How a women’s initiative is collectively uplifting lives through art and community-based tourism.



From the street art to its bustling markets, the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre in the lively and vibrant neighborhood of Nyamirambo in Kigali, is a tourism drawcard.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mary-Nyangoma-at-Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64311" style="width:738px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mary-Nyangoma-at-Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mary-Nyangoma-at-Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-byChanel-Retief-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mary-Nyangoma-at-Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-byChanel-Retief-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mary-Nyangoma-at-Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mary-Nyangoma-at-Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mary Nyangoma at Nyamirambo Woman’s Centre (Photo byChanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


In one of the busy shops owned by the center selling clothes and bric-a-brac, you find the center’s project coordinator, Mary Nyangoma, who tells us how it all came to be.



The center was established in 2007 with 18 members – “women and girls” – with the aim of “empowering ourselves”.



“…because we all came from different backgrounds and, of course, from different parts of the country. But we happened to settle around this neighborhood, and then we decided to start a group,” says Nyangoma.



Some of the members at the time had not had the fortune of receiving a formal education.



“We started teaching them how to read and write, in our homes,” says Nyangoma.



It wasn’t until two women from Slovenia came to the country to report on women’s issues that they received their first donation to get the center up and running.



But they had to find other ways to make money before the funds dried up. Sharing their ideas, the founding members at the center considered acquiring other vocational skills to help generate income. “That’s when we got a chance [to] buy four sewing machines,” Nyangoma says. “We had somebody teaching us to use them, but we also started involving other women from the neighborhood… We started working with local authorities. They started recruiting women to join us for the courses, learning how to read and write and, after that, they could join the sewing course.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64310" style="width:543px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nyamirambo Woman’s Centre (Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


Over 6,000 women have trained at the center so far, with about 80% now self-employed. On the cards is an incubation training center.



The women’s center has managed to sustain its revenue, generated by the increasingly-popular tourism offerings at Nyamirambo. Using kitenge fabric, the women, who are trained and then work at the center, craft products ranging from children’s clothes to women’s accessories and home décor.



“Apart from that cooperative, the women’s center started thinking, ‘how can we make an income and keep the center open?’” Nyangoma explains as she takes FORBES AFRICA on a tour of the three sections at the center. In one, women are creating art and handicrafts; in another, there are girls (and some boys) learning different skills; and the final one houses the center’s library.



“This is where we started [and] are offering different activities in community-based tourism. [We] offer the walking tours – seeing the day-life [of ] people living in this neighborhood; we do a cooking experience – how we do it locally in our homes; basket weaving – how to make the baskets [and] sewing experiences and other stuff as well.



“The message is about working together and supporting each other, but also building a strong ecosystem.”



Gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to Rwanda’s vision for growth and progress.



In the e-mobility sector, for example, it is not uncommon to see female riders dominating the streets of Kigali, as opposed to other regions on the continent where there are more male drivers in the public transport system.



“We’re deeply committed to empowering women in the EV sector,” says Kaushik Burman, co-CEO of EV company, Spiro.



Right now, we’re seeing more and more female riders joining our network, which is something I’m incredibly proud of. We’ve set up initiatives like Spiro Academy that provide women with training and mentorship to break into technical and operational roles – areas that traditionally haven’t seen much female participation. It’s all about giving women the tools they need to build careers and independence while contributing to sustainable transportation across Africa.”



“A challenge I sometimes have [as] a female rider is when passengers question [my potential as] a rider,” Spiro rider, Blanche Dusengimana, laments to FORBES AFRICA.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64309" style="width:614px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nyamirambo-Womans-Centre-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nyamirambo Woman’s Centre (Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


“I just respond by telling them that this is something I am passionate about. I show them what I have achieved as a business; how I have developed myself and how I provide for my family.”



The country has consistently been celebrated as a role model in gender equality. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023 has ranked Rwanda 12th out of 146 countries.



According to a report by USAID, women make up more than 60% of the Rwandan Parliament, and more than 50% of the President’s cabinet.



“I meet different kinds of people every day as a rider but when I mostly meet women… these are either women who want to be riders or don’t have anything to do with their day,” Dusengimana says. “The first thing I tell them or encourage them to do is not to look to someone else for money. I also help women get out of their comfort zone and become riders.”



At the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, Nyangoma concurs: “Once the women and girls finish our programs, they can start their own businesses. “When I see women working together and supporting each other, I feel so strong, and I feel so happy that we are also growing up and bringing up our kids this way, so that tomorrow, they can stand here and do the same for others.”

Nyamirambo Woman’s Centre (Photo by Chanel Retief)-2-2

Leading Women Through Art And Tourism In Rwanda

In the heart of Kigali is a cricket stadium transforming lives and where young people are finding hope, purpose and opportunity.



Just 12 kilometers east of Kigali’s bustling city center, where real estate developments, commerce, and technology dominate the landscape, lies a contrasting haven. Here, the sounds of urban life give way to the chatter of children, their laughter carried by the crisp air as they dart across a lush green field. Feet pound the grass, the coach calls out instructions, and a young player dives to catch a brightly-colored cricket ball mid-air, prompting an eruption of cheers and chants of “Howzat!”



What might appear at first glance to be a typical sports ground is anything but. This is Gahanga Cricket Stadium, a unique nexus of youth development, inclusion, and education. Beneath its striking thatched roof – a nod to Rwandan architectural heritage – is a story of resilience and hope, a place where a game of cricket has become a tool for building brighter futures.



The journey to Gahanga began with Christopher Shale, a British businessman and cricket enthusiast, who spent years in Rwanda without access to a proper cricket facility.



Shale dreamed of creating a home for cricket in Rwanda, one that would be open to all, regardless of background. Tragically, Shale passed away in 2011, but his vision endured through the efforts of his family, friends, and the charity, Cricket Builds Hope.



In 2017, the Gahanga Cricket Stadium was inaugu- rated as a state-of-the-art facility spanning 4.5 hectares, complete with international standard grounds and a pa- vilion.



Will Hammond, the Director of Cricket Builds Hope, sees cricket as more than just a game, he sees it as a means to unite communities and create opportunities. Inspired by Shale’s vision, he is committed to using the sport to transform lives and build a legacy of inclusion and hope in Rwanda.



“Christopher believed cricket could bring people to- gether,” says Hammond. “His dream wasn’t just about sports but about creating a space where young people could find purpose and opportunity.”



Today, Gahanga is much more than a stadium. It is a hub of activity where children from diverse back- grounds converge to play, learn, and grow. On weekends, the facility comes alive with them participating in crick- et programs, some learning the sport for the first time, others sharpening their skills. The programs are free and intentionally inclusive, breaking down barriers of economic and social divides.



English trainer and Head of Educational Program, Justin Mugabo, who has been part of the Gahanga team since 2022, notes the transformative impact of combin- ing cricket with education. “When I started, we had about 120 children. Now, we have over 400 every week- end. Many come from disadvantaged backgrounds, in- cluding street-connected children. Through cricket and



English programs, we’ve seen incredible improvements in behavior, language skills, and academic performance,” he notes.



Gahanga’s reach extends beyond children. The Sports for Change program has also empowered over 330 women through workshops on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and social health. Women’s cricket is also thriving. In 2022, Rwanda’s women’s Under-19 crick- et team made history by qualifying for the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, a testament to the rising tide of talent nurtured on this field. The stadium’s impact is deeply felt in the community.



Keza Beatrice, a young participant, reflects on her journey: “We came here without speaking English, but now we speak it fluently. Cricket has taught us so much more than just the game.”



Mugabo adds: “The community appreciates what we’re doing here. Parents tell us their children have changed, not just in how they play cricket but in how they engage with the world.”



Running a facility of this scale comes with its challenges though. Will acknowledges that maintaining Gahanga costs around $80,000 annually; funds are raised through partnerships and donations. Yet, the team remains committed to ensuring the stadium remains free and accessible to all.



“We ensure long-term impact through seed funding, savings groups, and income-generating activities. We want to replicate this model across Rwanda, bringing cricket and its benefits to even more districts,” says Country Manager Joseph Karemera.



In many ways, the stories of the students, teachers, and every- one involved in the Gahanga Cricket Stadium embody the spirit of Rwanda – a nation defined by its unwavering focus on building a bright and inclusive future. Here, under the iconic thatched roofs that pay homage to Rwandan heritage, cricket is more than a sport. It is a bridge to education, inclusion, and empowerment. As the sun sets over Gahanga, the laughter of children fades into the evening air. For them, this is not just a stadium; it is a sanctuary, classroom and home.

PHOTO-2024-07-19-14-21-44[5]

Ground Support: Cricket For A Cause In Rwanda

Electric vehicles in Rwanda pave the way for rider-entrepreneurs and sustainable transport.



Motos – local lingo for motorbike taxis – are ubiquitous and a common sight in Rwanda, as they are in the rest of East Africa. A crucial lifeline of the economy, they mostly transport commuters and informal workers to and from work.



Blanche Dusengimana is also a contributor to this elaborate network of bikers, ferrying passengers, but on a Spiro, or an electric bike – another sign of the country’s march to embrace innovation in every way.



“I have always been passionate about motorbikes,” says Dusengimana, to FORBES AFRICA. For a year now, she has been a familiar sight on Kigali’s roads during rush hour. Her days start bright and early, as she sets out of her home with her keys, two helmets and signature Spiro rider bib. It’s 8PM by the time she is home again, when she would have served atleast 20 passengers on her daily drill. But this is what she has always wanted to do.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dvsengmkna-Blanche-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64171" style="width:752px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dvsengmkna-Blanche-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dvsengmkna-Blanche-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dvsengmkna-Blanche-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dvsengmkna-Blanche-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dvsengmkna-Blanche-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Spiro rider, Dvsengmkna Blanche (Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


On the other side of town, a 20-minute drive away, 34-year-old rider Sekanabo Ignace, who is up from 5AM every day, puts the pedal to the metal to take a majority of his passengers to the markets to buy fresh produce.



Ignace tells FORBES AFRICA that the 15 years that he has been commuting people, he has always taken to the transport business like an entrepreneur – he gets to control his hours, knows which routes work best and, like Dusengimana, is deeply empowered and passionate about what he does.



Both riders own Spiro electric bikes, transporting about 2025 passengers every day and reaching around 200km, on average.



Part of the country’s Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS), Rwanda has invested in building efficient and resilient transport systems in the last decade. The conversion from fuel motors to electric vehicles is a key part of driving down emissions.



Spiro and Ampersand, both electric vehicle (EV) and transport companies in Africa, have fleets across Rwanda to not only assist the government with its sustainability mission but also empower riders in the country.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BasiGo-driver-Rachidi-Rutayisire-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64170" style="width:714px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BasiGo-driver-Rachidi-Rutayisire-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BasiGo-driver-Rachidi-Rutayisire-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BasiGo-driver-Rachidi-Rutayisire-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BasiGo-driver-Rachidi-Rutayisire-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BasiGo-driver-Rachidi-Rutayisire-Photo-by-Chanel-Retief-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">BasiGo driver Rachidi Rutayisire (Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


“Electric motorcycle drivers earn 45% more than with petrol bikes due to fuel and maintenance savings,” Ampersand states on its website. “They save 40% a year on fuel. The income they generate typically supports 4.6 people on average in Rwanda.”



Kaushik Burman, co-CEO of Spiro, says to FORBES AFRICA: “We’re focused on reducing emissions and supporting clean energy initiatives, aligning with Rwanda’s green growth strategy.”



“[But also] we don’t just hand over the keys and wave riders off. We are committed to supporting our riders with training that covers safety, vehicle maintenance, and smart battery use… It’s about setting our riders up for long-term success and helping them grow their careers. We’re here to make sure they feel supported, safe, and capable, no matter where their journey takes them. It’s a partnership that’s about more than just business — it’s about being a part of the country’s sustainable future.”



With a ‘time is money’ mentality, EV companies are also addressing financial inclusion in addition to digital transformation.



The EV bikes use batteries that take up to four hours to be charged. Instead of waiting for a battery to charge, at the battery-swapping stations that have been deployed, riders can use their MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) virtual card tap-and-go system, swap or exchange their empty batteries for a fully-charged one, and be back on the road in seconds.



“This saves so much time and money for the riders,” Burman adds. “One of the things I love about our tap-and-go payment system



is how it brings more people into the financial ecosystem. Accessibility and affordability are both an essential part of our plans for growth and development. For riders, especially women and those who might not have easy access to traditional banking, this technology is a game changer.”



To this end, and to ensure that riders can become part of the business, asset fintech company Watu assists potential drivers with the down payment of the bikes if they wish to become riders.



“These investments allow us to support the development of EV infrastructure and innovation while staying closely connected to the unique needs of the communities we serve,” Andris Kaneps, CEO at Watu Credit, tells FORBES AFRICA.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sekanabo-Ignace-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64172" style="width:726px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sekanabo-Ignace-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sekanabo-Ignace-Photo-byChanel-Retief-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sekanabo-Ignace-Photo-byChanel-Retief-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sekanabo-Ignace-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sekanabo-Ignace-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sekanabo Ignace at Spiro charging hub (Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


“For instance, in Rwanda, we decided to finance electric motor- bikes exclusively, anticipating government policies favoring sustainable transportation.”



In Kigali, the uptake of EVs is not only massive but is also thriving. From the moment you leave the international airport precincts into the city, the roads are bombarded by swarms of motorbikes and ebikes with riders and pillion-riders.



Buses are also making the move from fuel to electric. In Kigali, leading the charge is bus company, BasiGo.



Responding to Rwanda’s urgent need to rev up public transport, BasiGo recognized that the surging cost of diesel was making it challenging for operators to expand their fleets.



BasiGo introduced bus operators and passengers to the R10 Rumuri in December 2023. It’s reportedly Kigali’s first 100% electric bus.



In a bustling and buzzing part of Kigali, Nyabugogo’s main bus park is home to hundreds of these buses. FORBES AFRICA meets up with BasiGo driver, Rachidi Rutayisire, who has been driving buses for about 15 years, but since the launch of BasiGo, has only driven electric buses and says it has been life-changing.



“I can never go back to petrol,” he laughs from behind his steering wheel. It is 3PM and he is preparing to drive his passengers home, but he is also saving time as he does not need to wait long hours to fuel up. “Do you know how much lighter and easier it is to ride this bus? I also now don’t have to go to the petrol stations. If any of my two batteries go flat, I just go to the battery-swapping stations,” he gushes. Come evening, it’s all in a day’s work as the people head home, the bikes and buses wind down and the city rumbles to a stop – until the next morning, when the engines of the economy will roar again.

Busiest Bus Park in Kigali (Photo by Muhire Adolphe)

Forward Momentum: This African Country Is Streets Ahead For Rider Innovation

We check out what&#8217;s brewing in one of Kigali&#8217;s hottest coffee spots. Also, about 80% of their farm workforce is women. 



As you step into Kivu Noir, in downtown Kigali, you’re instantly enveloped by the rich aroma of freshly- ground coffee that the lively baristas rustle up behind the counter.



One of Rwanda’s biggest success stories is agriculture. According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the sector employs about 64.5% of the total population, contributing around 25% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64138" style="width:610px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


And a major driving force in this sector is coffee.



“We don’t even serve food inside. If customers order food, they have to be seated outside because we do not want it to interfere with the smell of the coffee,” beams one of the baristas at Kivu Noir.



The coffee aroma lingers, even on the terrace of the restaurant, where a business meeting is in progress. At the other end of the balcony, people sit in rows hunched over their laptops, working, and sipping unique blends of African espresso and latte.



The café is built on the premise of a farm-to-table experience as all the coffee served is made from beans that come directly from a farmer near one of the African Great Lakes (around the Great Rift Valley in East and Central Africa). “Our coffee is grown and harvested from the volcanic shores of Lake Kivu at a small village called Nkora (the estate). The ripe cherries are wet-washed at Nkora, the oldest and largest washing station in Rwanda,” Kivu Noir Coffee’s Co-Founder, Kevin Mbundu, tells FORBES AFRICA.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-by-Muhire-Adolphe-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64139" style="width:572px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-by-Muhire-Adolphe-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-by-Muhire-Adolphe-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-by-Muhire-Adolphe-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-by-Muhire-Adolphe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-by-Muhire-Adolphe-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Muhire Adolphe)</figcaption></figure></div>


“Our coffee benefits from an ideal growing environment, with lush green landscapes, abundant rainfall, and volcanic soils — conditions that are exceptionally suited to Arabica coffee production.”



This has allowed for a unique combination which, Mbundu says, enhances the coffee’s flavor profile, producing “a rich, full-bodied taste”.



But producing such coffee comes with its own challenges.



“[It’s] having to ensure that farmers consistently apply best practices for high-quality yields and manage the impact of prolonged dry seasons, which can reduce crop productivity,” Mbundu adds.



So how does Kivu Noir maintain quality control from farm to cup, given the diverse climates and terrains of African coffee regions?


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64140" style="width:393px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kivu-Nior-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Chanel Retief)</figcaption></figure></div>


According to him, with Rwanda’s four-month Arabica coffee harvest cycle, they have to closely monitor and adjust production each year to ensure a fresh and reliable coffee supply across all their locations.



Visit Rwanda reports that about 95% of beans in the country are the high-quality Arabica varietal Bourbon, with a silky creamy body and hints of lemon and orange blossom, and a caramel aftertaste.



It adds that 450,000 small growers produce coffee across Rwanda, but that visits by tourists are primarily around Gisenyi, near the shores of Lake Kivu.



“Some farmers’ cooperatives and washing stations offer tours explaining the coffee process through the year,” Visit Rwanda reports. Coffee is an important source of income for small farmers in Rwanda. Also, most farms are at high altitudes of 1,700m to 2,000m. The coffee industry is also a great supporter of women’s empowerment. Mbundu says that about 80% of their farm workforce is women.



“This is a unique approach in an industry where much of coffee production has been industrialized, as seen in countries like Brazil and Indonesia,” he adds. The RDB states that the annual quantity of coffee produced in Rwanda ranges from 20,000 metric tons to 22,000 metric tons, further highlighting an increase in fully-washed and ordinary coffee export volumes and revenues every year. The major markets for Rwandan coffee, according to the RDB, are the United States, Europe (Switzerland, United Kingdom, Belgium, among others) and Asia (Singapore). It’s an industry that’s full of beans.

Kevin 2

Thanks A Latte: Sampling Rwanda’s Coffee Hub

Drone delivery and logistics company Zipline continues to make inroads for communities in the remote areas of Rwanda to access essential medical and agriculture supplies.



Over an hour’s drive outside the city of Kigali, if you happen to see a drone flying overhead, you must know that it has been launched from the Zipline facility in Muhanga, and is probably on its way to deliver a package to a remote village in Rwamagana in the Eastern Province of Rwanda.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prosper-Uruvugundi-Partnership-Manager-at-Zipline-about-to-release-a-delivery-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-64115" style="width:584px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prosper-Uruvugundi-Partnership-Manager-at-Zipline-about-to-release-a-delivery-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prosper-Uruvugundi-Partnership-Manager-at-Zipline-about-to-release-a-delivery-Photo-byChanel-Retief-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prosper-Uruvugundi-Partnership-Manager-at-Zipline-about-to-release-a-delivery-Photo-byChanel-Retief-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prosper-Uruvugundi-Partnership-Manager-at-Zipline-about-to-release-a-delivery-Photo-byChanel-Retief-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prosper-Uruvugundi-Partnership-Manager-at-Zipline-about-to-release-a-delivery-Photo-byChanel-Retief-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Chanel Retief</figcaption></figure></div>


Who will be receiving this package, you may ask? A farmer. And what is being delivered? Pig semen.



“To help increase the genetic diversity of pigs, farmers purchase pig semen and engage a veterinarian trained in artificial insemination,” states an article by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on quality livestock and breeding in Rwanda.



Zipline, a drone delivery and logistics company, has sought to simplify the pain and process of access, eliminating the need for farmers to drive long hours to buy pig semen and bring it back to their farms, oftentimes in an already compromised state.



“Healthy animals and insemination products delivered right on time means more nutritious animal proteins and products,” Prosper Uruvugundi, Partnerships Manager at Zipline, tells FORBES AFRICA, as he takes us past the refrigerators storing semen in the warehouse at Muhanga.



The storeroom features rows of shelves for medication and medical supplies, and cold rooms that store blood for both human and animal needs.



The process, while seemingly seamless, involves many important requisites, for example, the standard hospital or medical services’ delivery requests.



Uruvugundi says that once the order comes through via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, API, or on the Zipline app, the technician will start to process the order.



“This order is coming from Kayonza (from a smallholder farmer in the Eastern Province),” he says, pointing at a screen. “He has requested pig semen.”



Following a query for clarification, “Yes,” says Uruvugundi matter-of-factly.



“Chances are the farmer either has veterinarian training or one on site who will do the insemination.”



Another technician has already taken out a unit of the product and started the process of wrapping it up carefully. Zipline delivers many more products for farmers.



In 2022, Zipline partnered with the Government of Rwanda, which included the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), to up the delivery of both healthcare and animal care goods in the country.



That year alone, the Ministry of Agriculture reportedly delivered more than 500,000 doses of animal health vaccines and more than 8,000 units of swine semen to vets and farmers, using Zipline.



With access to animal husbandry products and an increased fertility rate, more pigs can be raised with a healthier genetic profile.



The company’s autonomous drones operate on optimized flight paths, which are calculated, based on real-time data to ensure swift and reliable deliveries.



Their operations are controlled by a central system that continuously monitors weather, traffic, and the healthcare and farming facility’s demand to coordinate multiple deliveries.



According to Pierre Kayitana, Zipline’s General Manager, this data-driven approach helps reduce response times, increase delivery precision, and ensure that supplies reach their destinations without delay.



“We’re also mindful of the local communities and ecosystems, using technology that minimizes noise and environmental disruption while maximizing the efficiency of each flight,” Kayitana tells FORBES AFRICA.



What started as an operation designed to deliver blood supplies and medicine to remote areas throughout Rwanda has now shaped itself into one that is using technology to tackle an entire ecosystem. “We’re actively scaling up to provide 100% coverage for all Rwandan health posts,” Kayitana says.



“[This ensures] that every community, no matter how remote, has access to essential medical supplies. Our focus in Rwanda will continue to grow, with plans to expand our range of delivered products, potentially incorporating new health solutions like malaria treatments.” As Uruvugundi takes the packaged semen from the ‘Ready to Fly’ post, places the box into the drone and locks it in, we ask how long it



would take for the package to reach the farmer. The flight engineer starts the process, calling in the launch to the control room, signaling it to begin. As the drone zooms past Uruvugundi, he smiles and says with surety: “It will not be more than an hour, maybe two.”

Prosper Uruvugundi, Partnership Manager at Zipline (Photo byChanel Retief)

Where Healthcare And Agritech Take Flight In Rwanda

Famously known as the land of a thousand hills, THE EAST AFRICAN COUNTRY OF RWANDA is buzzing with new energy. Over the last three decades, the country has made significant strides in multiple sectors, from agriculture to automation to infotech. On these pages, we offer a glimpse of the ideas and innovations powering a country on its path to becoming a middle-income economy.



It’s almost 8AM and the sun smiles be- nevolently over the verdant hills and valleys of Kigali. Acres of palm trees as far as the eyes can see line either side of a long and winding road ahead. The splendorous cityscapes slowly awaken to the busi- ness of life on a hot, humid morning in October, with not a hint of rain. But no matter what the elements ordain, the predictable hum of the mid-morning traffic and rush hour depicts a city readying to face the hustle and bustle of yet another day in the hilly country.



The tiny, landlocked East African nation of about 14 million people with its clean, secure and safe streets – it’s one of the safest countries in the world – has the highest population density in Africa, as per the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 



But Rwanda has come a long way from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi that claimed almost a million lives, and is marching towards sustain- able prosperity, aspiring to become a middle-income country by 2035. As President Paul Kagame, who has been widely credited for Rwanda’s recovery, alluded to during the 30-year commemoration of the genocide in April this year, it has been a long and tough journey, but the country has made “tremendous progress” working together. According to the World Bank, in 2023, Rwanda’s economy showcased resilience and adaptability, achieving a robust growth rate of 7.6% in the face of global monetary stringency, challenging financial conditions, and downturns in international trade.



The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently reported that despite challenging external conditions and ongoing fiscal consolida- tion, Rwanda’s economy maintains robust growth. “Rwanda’s growth momentum remained strong, notwithstanding the challenging ex- ternal environment,” the IMF’s Ruben Atoyan said in a statement in October 2024. “Real GDP is projected to grow by 8.3% in 2024, driven by strong performance of the services, and construction sectors, and recovery in food crop production.” FORBES AFRICA was on the ground in Rwanda to capture the re- covery, resilience and resolve of a country working hard for a better future in Africa.

Rwandans Mark 30th Anniversary Of Genocide

SPECIAL REPORT: The Land Of Hills, Heart And Hustle

On April 7, world leaders, including several Heads of State such as South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and former United States President Bill Clinton, joined Rwanda for the 30th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi. Known as Kwibuka30 and held under the theme Remember-Unite-Renew, it honored the memory of the victims of the genocide and reflected on the country’s three-decade journey of national unity, reconciliation, economic growth and development.



This date in 1994 had seen the merciless massacre of over a million Tutsis. In just 100 days, men, women, children and even the elderly, were indiscriminately killed. Their only crime was their ethnicity.



In the ceremony held at the Kigali Genocide Memorial – the final resting place for over 250,000 victims – Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeanette Kagame lit the Flame of Remembrance that will burn for the next 100 days. At the BK Arena, a somber ceremony marked the opening of a week of remembrance. In the middle of the arena was a stunning, well-lit tree-like decorative piece that the organizers described as: “The tree’s branches and foliage represent the protection that targeted families could not find, during the genocide, and that Rwandans today can count on. The upright trunk echoes the aspirations of the young generation, reinforced by the internal light and flowing sap of life within. The roots illustrate the memory of the past that we must preserve, our shared Rwandan culture on which we are all anchored, and from which we draw inspiration and strength, to reach for the sky, as we build a brighter future.”



Young Rwandan artists retold the country’s story through moving contemporary song and dance performances, demonstrating how Rwanda has risen from the ashes over the years and is rebuilding, brick by brick.



Many in the arena could not hold back tears as Marie Louise Ayinkamiye, a survivor, shared her testimony. She was only 11 years old when the genocide happened. Her father and four siblings were brutally killed. Ayinkamiye said that though the impact of the genocide continued long after the killings stopped, survivors had to tap into their inner strength and forge ahead with courage and determination. “We survivors are strong. We will build the country together,” she said.



In a heartfelt message to the nation, President Kagame began by condoling with the genocide survivors and thanking them for agreeing to bear the burden of reconciliation.



“Today, our hearts are filled with grief and gratitude in equal measure. We remember our dead, and are also grateful for what Rwanda has become. To the survivors among us, we are in your debt. We asked you to do the impossible by carrying the burden of reconciliation on your shoulders. And you continue to do the impossible for our nation, every single day, and we thank you.”



On the way forward and the country’s future, the President said that the youth are Rwanda’s source of hope and confidence. “Only a new generation of young people has the ability to renew and redeem a nation after a genocide. Our job was to provide the space and the tools for them to break the cycle. And they have. Nearly three-quarters of Rwandans today are under age 35. They either have no memory of the genocide, or were not yet born. Our youth are the guardians of our future and the foundation of our unity, with a mindset that is totally different from the generation before.”



To conclude his remarks, the President made a strong statement: “Our people will never — and I mean never — be left for dead again.”



The international community has been accused of failing Rwanda in her hour of need. Clinton called the genocide the biggest failure of his administration. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, paid his tribute: “The genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 30 years ago is a stain on our collective consciousness and a brutal reminder of the legacy of colonialism and the consequences of hate speech.”



As part of the commemoration, four genocide memorial sites in Rwanda were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in a historic decision that was well-received in Rwanda. At the same time, iconic monuments in various cities around the world, were lit in colors of the Rwandan flag, as part of a joint Rwanda-UNESCO initiative in collective memory of the genocide against the Tutsi.

Kwibuka30 at the BK Arena; image supplied

Remembering The Pain And Lessons Learned: Rwanda Honors Historic Anniversary Of The Genocide Against The Tutsi

Rwanda’s capital played host to the first-ever UK-Rwanda Business Forum recently, showcasing the East African nation’s development andpositioning as a potential investment destination in the region.



Rwanda’s narrative has changed and the country is now proving to be a major hub for business in Africa. This, and more, formed part of the discussions at the maiden UK-Rwanda Business Forum, which took place January 29 to 31 in the country’s capital city.



“Over 1,200 people from 60 nationalities attended the conference; 130 UK companies were down in Kigali scouting for opportunities in this small-sized country with a fast-growing economy. The UK is quite keen to tap [into] financial services, mining as well as agriculture,” the UK’s Trade Envoy to Rwanda, Lord Dolar Popat says to FORBES AFRICA.



“Out of this forum, we have now built a bridge with Kigali and London. Rwanda now exports 10 tons of agricultural produce and we have increased direct flights on the back of Rwanda upping [its] cargo capacity. All this will open up the country to more trade investment eventually balancing off the trade numbers.”



Out of a multitude of UK businesses present at the forum, one of the major announcements came from data-driven super platform, Bboxx.



“We reinforce our dedication to the continent with a strategic move of our headquarters from London to Kigali. We are an Africa-first company,” said the company’s co-founder and CEO, Mansoor Hamayun.



Bboxx is reportedly planning to train an additional 1,000 or so Rwandans over the next five years and invest $100 million in the country. The announcement coincides with its ambitious plans for the year, with the company’s impact set to expand tenfold. It aims to reach 36 million people by 2028, thanks to a $100 million initiative&nbsp;with Kuwaiti investment company, EnerTech, announced in December 2023.



Rwanda is forging forward and becoming an attractive and emerging powerhouse, with UK High Commissioner to Rwanda, Omar Daair noting, “As the first ever forum, we see an opportunity to increase our trade with Rwanda. The level of interest in Rwanda is potent.”



Currently, trade between Rwanda and the UK sits at around $56 million. The East African nation’s economy is heavily reliant on agriculture with the country being the second largest exporter of tea to the UK, after Pakistan.



“We see a real drive in tech and innovation in Africa. We want to see that increase here in Rwanda. Africa is increasingly important. The middle class is growing. No country can think about its future economy without thinking about Africa,” adds Daair.



With increased investment in infrastructure, and widespread stability in the region, Rwanda’s government is upbeat about unlocking new frontiers in the mining space.



The country and UK mining giant, Rio Tinto Minerals Development Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in relation to the exploration and mining of lithium in the Western Province of Rwanda.



“We are happy that this is taking place here in Kigali. Several Rwandan businesses are also interested in venturing forth into the UK,” notes Rwanda Development Board CEO, Francis Gatare.&nbsp;



“This was a moment to plant seeds and to water the seeds that are already growing. I am encouraged by the number of Rwandan businesses that have signed MoU’s with British companies.”

RWANDA UK DORUM PIC 2

Building Business Between Kigali And London

Attendees at the just-concluded Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali exchanged ideas and experiences through thought-provoking discussions that set the stage for the unveiling of new and transformative policy frameworks supporting women’s rights and issues.



In the heart of Kigali, Rwanda, the BK Arena and Kigali Convention Centre buzzed with excitement as women from all corners of the world gathered for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023), from July 17-20, held for the first time in Africa.



Held under the theme, Spaces, Solidarity, and Solutions, the sixth Women Deliver Conference aimed to ignite collective action, empower the feminist movement, and foster a world where gender equality and women&#8217;s rights thrive.



A wide range of topics, including abortion access, LGBTIQQ rights, gender-based violence and impact of the climate crisis on women and girls, were discussed, along with focus on fostering youth engagement and elevating the perspectives of young women in the global gender equality movement.



The event saw an impressive turnout with thousands in attendance. Notable speakers included renowned personalities such as activist Malala Yousafzai. Also in attendance were four heads of state including Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame – with his wife and first lady Jeannette Kagame – Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde, Senegal’s President Macky Sall, and the President of Hungary, Katalin Novák.



One of the most significant announcements came from the collaboration between Women Deliver and Open Society Foundations, a grant-making network founded and chaired by Hungarian-American business behemoth and philanthropist George Soros.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/53061404639_04db8de2ad_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-58967" width="582" height="388" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/53061404639_04db8de2ad_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/53061404639_04db8de2ad_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/53061404639_04db8de2ad_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/53061404639_04db8de2ad_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/53061404639_04db8de2ad_k.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo credit: Women Deliver</figcaption></figure></div>


Together, they unveiled a new funding facility to address, among other things, neglected areas of female sexual health and reproductive rights. The room erupted in applause as the audience recognized the potential of this facility in empowering marginalized women and girls who have long been denied access to basic healthcare.



As the conference progressed, it became evident that the commitment to drive change extended beyond the arena’s walls. More than 40 organizations came together to launch a powerful campaign addressing the gender nutrition gap. Their collective call urged governments to take transformative action, shining a spotlight on the stark inequalities that persist globally in women&#8217;s and girls&#8217; nutrition.



Another momentous step forward was the unveiling of the RESPECT Women website. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), this policy framework and online platform has been designed to combat and respond to violence against women and girls. The website&#8217;s potential to create a safer environment and promote gender equality and women&#8217;s empowerment was met with resounding support and recognition.



Perhaps the most moving moment at the conference was when UNFPA introduced Kigali Call to Action: United for Women and Girls&#8217; Bodily Autonomy. This powerful call placed bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and gender equality at the core of the agenda. With a clear focus on women-led organizations and the feminist movement, the call aimed to drive coordinated and collective action towards gender equality by 2030.



The conference&#8217;s commitment to empowering future generations was expressed with the launch of the Women Deliver Emerging Leaders Program to provide young people with trust-based funding, knowledge, resources, and leadership opportunities in the pursuit of gender equality and reproductive



health advocacy. As the torch was passed on to the next generation, the attendees celebrated the potential of these emerging leaders to create a lasting impact on the global stage.



Throughout the conference, attendees engaged in thought-provoking discussions, exchanging ideas and experiences, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for progress. Challenges were acknowledged, and the urgency to address them collectively was clear.



The importance of funding for gender equality advocacies resonated strongly among the attendees. Julia Fan, Senior Manager for Youth Engagement at Women Deliver, emphasized that funding remains a critical aspect in driving forward the agenda for gender equality and women&#8217;s empowerment.



Alongside the vibrant discussions and inspiring stories of progress, Soraya Hakuziyaremye, the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, too offered valuable insights. She acknowledged the strides Rwanda has made in promoting women to leadership positions, highlighting that this progress did not happen overnight but has been the result of extraordinary leadership that recognized gender equity as a vital indicator of the nation&#8217;s progress, almost three decades ago.



While there were successes to celebrate, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Board Chair of Women Deliver, also addressed a pressing concern shared by many attendees.



She remarked: &#8220;What concerns most women today here is that progress in gender equality has been slow and uneven, and a major space where all countries have failed is violence against women. It is sad to sit and talk about this here again; I was talking about this 10 years ago.&#8221;



While gender issues still persist, efforts to combat them also have a history, starting with the Beijing Declaration in 1995 that opened the door for women’s issues to find mainstream recognition globally, leading to the Platform for Action adopted unanimously by 189 countries. In the words of Mlambo-Ngcuka, “it was a defining moment when women’s rights received the status of human rights”.



The development and acceptance of the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights in 2005 has also come a long way. The protocol has one of the highest number of ratifications for an instrument in the African Union (AU) and has objectively established a uniform basis for protecting the rights of women and girls in Africa. Forty nine of the 55 AU member states have signed the Maputo Protocol thus far.



Reflecting on the week&#8217;s transformative experience. Rania Dagesh, the Deputy Regional Director for eastern and southern Africa at UNICEF, expressed her sentiments: &#8220;The past week at Women Deliver has been phenomenal; there have been moments of reflection, profound exchanges, and valuable learning. I am truly grateful for participating.&#8221;



As the final moments of the conference unfolded, the atmosphere was one of hope, determination, and camaraderie.

53061708458_920fffafe7_k

From Rwanda To Beyond: New Collaborations And Collective Action At Women’s Conclave

The recently-launched NBA Africa is seeking to elevate basketball on the continent, and the Basketball Africa League held in Rwanda was a historic game-changer.



BY ARNOLD KWIZERA



The hosting of a global or continental sports tournament in the midst of a pandemic is no mean feat, and making it successful an even greater achievement. 



The inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL), Africa’s premier men’s basketball league, at the newly-built Kigali Arena in Rwanda in the second half of May saw Egyptian giants Zamalek crowned champions of the first-ever National Basketball Association (NBA)-backed league outside of North America. 



But it was not only the triumph of the North African side that was a highlight at the tournament. The event brought together leading global names to the East African hill city of Kigali. For a football-crazed continent, this marked a new beginning for basketball in Africa.



The star-spangled event featured some big names. In attendance was French President Emmanuel Macron, the former CEO of Credit Suisse Tidjane Thiam, American businessman and co-owner of NBA franchise Milwaukee Bucks, Wes Edens, basketball royalty such as Dikembe Mutombo and Joakim Noah, and ardent basketball fan and tournament host, Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame.



The continent’s music stars were in attendance too – from Nigeria, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – descending on Kigali’s green streets for the historic event.



The two-week tournament kicked off with attention brought to it by the participation of Grammy-award-winning American rapper J.Cole’s set for Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club.



The inaugural BAL season featured 12 club teams from 12 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia.



BAL was supposed to be held in 2020 in Senegal capital Dakar but the pandemic pushed it out. That didn’t deter the organizers from holding it a year later, moving the showpiece to Rwanda. Taking lessons from the NBA bubble created to host the 2020 playoffs, BAL was held as a live event ensuring the safety of all players and staff. Spectators had to present a negative Covid-19 test and attendance was limited with social distance measures observed.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-beginnings">THE BEGINNINGS</h3>



In February 2019, the NBA and International Basketball Federation announced they would jointly set up a continental clubs basketball tournament. The announcement made by NBA commissioner Adam Silver during the All-Star Weekend dwelt on a champions league format competition whose long-term aim would be to tap into not only a growing basketball market but also create opportunities for talent from Africa to play at an elite level.



Think Joel Embiid from Cameroon, who finished second in this year’s Most Valuable Player voting in the NBA, or Pascal Siakam, an All-Star player who had an integral part in the Toronto Raptors winning the 2019 NBA championship.



Experts say Africa has the talent but for a long time has lacked a formal structure to propel that very talent.



“When you think of the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, we have never lacked in talent but we need infrastructure to help us tap into this talent and create opportunities for young Africans,” says Masai Ujiri, President of the Toronto Raptors.



Masai, of Nigerian and Kenyan origin, has been influential in bringing NBA programs to the African continent.



But one man key to the tournament was Amadou Gall Fall, the soft-spoken Senegalese at the helm of BAL, who brought global brands and businesses to the event for multi-year partnerships of the league that is now being valued at more than $1 billion.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">THE OPPORTUNITIES</h3>



Edens, known for his investment in sports, said the potential of BAL is enormous with now being the right time: “There is no doubt the talent is there, the market is there but what largely lacked is the infrastructure. This is not only an opportunity for sportsmen but for economies on the African continent to tap into a whole new ecosystem.” According to BAL chief Fall,the opportunities are beyond the basketball played on court.



“We have to look at the potential for growth of the creative industry, the coaches, agents, it’s a whole network that we as Africans can tap into,” he said.



For this to happen, leadership on the continent will need to chip in. On meeting with BAL and NBA officials in 2018, Kagame had asked what it would take for his country to be a part of the development of the sport. He was told the country would need a world-class facility for the tournament. The 10,000-seater Kigali Arena was hence built from the ground up.



“It is such visionary, people-centric leadership that we need on the continent for our growth,” said Ujiri.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT NEXT?</h3>



At the awards ceremony, Fall announced that Kigali would host the next two editions of the tournament with a stronger focus on empowering national leagues. “We need to strengthen the enthecompetitiveness of the national leagues as this will have a long- term impact on the quality of the tournament,” he said.



As the organizers of the tournament, NBA Africa pledged its support to national leagues with various partners also doing so.



“We have to create more funding avenues and have an all-rounded ecosystem; when you look at the NBA, it employs more people than the number of athletes,” said Mutombo, one of the investors in NBA Africa.



As Zamalek’s captain Mostafa Kejo lifted the Baobab tree-inspired trophy, it not only brought the curtain down on a world-class tournament but heralded the beginning of a new dawn for the sport on the African continent.

2021 NBA Finals – Game Two

How Africa is Aiming High to Elevate Basketball on The Continent

With reset bilateral relations, the hill country of Rwanda is attracting fresh interest from French business. 



In May, French President Emmanuel Macron’s two-day trip to Rwanda was hailed as historic in helping reset relations between the two countries.



During the visit, Macron acknowledged France’s role in the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994 that left over a million dead. “France has a role, a history and a political responsibility in Rwanda,” he said in a landmark speech delivered at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in the capital, Kigali.



But Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame insisted the visit was about “the future, not the past”. “France and Rwanda are going to relate better to the benefit of our people, politically, economically and culturally,” he said.



Testament to that is a rising French business interest in Rwanda. In the new suburb of Rebero, for example, the Vivendi Group has established a cinema hall, a games center and has plans for a Universal Music Studio. Its internet and media businesses, Canal Box and Canal Plus, is a household name in Rwanda. The group’s business, Bolloré, specializes in warehouse, logistics and customs clearance services.



Roger Nkubito, Bolloré’s General Manager in Rwanda and Burundi, reveals the company has been investing further in the country.



“Obviously, every investor wants to associate with a country that is politically stable. Without good politics, it’s always hard for investors to make quick investment decisions,” he says.



Nkubito admits that the revitalized bilateral ties have inspired the business community from France to do business in Rwanda.



“French companies at this moment are asking whether there is a possibility to have a double tax avoidance agreement signed between the two countries. That wouldn’t have happened without the two countries making efforts to talk to each other,” he asserts.



Nkubito says Bollore Logistics has now set aside $15 million to expand its reach in Rwanda.



“We are investing in the Kigali Economic Free Zone. We have completed the first phase of the project – a big modern warehouse with 10,000 square meters, which has cost us $7 million. The second phase will begin at the end of this year,” he explains.



A few kilometers away, another French firm, Duval Group, has committed millions to set up one of the largest shopping malls in the country.



Duval Group, a family-owned business which already has operations in Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is one of the latest French players in the Rwandan market.



The company is partnering with local businessman Vicky Murabukirwa for various planned investments.



“We are investing in Rwanda because the political landscape is conducive, the IT infrastructure is advanced, and there’s security. These are some of the key things that have attracted French investors here,” Murabukirwa says. On the cards for the group is a property complex



that will comprise duty-free shops, a four-star hotel, a hypermarket, a food court and other entertainment facilities.



Rwanda is positioning itself as an international financial center and has been working over the years to market itself as a hub for meetings, conferences and events.



According to reports, last year alone, French businesses invested $6.8 million in Rwanda.



“We have a long-term strategic vision towards Rwanda. Beyond Inzovu Mall (the real estate project), we are exploring opportunities in microfinance and insurance sectors,” Eric Duval, the Group’s Founder and Chairman, tells FORBES AFRICA.



BY JULIUS BIZIMUNGU

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-SUDAN-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-SUMMIT

Newer Heights: ‘Every investor wants to associate with a country that is politically stable’

The East African nation has raised the money to strengthen economic recovery



The Government of Rwanda has raised $620 million through the issuance of the latest 10-year Eurobond bond issuance, the second Eurobond after 2013 when the government last went to the market.



The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning announced on August 2 that Rwanda’s second international bond was oversubscribed nearly three times as it attracted some $1.6 billion in orders.



The sale, handled by Deutsche Bank and Citigroup, priced the new debt at a 5.5% yield.



“We are pleased with the positive response from investors in this 2021 Eurobond issuance,” John Rwangombwa, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, said in a statement.



“The lower yield of this issue will result in a reduction in our annual interest payments over the next 10 years, strongly contributing to our debt sustainability strategy,” the Governor noted.



Just over half of the proceeds go to refinance the majority of the country’s other outstanding mortgage, which raised $400 million in 2013 and would expire in 2023.



The rest, the Finance Ministry said, will be spent on “key priority projects” to strengthen Rwanda’s economic recovery. With a slightly higher issue, it puts Rwanda in the main emerging market bond index which means that investors will be looking for such issue.



“This was a very attractive time for Rwanda to come to the market. This is indicative of the much lower coupon that Rwanda sold its bond at – more than 1 percent lower than what they borrowed in 2013,” Kevin Daly, a fund manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments, told CNBC Africa.



Global ratings agency Fitch gave the latest bond a B-plus rating last week and downgraded Rwanda’s outlook to negative. The ratings agency said a failure to stabilize the debt at the current level of about 70% of gross domestic product could lead to a downgrade in the future.



However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sees Rwanda as a low-risk debt country in contrast to Kenya and Ghana – countries that have been to the Eurobond market recently.



“The success of the new issue is a validation that investors at this stage are not overly concerned about the medium-term outlook for Rwanda,” Daly weighed in.



Rwanda is the latest among African countries that have issued international bonds since the start of this year, including Kenya that raised $1 billion by issuing a 12-year Eurobond at 6.3% on June 17.



Countries like Benin, Cameroon, and Senegal have been to the market this year, and on average, African bond issuances have been oversubscribed three times, reflecting increased investor appetite. 



By Julius Bizimungu

RWANDA-ECONOMY-URBAN-PLANNING-POVERTY

Rwanda’s $620mn In Second Eurobond And Increased Investor Appetite

How do you forgive a man who has killed all your loved ones? Rwanda’s reconciliation efforts have seen survivors and perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the tutsi living next to each other, healing and transforming. FORBES AFRICA travels to Bugesera to capture one such moving tale.



BY TESI KAVEN Photos by Ridhima Shukla



IT’S ONE THING TO FORGIVE a person who has committed a crime against you, and quite another to reconcile, live next to and even cultivate a strong friendship with the person, especially when he has horrifically claimed the lives of your entire family. 



This scenario is not strange in Rwanda, a country once torn apart by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, when more than a million people lost their lives. This year, in April, Rwanda marked the 27th anniversary of the genocide, and reconciliation, though unfathomable at one point, has become a concept the country has become known for. On the outskirts of the capital city of Kigali, approximately a two-hour drive away, is a village with a rich history, one that’s not easily given away by the serene and beautiful surrounds. 



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:41% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Maria-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51460 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Maria-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Maria-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Maria-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Maria-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Maria-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Someone we thought was a friend offered to help us, but instead, he delivered my husband and children to the killers. – Maria Izagiriza</blockquote>




</div></div>



In what almost looks like a gated community, 110 houses stand at the Rweru Reconciliation Village in Bugesera District. To foster the concept of reconciliation, perpetrators and survivors of the genocide live next to each other. In this village, we meet Maria Izagiriza and Philbert Ntezirizaza. 



Targeted attacks against the Tutsi community had begun long before the 1994 genocide, resulting in mass killings and forced relocations. Among the many affected, was 63-year-old Izagiriza, who lost some of her siblings in killings in 1973 and later, her first husband. 



Widowed at a young age, she later remarried and moved from her birthplace to Bugesera district, where she gave birth to four children. News of the death of the then Rwandan president, Juvénal Habyarimana, was delivered to Izagiriza by a neighbor on that fateful morning of April 7, 1994. She remembers it all as if it was yesterday. 



“My neighbor informed me that the president had died the night before and went on to say that my people were responsible for his death,” Izagiriza tells FORBES AFRICA. “My neighbor said my people and I would pay dearly for what we had done.” 



Indeed, nothing could have prepared Izagiriza, her family and millions of other Rwandans for the atrocities that took place over the next 100 days, following the death of Habyarimana. The militia descended on Izagiriza’s home that morning, killing all her livestock, burning down her house and beating her husband to a pulp, leaving him for dead. The children were miraculously spared. 



She managed to escape through a hole she had created in the mud wall of her kitchen. When night fell, she returned to her compound to get her husband and children. 



“Though breathing, my husband was so badly wounded and bleeding from all parts of his body,” she says, pausing to wipe the tears streaming down her tired face. 



”The children were scared stiff but unharmed.” With the help of her children, Izagiriza somehow managed to drag her injured husband to a hiding place where she felt they would all be safe. This would, however, be the last time she would see her husband and children alive. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4004-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51450" width="393" height="295" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4004-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4004-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4004-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4004-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4004-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 393px) 100vw, 393px" /></figure></div>



“Someone we thought was a friend offered to help us, but instead, he delivered my husband and children to the killers. Again, I managed to escape, but this time, with my four-month-old baby strapped to my back. That was the last time I saw my family alive.” 



Izagiriza’s family was led to a barricade where a group of young, blood-thirsty men were killing people. Among them that day was Ntezirizaza. He was only 18 years old at the time. Hatred for the Tutsi people, he says, was planted in him when he was still very young. 



“In 1994, I was a teenager, my body full of youthful vigor and my mind filled with a terrible ideology, fed to me since I was in elementary school,” Ntezirizaza tells FORBES AFRICA. “Our mindset at that time was more lethal than the machetes we carried.” 



Asked what happened to Izagiriza’s family, Ntezirizaza pauses, then, with a low voice and distant gaze, says: “We hacked her husband and eldest son to death and threw the remaining two children in a deep pit, alive. We knew they wouldn’t survive.” 



A while after the genocide, Ntezirizaza was sentenced to 12 years in prison, after confessing to his crimes. It was while in prison that he met with members of Prison Fellowship Rwanda (PFR), an NGO that sought to unite and reconcile Rwandans. 



“PFR helped us see how deadly the beliefs and ideologies we harbored were and the importance of seeking forgiveness from those we hurt,” he says. 



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:42% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4011-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51455 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4011-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4011-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4011-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4011-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_4011-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">We have built nine reconciliation villages across the country, and they stand not only as a monument of Rwanda’s history but also as an example to future generations that unity and reconciliation can be achieved. – David Nsoro, the communication officer at Prison Fellowship Rwanda</blockquote>




</div></div>



In 2003, six years into his sentence, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame pardoned prisoners who had admitted to their crimes. Though free, guilt kept gnawing on Ntezirizaza’s conscience. 



“I felt like I had been released from one prison and walked straight into another. I had no peace, no rest.” Izagiriza, who had managed to escape to Burundi with her infant daughter, was now back in Rwanda, trying to pick up the pieces of what was left of her life. 



News had reached her while in Burundi that her family was no more, and she battled depression and suicidal thoughts. Just like Ntezirizaza, she met members of PFR, who at the time were building the Rweru Reconciliation Village, to help settle survivors whose property was destroyed and perpetrators who were coming out of prison but with nowhere to call home. Volunteers and pastors from the NGO counseled Izagiriza, helping her to come to terms with what had happened. 



“The PFR team helped me realize that forgiving and letting go was for my benefit. Mentally, they prepared me to meet and forgive Philbert,” she says. “But I must admit, it wasn’t easy.” 



As a sign of remorse for his actions, Ntezirizaza would work on Izagiriza’s farm under the cover of darkness. “I would prepare the farm for planting on one night, then plant the seeds the following night and water them the night after. I wanted to do what the children or husband I killed would have done had they been alive,” he says. 



Eventually, the two had a sit-down session and he narrated all that befell her family and asked to be forgiven. At present, the two are genuine friends. Izagiriza asked Ntezirizaza to be her daughter’s godfather at her baptism. When her daughter got married and walked down the aisle, he was there to witness it all.



The story of Izagiriza and Ntezirizaza may just be one story but it mirrors the experiences of many in the tiny East African hill country. 



It is echoed by countless other survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi who have chosen the path of unity and reconciliation, however difficult it has been. 



David Nsoro, the communication officer at PFR, says that seeing the survivors and perpetrators living together in harmony at the reconciliation villages is a huge milestone. 



“We have built nine reconciliation villages across the country, and they stand not only as a monument of Rwanda’s history but also as an example to future generations that unity and reconciliation can be achieved,” Nsoro tells FORBES AFRICA. In his address to the nation on the 27th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi, Kagame emphasized on the transformation that had taken place not just in the country, but more in the hearts and minds of Rwandans. 



Said Kagame: “The immensity of what has been achieved is almost miraculous. The results are attested to by Rwandans, and indeed indisputable. But the intangible transformation which has taken place in the hearts and minds of our people is even more important.”

IMG_3989

A Story Of Reconciliation, Healing And Hope

Rwanda is renowned for its green and immaculate public spaces. And 35-year-old Viateur Ndahayo is a flower farmer playing his part, beautifying the city of Kigali with his ornamental flora.



At Gacuriro, a leafy neighborhood in Kigali, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, Ndahayo shows us around his RWF250 million ($255,000) nursery. He has come a long way to be in this prized spot.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49738" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ndahayo-giving-directions-to-his-workers-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Ndahayo giving direction to his workers</figcaption></figure>



After primary school, he could not pursue his secondary education due to limited means. As a firstborn, he had to help his widowed mother bring up his siblings.&nbsp;



“I was competent and excelled in my studies but my mother’s land was too small to finance our education,” he recalls.



With a heavy heart, Ndahayo made the decision to drop out of school and concentrate on growing flowers. Little did he know he was sowing the seeds for a successful future.&nbsp;



“I grew flowers as an experiment because it was not a common activity here. Only one Belgian company used to do it,” he says. Ndahayo explains that when the Belgians flew back home from Rwanda, the people who took over their business weren’t doing it properly.



“I had never seen colored plants before as I was used to green ones. They caught my attention and made me very inquisitive.



“I didn’t envisage a profitable business growing flowers, I was just driven by passion.”



He had no formal training but started selling in 2000. “I realized I can make a living from this and even employ others if I put in more effort.”



But he needed land, seeds and equipment.



“I knew the project would succeed but had no money to finance it. So I approached a friend of mine who had three goats. I pitched my project to him and convinced him to sell them.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49734" width="331" height="248" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-worker-packing-flowers-into-a-wheelbarrow-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 331px) 100vw, 331px" /><figcaption>A worker packing flowers into a wheelbarrow,</figcaption></figure></div>



“They paid us RWF21,000 ($21) but my friend changed his mind after a while because he saw no immediate profit,” recounts Ndahayo. He returned the capital three months later. “What pleases me is that afterwards, he realized I had not lied. I taught him the business and he’s doing well.”



Ndahayo lived on the outskirts in Nduba and had to travel to Kigali to sell his products. “I had to package up to 10 flower vases in a carton and carry them on my head because I had no transport. I would receive RWF1,000 ($1) to RWF3,000 ($3) for each.”



Slowly, he established connections and made a name for himself. It required courage and patience.



“At times, I felt hesitant about what I was doing and my colleagues thought I was crazy. But the passion I had kept me going,” he says. He conducted his own research and consulted others, thereby developing expertise in the trade over time.



“I made mistakes but drew lessons from them. It cost me a lot but benefitted me in the end.”



In 2008, he set up his nursery. It was the year he started reaping the fruits of his labor. &nbsp;



Today, he boasts nurseries with up to 270 types of flowers and plants such as Hemerocallis, Agapanthus blue, Roystonea palm and Ixora red, to name a few. He’s become a go-to flower grower in Kigali.



“If you can’t find a given flower here, don’t expect to find it anywhere else,” one of Ndahayo’s customers tells FORBES AFRICA.&nbsp;



Ndahayo claims to have mentored most of Kigali’s flower farmers.



While his profits vary depending on seasons and other aspects, he says he makes a minimum of $1,000 a month. If he wins a bid to supply flowers, that could go up a staggering 50 times.



He says the fact that Rwanda is a country that cares about cleanliness and the environment has been an enabling factor for his business. Nonetheless, he believes more support could be provided to those in flower farming.



“For example, you can’t go to a bank and secure a loan for this business. They’ll tell you we don’t trust it. But I’m telling you, it’s profitable although it’s a long-term investment,” he asserts.



Married with two children, Ndahayo lives in his own house. “I’m glad that I’m one of the people in this country who can add a brick on another,” he laughs.



Ndahayo employs more than 10 people on a permanent basis. He is hoping to expand his business by venturing into green house agriculture and has now formed a company called Green Smart Farm.



And his advice for young aspiring entrepreneurs?



He mentions the Kinyarwanda proverb ntiwakama inka utaragiye, which loosely translates to “you can’t milk a cow you’ve not fed”. He explains that genuine success takes ambition, hard work and patience.



“Life is a battle and you must commit to win.”



By Steven Muvunyi

IMG_6340

Rwandan Entrepreneur Who Is Reaping The Rewards With Booming Flower Business

A new report released by Oxford Insights shows that even though there is a digital divide as well as data poverty in Africa, five countries on the continent are taking leaps into leveraging technologies to accelerate economic growth with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).&nbsp;



In the 2020 Government AI Readiness Index Mauritius took the 45th position globally out of 172 countries across the world, making it the highest-ranked African country on the index. According to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MEWNMV6MQI&amp;feature=youtu.be">Oxford Insights</a>, Mauritius has always been forward-looking in terms of AI as it is is the only country on the continent to have published an AI strategy.&nbsp;



“Mauritius approach to AI is fantastic… They have a clear strategy as to what they want to achieve. They are also bringing the private sector and academia with them. They have a council with all of these sectors on them. They are investing in the skills and they are thinking about how that can be transferred back into the industry. That’s amazing and that’s the perfect playbook,” Richard Stirling, Oxford Insights CEO says. &nbsp;



The methodology of this index looks at a countries’ government’s willingness to adopt AI and if the country has a good supply of AI expertise and tools from the technology sector. In addition to that part, these tools need to be built and trained on high-quality and representative data with the appropriate infrastructure to be delivered to and used by citizens. 



Mauritius is also ranked 13 out of 34 countries on this year’s Responsible Use Sub-Index. This index, also by Oxford Insights, tracks the ethical use of AI in countries across the globe. The debate around responsible AI was put into focus this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, issues around privacy as well as ongoing global inequality. The index was measured using inclusivity, accountability, transparency, and privacy as some of its main indicators.&nbsp;



“Just because you are good at building AI, it does not mean you are using it ethically and responsibly,” Stirling says.&nbsp;



Among Mauritius, South Africa was also placed 59th globally on Government AI Readiness Index, Seychelles 68th, Kenya 71st, and Rwanda taking the 87th position. And although these countries are lower, Stirling elaborates on how these countries have focused on skills development which will harness the potential for AI not only in public services but in other sectors. Nations from the US, the UK to Russia, China, and Israel hold the top positions on the index, however, there are no countries in Africa in the top 20.&nbsp;



“We are lagging in technological development so we are playing catch up most of the time and essentially we are in catch up mode,” Araba Sey, Sub-Saharan Africa AI expert, commented on the Oxford Insights website.&nbsp;



Jean Lebel, President, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), added in a statement that though Ai has the potential to transform governance and public services throughout the world, there is a danger that regions, like in Africa, will be left behind. Lebel further adds that the index should encourage new collaborations and investments that could potentially assist with the barriers to government&#8217;s AI readiness and responsibilities. 



“We believe that this, in part, will help those currently lagging behind in our index to improve their AI readiness so that existing economic and technology inequality doesn&#8217;t become further entrenched and leave billions of citizens with worse quality public services,” Lebel said.

Tag: Rwanda

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