Ten Rwandan students on Monday completed an intensive training in marketing, sales and business development through the nFrnds platform. The young entrepreneurs programme launched in May 2016 is aimed at empowering the next generation of local entrepreneurs with the skills, experience and confidence to drive technology adoption in Rwanda. Caylee Talpert, the Director for nFrnds told The EducationTimes that the skills acquired by the students would compliment technology development in Rwanda’s labour market. “Over the past 4-months, a selected cohort of Rwandan youth from more than 100 applicants took part in intensive ‘boot-camp’ seminars to acquire practical skills in marketing, sales and business development. Such technological skills are expected to increase sales and customers in business institutions,” she said. Talpert added that majority of the participants were youths because they make up the biggest portion of Rwanda’s population. At the boot-camp, the students benefited from mentoring sessions facilitated by prominent local business people while others spent time interacting directly with customers. The overall winner Charles Shyaka from university of Rwanda, said that the training enabled him acquire skills and new ideas that will provide solutions in the community. “Through nfrnds I realised how to initiate and implement ideas for good teamwork. I was charged with the duty of helping students provide news stories, advice, employment opportunities and health tips to other people,” he said. nFrnds Rwanda Ltd is an international software technology platform company that provides cloud based software solutions via any mobile device. nFrnds’ solutions have been specifically designed for use in developing markets in order to connect the 4 billion people who are currently unconnected to the digital world. Rwanda is expected to host the headquarters of NFrnds and another fellowship will be conducted next year.
