When Jacqueline Niyonzima moved to Rwanda in 2016 with her husband and five children—two of whom are adopted—all they had was Rwf45,000. As refugees from Burundi, the family was in dire straits, with only enough to rent a small three-room house in Kabuga, Kicukiro District.

As they settled, her husband found employment as a construction technician, using the money he earned to sustain the family. Niyonzima, 36, who was previously a primary school teacher in Burundi, had some entrepreneurial skills and dreamed of starting her own business.

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Determined to help support her family, she began selling charcoal from someone else’s stand in Kabuga market with just one bag.

"Life was tough initially, but I remained patient and hopeful for change. Starting with just a bag of charcoal, I gradually managed to afford my children’s school fees and provide for my family,” she recalled.

Boost from local cooperative

Opportunity knocked when Niyonzima joined a local cooperative "Abahuje Gako” in Kabuga market, where she participated in savings and credit activities. After some time, she secured a loan of Rwf100,000 from the cooperative and invested more in her charcoal business. The loan, she said, was repaid in three months.

"I had entrepreneurial skills, though I didn’t have enough funds, but with the loan, I worked hard and started renting my stand to sell charcoal,” she said, adding that it enabled her to pay for her children’s education in a private school.

Over time, her business flourished, allowing her to upgrade to a better house with essential amenities, and also invested Rwf200,000 in a plot of land in Kabuga.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic tossed Niyonzima back into hardship, the charcoal business was an essential one, and so she continued to earn money which helped them get by, though not as much.

Entry into hospitality sector

"My charcoal business was slowing down due to Covid-19, but I had already thought about changing and venturing into hospitality, like a restaurant and accommodation. I heard about Inkomoko giving loans to entrepreneurs, and I applied to attend the training for one year.”

The training was a challenging experience for her, but she had a vision and dream to achieve, which made it worthwhile.

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After the training, she was given Rwf1,500,000, which helped set her hospitality business dream into motion.

The money she got from the Inkomoko wasn’t quite enough, but she had savings from her charcoal business, and her husband invested some of the money he earned in the restaurant and accommodation business she was determined to start.

With the loan as an addition, Niyonzima quit the charcoal-selling business and invested in a restaurant, bar, and lodging establishment. She was also able to hire five staff members to manage the business.

"Owning a bar requires you to be smart, but there are still some challenges where women are not respected enough. Running a bar is hard; sometimes drunk people can fight or refuse to pay, but eventually, they learn to respect you once they realise that you’re able to work with everyone,” she explained.

As Rwanda commemorated International Women’s Day on March 8, Niyonzima emphasised the importance of women’s empowerment and respect for their contributions towards nation-building, development, and gender equality.

"Personally, what I am most happy about this International Women’s Day is that women have a say and their rights are respected. For me, my husband respects that there is something I can bring to the table, and he believes that even if he isn’t there, I can raise our children on my own. I am happy that he respects me more now,” Niyonzima said.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 was "Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress”, which resonates with Niyonzima’s journey of resilience, entrepreneurship, and empowerment.

Her goals and aspirations for the future are to host events at her restaurant and grow her business so much that it advances into a hotel, hire more people, and create jobs for the youth.

Her advice to young women trying to start and improve their overall well-being is to stay away from distractions and understand that improving oneself comes first.