The School of Finance and Banking (SFB), through its partnership with the William Davidson Institute (WDI) and Goldman Sachs, yesterday awarded certificates to 29 women upon completion of a six-month entrepreneurship training.

The third graduation ceremony held at Hilltop Hotel in Remera was presided over by Antoine Ruvebana, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce.

Ruvebana who observed that the training is a lifetime venture, urged the women to utilize the acquired skills towards positive change in their lives and the country in general.

"This is not only a big achievement for you, but for the entire country. Rwanda is now part of the East African Community and the Commonwealth, which calls for competitive entrepreneurs to compete favourably within the blocs,” Ruvebana said.

The programme sponsored by Goldman Sachs, also awarded $ 2,500 to two women; Ernestine Musengerwa and Josiane Mugorewicyeza who emerged the best in developing Business Plans.

The 27-year-old Musengerwa, who one year ago was importing flowers from Uganda, now owns her own flower gardens in Rulindo district and also deals in decorations while Mugorewicyeza deals in mines; sand and stone quarry.

Goldman Sachs, with its programme dubbed ’10,000 Women’ is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm with an agenda of assisting 10,000 women with a business and management education to improve the quality and capacity of businesses around the globe.

Since its inception in June 2008, 89 women have so far graduated under the same programme that is slated to train 300 women by 2012.

SFB Acting Rector, Papias Musafiri Malimba, thanked Goldman Sachs’s commitment in empowering Rwandan women with economic skills and urged women to give business first priority.

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