Alexis Ngabo Karegeya, the Founder of Ibere rya Bigogwe Ltd, is one of the 25 selected entrepreneurs participating in the 7th Edition of the BK Urumuri Initiative.

This initiative run by The BK Foundation in partnership with Inkomoko Entrepreneur Development, provides business management skills and interest-free loans to Rwandan-led businesses.

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"When I first started in 2021, my goal was simply to showcase the beauty of Bigogwe through my various social media platforms. But, three years later, there&039;s a whole community that benefits from this," he said, explaining that the business hires five permanent workers.

"Of course, there are those who work directly with us, those whom we employ, but there are also those whose products we purchase and then resale to our visitors, or simply those who prepare meals we give to our guests," he said, adding, "most significantly, locals now understand the value of their home."

Ngabo's venture gained popularity through his promotion of the brand 'Visit Bigogwe' on social media. The 28-year-old, born and raised in Bigogwe - a sector in The Nyabihu district, Western Province - has been successful in attracting both locals and foreigners to visit the green hilly region.

Visitors to Ibere rya Bigogwe have the opportunity to experience cultural tourism activities such as hiking, observing Bigogwe's cows, and enjoying freshly extracted milk from traditional cups.

Other activities include learning how to milk cows, understanding Kinyarwanda words related to cows, participating in traditional games, and dances, and enjoying traditional cuisine.

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The BK Urumuri Initiative, which began in 2017, aims to promote the Rwandan economy and support local entrepreneurs to grow and create jobs.

BK Urumuri is a yearly initiative run by BK Foundation in partnership with Inkomoko to support 25 Rwandan innovative entrepreneurs to gain access to six months of accelerator program from Inkomoko as well as a chance to win an interest-free loan offered by The Bank of Kigali for their business development.

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For the 7th edition, entrepreneurs were selected based on their projects addressing environmental and climate change issues.

Eligible businesses had to be based in Rwanda, have annual revenue under Rwf 500 million, be registered for at least one year, demonstrate financial profitability or a plan to achieve profitability in the next year and show a track record of environmental and social sustainability.

Selected entrepreneurs, including Ngabo, underwent a six-month mentorship program that covered training, assessment, consulting, and investment readiness.

The participants also have the opportunity to scale and expand their businesses, create employment opportunities, and receive an interest-free loan from the Bank of Kigali.

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A sum of RWF 25,000,000 has been set aside to provide this loan to the finalists after completion at the end of the six-month accelerator program.

Ngabo expressed his excitement about participating in the BK Urumuri Initiative in an interview with The NewTimes.

He emphasized the impact his business has had on the community, providing employment opportunities, benefiting local suppliers, and raising awareness of the value of the Bigogwe region.

He joined the initiative not only because he fulfilled their requirements but also because he recognized the financial support and business skills it could provide.

If Ngabo is selected as a winner, he plans to invest the loan in three projects.

These include developing a campsite and purchasing tents, as one of the challenges facing his business is the lack of a suitable venue to host visitors.

With the financing, Ngabo aims to improve the area and create a better experience for visitors.

Ngabo&039;s advice to young people is to take the first step and start their ventures, even if they do not have all the resources they need yet.

"The first difficult step is to begin, so if you have your idea, go ahead and start it now. Begin with what you have and what you can do right now," he concluded.