In the wake of the worrying new coronavirus (COVID-19), Natacha Baranyuzwe, a pharmacist, is, among other things, using her professional and entrepreneurial skills to save the lives of fellow Rwandans.

With the use of bidens pilosa (inyabarasanya), a medicinal plant, she is making hand sanitisers with the purpose of decreasing infectious agents, especially now with the spread of the coronavirus. 

Bidens pilosa is anti-oxidant, anti-parasitic, and anti-microbe. It is used as a medicinal plant in many regions of Africa, Asia and tropical America.

Her product is mixed with alcohol as a synergy to augment its effectiveness.

It was last year that she established her company, Baranyuzwe Cosmetics Limited, whose products have bidens pilosa as their major ingredient. Apart from hand sanitisers, the businesswoman manufactures ointments, hair shampoos, lip balm, and various antifungal medication, among other products.

As an expert who has been in the pharmaceutical industry for over eight years, Baranyuzwe observed ineffectiveness with some products that were on the market, especially those that were meant to treat dermatophytosis (an infection of the hair, skin or nails) a condition that seemed rampant, especially with children coming from middle class families and people with hairstyles like dreadlocks, braids and hair extensions.

She observed that adherence or compliance of these medicines was hard, with side effects such as irritations yet quantities were small and very expensive.

Her study in pharmacology of traditional medicine with a thesis on bidens pilosa confirmed that chemical compounds in local plants, such as the aforementioned, had the ability to kill bacteria.

This is when she took the decision to use her skills to enable Rwandans access natural products with the ability to protect people from bacteria without any side effects, unlike modern medicine.

Pursuing homemade solutions

Baranyuzwe has a belief that Rwandans have the ability to be self-sufficient by looking out for their own sustainable solutions.  

With the little means she had, she decided to embark on this entrepreneurial journey that would impact her and transform the lives of many.

"I didn’t have a lot of money for me to establish this company, but I wasn’t going to wait to be a billionaire to do something meaningful for society. Just like the President encourages us to be self-reliant, I had to be resourceful,” she says.

"My vision is to ensure a safe environment for us all, we can use our ways in addressing our challenges, for example, in fighting coronavirus.  Just like they recommend families to have kitchen gardens, I believe that people should also grow bidens pilosa in this season of coronavirus, especially those in villages where they can’t afford sanitisers. With a concoction of bidens pilosa, one can use it with water and use it for disinfection and that way, our country will be able to fight coronavirus without spending a lot,” she says.

Why focus on the cosmetic industry?

The rapid growth of the cosmetic industry has led to a robust demand for beauty products, creating room for new innovations in cosmetics. However, this has also paved way for unsafe products to be on the market. 

Baranyuzwe frowns upon such precarious products that invade this market, advising responsible stakeholders to be vigilant and those working in the industry to work closely with regulation agencies for guidance on good practices.

The 32-year-old says her focus on investing in the cosmetic industry came with the need to avail alternative safe and affordable products for skin diseases that were otherwise lacking in the country. 

Her company has the capacity to produce 1000 bottles of hand sanitisers a day, all of which are consumed on a daily basis.

She aims at using her platform to empower women, this is why half of her staff are women.

"Happiness is only real when shared, when you don’t share your skills or ideas, they don’t help you or others, so we only gain by sharing knowledge. I believe if one had the chance to acquire knowledge, it is only proper to utilise it and help your country develop,” she says.

She hopes to expand her line of products by making air fresheners that can disinfect rooms and tea bags (made from bidens pilosa).

"I want bidens pilosa to be a particularity for Rwanda, we should grow it and even export it. Let’s make it a priority and ensure that it reaches the level tea production is, for this will help our economy grow,” she recommends.

Baranyuzwe says she draws most of her inspiration from President Paul Kagame, "He inspires me a lot, because he encourages us to be hardworking and be resilient but I also like reading, I read all kinds of books in all fields.”

Drawing from her experience, she believes that for one to be able to achieve in life, they need to first get rid of fear.

"Don’t be afraid to fail, for the journey to success is a long one and it needs resilience.” 

The entrepreneur has a vision to improve the value chain of bidens pilosa cosmetics in order to grow the made in Rwanda industry and export these products at a regional and international level.