{Airtel Rwanda has today partnered with Ijwi Rya Bose to contribute an assortment of business products and incentives to Rwandans with disabilities through Jya Mu Bandi Mwana; an umbrella organization for the group. The handover was done in event hosted by the the National Council of Persons with Disabilities.}
Ijwi Rya Bose is a specialist media group focusing and promoting rights of persons with disabilities in Rwanda. Airtel Rwanda and Ijwi Rya Bose have joined efforts to contribute business startup products for persons with disabilities.
The initial contribution will support 40 persons. Ijwi Rwa Bose has contributed products worth Rwf500, 000 while Airtel Rwanda has contributed trade materials and will support the group with basic entrepreneurship skills to help jumpstart their business. The products will help the beneficiaries’ startup businesses and earn a living to better their livelihood.
The incentives include; phones, airtel airtime and simcards, shelter umbrellas, t-shirts and tables. These will be divided amongst the various beneficiaries where each person will receive a phone, airtime worth Rwf30, 000, 10 simcards, a table, branded shelter umbrella from airtel and t-shirts.
During the handover, the president of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Romalis NIYOMUGABO said, “I am pleased to see service providers lend a helping hand to Rwandans. This contribution by airtel shows that the telecom is not only profit making but also cares for the wellbeing of Rwandan people. This initiative will build the entrepreneurship of the beneficiaries and they will be able to build themselves and better their lives; a step further to the development of our nation.”
Also speaking at the handover, Denise Umunyana, the Airtel head of corporate communications and CSR said, “It is airtel’s social responsibility to provide support to Rwandans through our various initiatives. We are company that believes in supporting the communities in which we work. We believe that with the right incentive, anyone can be able to run a business. Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you will be needed by someone. Today’s beneficiaries will be needed by our customers to provide products and services to them.
The Managing Director of Ijwi Rya Bose Jean Marie Vianney Icyitegetse thanked airtel for joining hands to create a better livelihood for the persons with disabilities.
He said, “Our core function at Ijwi Rya Bose is to empower persons with disabilities by giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential. Enterprise is one of them and we are glad to have been able to make this possible with the support from Airtel Rwanda.”
The beneficiaries were identified through the Ijwi Rya Bose organization database and will be working in Kigali city in different locations. The programme is set to cover the whole country over the next year and Airtel Rwanda and IJWI RYA BOSE are currently working out a plan to support over 100 people with disabilities all over the country.
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