Anny Munyaneza Batamuriza describes her life’s journey as "a mix of pain, adventure, drama, suffering, poverty, despair, resilience, passion and wealth”, all wrapped in one.

After this assertion, she is quick to add that "the difference between me and many other women or girls who find themselves in the same situation is that I took responsibility for the choices I made at an early stage of my life.”

These choices are responsible for the person that she has evolved into today; a young, dynamic and upwardly mobile tour operator and entrepreneur. The adventurous streak that shaped her early years together with the hardships are the reason for the tourism and entrepreneurial credentials that she has today. 

Sustainable tourism

Batamuriza is the founder and director of New Dawn Associates (NDA), a Kigali-based socio-economic enterprise that engages in sustainable tourism, an area that continues to capture the imagination of a growing number of people world wide. 

"We (NDA) clearly understand that while tourism is a vital component of the country’s economic and social development, it can bring changes that are not necessarily positive to everyone,” she notes.

Basically, NDA works in partnership with local communities and groups to provide a unique cultural experience for its clients that is different from the standard tourist fare. This way, though the country’s best known tourist attraction is the endangered mountain gorilla, Batamuriza prefers to leave gorilla trekking to other tour companies. 

"We try to facilitate a more rounded Rwandan tourist experience. While in Rwanda, visitors can see the gorillas and also learn about local culture and practices. 

Currently, NDA offers five distinct and tailor-made experiences to tourists: the Millennium Village Tour, This is Africa, Humure, Dancing Pots, and From Crop to Cup. 

Usually, local groups such as coffee farmers, widows or refugees are an integral component of the five experiences. 

Dubbed the Kivu Coffee Experience, the From Crop to Cup project introduces tourists to the coffee growth process ‘from crop to cup’. The Kivu Coffee Experience starts in Gisenyi with a boat trip to Nyamirundi Island to visit the plantation of a local coffee cooperative. The volcanic soils of the island

From the island, the journey continues to the nearby washing station where tourists where they are shown the washing process. Afterwards, one is free roast their own coffee on an open fire for that personal coffee tasting experience.

Another of NDA’s innovative tour packages is This Is Africa’ – which is basically a charming introduction to the cultural melting pot of Nyamirambo, a Kigali suburb that is well-known for its typical African flair and scruffy comforts; 

The ‘This Is Africa’ experience takes tourists right into the heart of the colors, noises and smells of Nyamirambo. Here, expect guided village tours by locals, who won’t hesitate to take you into their homes and teach you a thing or two about Rwandan cuisine. There are the markets, the Agbada-clad West African tailors, and the mushrooming music studios in Nyamirambo all competing for the visitor’s attention.  

So, rather than compete directly for gorilla tracking tourists, Batamuriza works with trekking firms to offer gorilla trekkers additional adventures. Her services come as a kind of side-dish to the traditional staple of gorilla tracking. 

She contends that her mission is to inspire fellow women "to grow big enterprises out of hard work and never give up when one falls.”

Coming home

It was in the year 1994 that Batamuriza returned home from exile in Switzerland. However, she was sent back to finish her studies at the Swish Hotel &Tourism Management Institute (DCT) in Lucerne, Switzerland. 

Two years into her course, she was stripped of her scholarship and without warning. 

"Instead of giving up at this point, I fought so hard that I was sent back to school after three months to finish my education. I saw girls in my situation giving up their studies and either becoming refugees or getting married just to get a Visa but with me I did what needed to be done and I got my scholarship back, finished my studies and came back home.

After three and half years of studying tourism and hospitality, she packed her bags and booked the next home-bound flight.