Best business plans awarded
                    
KICUKIRO – Thirty women were last Friday awarded certificates after successfully completing a six-month entrepreneurial training programme.

The graduation ceremony also saw women with the best business plans receive awards.

The entrepreneurship certificate programme is one of the initiatives supported by Goldman Sachs (GS), a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm.

GS has an agenda of assisting 10,000 women entrepreneurs around the globe in entrepreneurial skills.

The programme that runs for a period of six months is executed in partnership with the School of Finance and Banking (SFB), a Kigali based institution of higher learning.

Speaking to The New Times, the acting Rector of SFB, Prof. Erasmus Kaijage, said that the programme has an aim of equipping women with the appropriate knowledge to conduct business professionally.

"This programme is designed to help women enhance their business through acquiring entrepreneurial skills which will help them create more jobs, and improve their welfare and that of the nation,” said Kaijage.

Seven women who presented the best business plans were awarded at the ceremony where the first two business plans won $2500 the remaining five got $1000 cash.

Representing Goldman Sachs was Michael Sherwood, the Co-Chief Executive Officer who was delighted at the impact the programme was having on the women in Rwanda.

"This training is essential for women entrepreneurs because they are taught book keeping, marketing and how to apply for loans to enhance their businesses, and I believe this is going to be good for the economy of Rwanda,” remarked Sherwood.

In an interview with one of the beneficiaries of the programme Henriette Nyirantwari, she said that because of the training acquired, she would be able to work in a competitive environment.

"We were taught how to work in an environment which has competitors and we are going to use the acquired knowledge to improve our businesses, lives, and increase our country’s tax base,” she stated.

Goldman Sachs also sponsors 15 women every year for a full BBA degree programme at SFB and so far, there are 30 students in the first and second years on the programme.

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