In the 20th century, Switzerland and Rwanda established close ties. Initial contacts between Swiss missionaries and the Rwandan population evolved into a diverse intergovernmental cooperation. The colonial and post-colonial connections arose from the idea of developing Rwanda in a Western model and from the desire of both countries for national self-affirmation. The first Swiss in Rwanda were part of the Missionary Society of the White Fathers. They participated in building the Catholic Church in Rwanda and held leadership positions, including the highest ecclesiastical office. Shortly after Rwanda's independence in 1962, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation designated Rwanda as its focus country in Africa. It collaborated, among other things, with the producer and consumer cooperative Travail, Fidélité, Progrès.