't have an office can go there and just pay some small money you have access to free wifi you have an office and does this place have free wifi? can we chat? I just want to confirm first I don't trust you let's go online let's go online oh wow here it is free zone wifi oh wow it's actually connected Rwanda I want to know if it's fast coming there's free wifi here it's connected can you guys see the cameras up there this is the camera that monitors the entire car free zone and in case anything happens to you you can do this just come in here and then just press this red button just in case of anything so Rwanda doesn't joke with security this is one of the safest countries I've ever been in the entire continent and it's kind of cool to see that the cameras protecting the people that are actually having fun in the car free zone I'm at the Kigali airport saying goodbye to Kigali and guess who I met? Dennis Momata from Las Vegas from the African diaspora it's a pleasure meeting you absolutely the pleasure is all mine you are an inspiration you are the only person that I've known in history I don't want anybody to insult me I'll say in history who has visually given an African a visual representation of what we have wow because of the if you talk about not African it was a mystery to me I'm a geologist it was a mystery to me because of you I was able to climb that mountain that mountain that I climbed not only that because of you I went there I've been to the Libyan because of you and not only you see the thing about what you have shown even in Zimbabwe's video I've been asking Zimbabwe the history the history and I'm looking at it who has given a visual representation of what we have I've been seeing that that's a beautiful message but I love your t-shirt African diaspora of Las Vegas it is this is one thing that I really love I really love to see the diaspora coming together to do something that's exactly what we are doing we are an organization that we form by people who have a vision of coming as one to give one vote to represent one voice this is like re-united after 2 years we met right before the pandemic right before the world ended we were together I saw Maya stressing out about the pandemic we need to leave Mozambique now that's a crazy story and I did only 2 videos from Mozambique you did 2 or 3 so popular I'm like I need to do videos about my country how come they come they make videos and they get all those views and why are you in Rwanda now I'm in Rwanda because I need to expand my horizons I need to explore East Africa Mozambique is nice but it's too south I want to see more of like Rwanda Kenya, Uganda it's East Africa season I'm copying you guys so you moved in here well I'm planning to move but I'm still feeling the vibes I love it it's a beautiful city and I would love to stay definitely Rwanda's life in Rwanda so if you want to reach out to her check out her Instagram go follow her YouTube, Rwanda yep and what else again that's it you've been in Rwanda amazing to feel safe and to be in such a clean place beautiful beautiful job there doing with the city it's one of my favorites in Africa for sure wow and it's also one of my favorites so yeah it's time to head to the airport Rwanda is everyone's favorite is Rwanda your favorite one of them alright so it's time to say goodbye to Rwanda goodbye Rwanda this is my classmate from China anytime you see me in Rwanda you see him with me all the time I've been here 10 times and even if he's busy he has to stop whatever he's doing to drive me and I'm not going to pay even a dollar because he's my rich friend in Rwanda next to it my name is Mr. Rwanda baby Rwanda is home for me and I would love to come back again peace out you watch our videos wow thank you