One of the entrepreneurs is a twenty-three year old Samantha Ahirwe, the head of Posh Creative, a handicraft company that weaves shoes and handbags.
The university graduate in Civil Engineering started business in 2017. The idea came from ill-treatment and domestic violence she observed women in her community were experiencing for being dependents on the household heads.
“Those women usually depended on their husbands. I thought of doing something that could help them contribute to financial growth of their families. That’s where I started making designs of shoes. I approached these women, trained and then employed them,” she explains.
Currently, Ahirwe permanently employs five women and one part time woman and man. All employees are paid depending on production capacity. She says that the whole business is worth between Rwf3.5 and Rwf4 million.
She says that she started her business using the money she got from a paid training she attended in US.
Ahirwe says that currently, she is focused on company branding by using social media.
“The main challenge I faced is visibility and market access,” she says. She says that they import all raw materials from Kenya.
Like Ahirwe, different young entrepreneurs running start-up businesses have shared entrepreneurship experiences.
A one day seminar that brought together students from University of Rwanda and youth in business in Kigali on Wednesday, youth were made aware of the many opportunities in the communities they live.
Ahirwe urged youth to avoid fear of starting business when they have ideas.
Alexandre Nshimiyimana another young entrepreneur making soap and body lotion from avocado was awarded by Rwanda Development Board as outstanding young entrepreneur in 2017.
Another was a twenty-two year old Yvette Ishimwe, the entrepreneur behind Iriba Water Group, a company that distributes clean water in Kayonza District.
Each young entrepreneur has own success story. For example, Ishimwe was awarded by Queen Elisabeth II for her impactful project.
For the Burera District based Nshimiyimana, having a successful business does not need to be established in urban area.
“When investing, you don’t need to think that the successful business will be established in Kigali, you need to invest in business that solves societal problems,” he said.
Ishimwe urged students to concentrate on one business idea and ensure that it is effectively implemented despite challenges.
According to Ishimwe, she was inspired by challenges her family faced after relocating from Kigali to Kayonza Distirct.
“We found ourselves settled in a community where you could hardly find clean water. We used to pay Rwf300 for one Water Can,” she said.
“So, with those challenges, I sat down and browsed on internet different water treatment systems which led me to successful business. So, that’s why I urge you to turn all challenges around you into businesses,” she urged.
Scovia Mutesi, the head of These Numbers Have Faces, an organization that empowers young entrepreneurs which also organized the seminar said that discussions help students with business ideas realize ways to shape them into businesses.
“Many people have business ideas and need to be taught on ways they can be implemented. Though they are university students, some might have profitable businesses,” she said.
Marie Aimée Niyonshuti a first year student in University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology said that discussing with successful people helps them to open their minds about business sector and realize opportunities.
“They told us challenges faced and ways they overcame them. So, I learnt from them how to run a successful business and most particularly for female how to overcome gender disparity,” she said.
Through organisation’s yearly Accelerator Academy programme, different youth are trained on business plan and are linked with investors.
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