Three vie for Rwf4m entrepreneurship award

Three youth have been shortlisted to compete for the Rwf4m REAL Fina Bank Entrepreneurship Award 2013.

Thursday, November 21, 2013
Andreas presents the finalists to the audience. Courtesy photo

Three youth have been shortlisted to compete for the Rwf4m REAL Fina Bank Entrepreneurship Award 2013. They are Diane Dusaidi, the co-founder of Legacy 45, a media firm; Matthew Rugamba, the founder of House of Tayo, a fashion company; and Herve Tuyishime of Panier Meat Processing. The three beat other seven young entrepreneurs to make it to the final stage of the competition during a screening event at Heaven Restaurant in Kiyovu, Kigali on Wednesday. The contenders impressed the judged on business concept, scalability, entrepreneurial DNA and bigger impact, said Andreas Noerlem, the Educat boss, the organisers of the competition.The winner, to be announced during the closing ceremony of the Global Entrepreneurship Week at the Rwanda Revenue Authority gardens on Friday, will walk away with Rwf4m courtesy of Fina Bank and an air ticket from KLM Airline. They will also earn six months of free training under Educat’s the real business accelerator programme and mentorship at from Grow Movement. "I am excited to have made it to the finals. If I win the money, I will increase my production lines and employ more workers,” said Rugamba.While speaking at the event, Alex Ruzibukira, the director general in charge of industry and SME department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, thanked Educat for strengthening entrepreneurship in Rwanda and underscored the ministry’s support to the organisation. "We are with you all the way and will continue supporting the important work you do, especially for upcoming business people,” he said.