The Youth in Musanze District have been urged to join cooperatives and start from the little they have and work hard for a bright future.

The call was made by district officials while awarding close to 300 youths who attended a three-month entrepreneurship training. 

The training, which was also carried out in three other districts, aimed at strengthening rural youth development through enterprise. It was funded by Techno Serve Rwanda.

Techno Serve is an international non-profit organisation that promotes business solutions to poverty in the developing world.

"I am convinced and optimistic that the training has been significant and linked you to micro-finance institutions, since you are in a cooperative. You can easily get loans from those institutions and create more jobs, it is not realistic to think you can start the projects with millions of francs; you can start with small scale business and then grow it,” said Vincent Ndayambaje, the district vice mayor in charge of social affairs.

Members of the cooperatives who graduated were awarded certificate of completion and four competitive cooperatives were granted $700 (Rfw460,000) each that they will use in their various activities.

Most of the cooperatives have started dealing with agriculture, livestock, business, among others.

Apart from supporting the youth, Techno Serve, in conjunction with local leaders, has linked the youth with micro-finance institutions in order to give them loans to boost their activities.

Five taxi-moto riders left the function as proud owners of their own motorcycles after they were awarded the bikes. The pentad had been hiring motorcycles for their business.

More for youth

Speaking at the event, Ndavi Muia, the country director of Techno Serve, said they will facilitate the transition of 3,500 rural youth to increase their productive economic engagement, increase their contribution to household income and empower them to live independently.

"It is our hope that, together, we will contribute to the empowerment of the youth in the country, so they can lead a more productive livelihood,” he said

The youth promised to work harder in their endavours and help the country achieve its development goals.

Innocent Nshimiyimana, the president of Ejo Heza cooperative that deals in piggery breading in Gataraga Sector, said they were ready to use the money they were granted in boosting their business.

"It (Rwf460,000) is a great capital and we are going to expand out asset base by breeding more piglets to trade across the country,” said Nshimiyimana

There are more than seven youth cooperatives in Musanze District. Most of the members are Senior Six dropouts.