Author: IGIHE

The three-day New York tour held early this month was intended to provide travel agencies’ managers with experience of the products they are selling on behalf of the Brussels Airlines, according to Pascaline Kamanzi, the carrier’s Sales Supervisor in Kigali who participated in the tour too.

Nadia Keza, Managing Director for International Travel Agency (ITA) based in MIC Building, Kigali, said she has acquired a better understanding of the carrier’s products she sells and expects increase in sales as a result.

“We were selected among the best sellers of Brussels Airlines’ tickets to do a familiarisation trip to New York to test their products so that we sell what we know. It becomes easier to sell the products that we know well from experience. We will be able to increase our sales that include air tickets, visas, hotel reservations and travel insurance,” she said.

Marie Claire Sangwa, Managing Director for Sango Travel Agency also based in Kigali, said she benefited better understanding of the products she sells and learned from Brussels Airlines service that she wants to adopt in her service delivery.

“We tasted their flights’ comfort, lounges and services. The trip was wonderful, we had a memorable tour of the NYC, went to Manhattan… the tour was fantastic, we really enjoyed. Seats are good, single seats and for couples, all seats have comfort. In-flight service is good… music, games, movies and food are all good.”

The group of seven left Kigali on October 1 and landed back on October 5 from a tour that Brussels Airlines took care of everything.

Kamanzi said, “By attending Famtrip, travel agency can get the real picture of the services they are selling or of the place where they will send their customers. We wanted them to experience our new products such as good business class seats called “King Seat” where a passenger takes a seat alone, our economy privilege, our new access lounge in Brussels, etc.”

She added, “Fam travel is essential to the growth of a travel agency and we especially thank them for their sales and encourage them to sell more, setting up a network of first-rate suppliers for their customers. We understand this and that is why we are working so hard to put in place some of the most unforgettable Famtrips possible with a focus on small groups and educational opportunities.”

Brussels Airlines usually organises such trips and the previous one took different staff members of travel agencies operating in Kigali to Tel Aviv, Israel in July 2015.

This month’s Umuganda in Turkey focused on planting trees in line with the Rwandan Embassy’s performance contract this year to plant more trees across Turkey. Rwandan Embassy and Rwandan community in Turkey have conducted similar activities in the capital City of Ankara on a regular basis, each last Saturday of the month.

Umuganda in Uşak province, near 500km from Ankara saw a big number of locals coming to attend and listen about the background of Umuganda and the Rwandan story before 200 trees were planted. Among the participants were the Province Governor Mr Salim Iron, members of Parliament, the Rector of Uşak University and many academic members for the same university, Rwandans and their friends from neighbouring provinces, local gendarme, students from high schools and Uşak university as well as a considerable number of locals. African Ambassadors and diplomats had also travelled from Ankara to support and participate in Umuganda. The approximate number of participants was over 400 people.

Television and radio stations had send their journalists to capture this extraordinary activity with Rwandan colours. Speaking to the press, Ambassador Williams NKURUNZIZA explained the {raison d’etre} for Umuganda and the context in which it is organised. With a background of the Rwandan history and its current development status; he drew from the country’s home solutions to its challenges and the results as seen today in many international publications and the current economic development standing of the nation that is characterised by many as a miracle.

Nkurunziza invited all participants to visit Rwanda at their individual convenient time to witness the beauty of the country and to explore business opportunities that are waiting for their investments.

Governor Salim Iron in his turn told the crowd that Uşak province has a long tradition of community work similar to Rwanda’s. He also encouraged everyone to travel to Rwanda to start conversations with mind like businessmen and women for a long-term collaboration between Rwanda’s private sector and Uşak industrialists.

In his intervention, the Rector of Uşak University Prof. Dr. Sayın DALKIRAN thanked Ambassador Nkurunziza who had given a public lecture to a 1,200 – audience at the university the previous day about Rwanda’s renaissance. He highlighted Nkurunziza’s contribution to the knowledge of the audience and pledged more collaboration with the University to further the education cooperation with Rwanda.

Dr Alim Tunc, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of Turkey – Rwanda Parliamentary Friendship Group, in his speech shared with participants his experience in Rwanda. Honourable Tunc was recently in Rwanda where he had a chance to visit different parts of the country. He expressed his satisfaction with Rwanda’s determination to success and the wellbeing of its citizens.

The African Diplomatic Corps that was composed of nine (9) Ambassadors and twelves (12) diplomats who had travelled to Uşak were pleased to stand with Rwanda and support Umuganda. The event offered an opportunity for the African diplomatic corps to network with local businesses where the Embassy of Rwanda had prearranged visits to the local organized industrial zones.

The call was made Thursday in a consultative meeting about past achievements as well as setting future targets.

The Policy Analyst at RGB, Emmanuel Kamasa Rugamba hailed KOICA’s developmental projects in the country and requested them continued partnership in government’s programmes.

“These activities are in line with government’s programmes like constructing schools and promoting sciences and technology among other activities. The government’s budget could not satisfy them. Having such partnership is of great value and their outcomes are self-explanatory” he said.

“We also want them to help us in introducing technology that promotes good governance through fast shared information. This will help us to avoid bureaucracy during services delivery” he added.

He said that their wish to KOICA to train many people capable of developing the country through ICT.

“They should go beyond partnership with government institutions and start working with different private companies and individual entrepreneurs” he said.

The KOICA country director, Lee Byung Hwa said that they will keep cooperation with Rwanda in different sectors.

“It is of great value for us to operate in a country like this, today, we are evaluating our achievements and seeking solutions for some encountered hindrances, we always wish to cooperate with a country that desire development, we hope to achieve much more through cooperation” he said.

KOICA started working from Rwanda in 2011 by supporting different development projects like rural development, agriculture and animal resources, education, good governance and technology among others.

The theme of this year’s season is “Forests – A Pillar of Sustainable Development”. Across the country, seedlings will be planted on more than 50,000 hectares as part of the 2017/18 Forest Planting Season.

During the season, a total of 3,253.95 hectares of forests will be planted, a total of 45,729.95 hectares of agroforestry will be planted and an area of 768 hectares of degraded forests will be rehabilitated.

To support the sustainable management of state forests, 5,350 hectares will be transferred to private investors through concession and co-management agreements.

The Government of Rwanda will use this Forest Planting Season as a chance to encourage citizens to invest in forestry, use less charcoal and adopt alternative sources of energy such as gas and solar.

To help reduce the use of biomass as a source of energy; 19,317 improved cook stoves are being distributed in Gatsibo District, thanks to support from the Rwanda Green Fund.

Rwanda’s forests cover 696,402 hectares (29.6%) of the country’s total land area. Over 258,000 hectares are natural forests and savannah. The forestry sector contributes significantly to Rwanda’s economy.

The awarding ceremony took place 22nd October, 2017 in Paris, France. The award was given to different companies from 65 countries from across the World. In East African Countries, only Rwandan and Kenyan based companies managed to secure the award.

Speaking to IGIHE, the Gorilla Logistics Ltd Managing Director, Fred Seka said the company dedicates the award to Rwandans as it is a result of government’s programmes aimed at facilitating private investors.

“We dedicate it to Rwandans because it comes from government’s programmes that promote competitiveness among local investors to the international level” he said.

The award is an initiative of Business Initiative Directions, international allied companies conducting research in clearance and shipping services.

Every year, they award best service provider companies in customs clearance and goods shipping services from different countries.

According to Seka, in Rwanda three small companies providing such services were scrutinized and Gorilla logistics Ltd emerged the best.

“They conducted research in our clients. We were not aware of the exercise but finally we realized how clients appreciate our services by enabling us taking home this international award” Seka boasts.

He said that the award is a result of collaboration between staff during the monitoring of services offered to clients, “we always insure that no client get delayed services or claim poor services from us”

They also consider, the role of a company in the economy of the country and development of its residents through job creation as well as employees’ welfare, he explained.

He said that being a Rwandan company run by Rwandans and offer international services is another advantage that made them win the award.

Last year, Gorilla Logistics Ltd scooped the same award from Business Initiative Directions.

Gorilla Logistics Ltd started operation in 2008 with three employees but today, the company employs between 27 and 30. It operates from all Rwanda’s border posts as well as at the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.