Young innovators impress at Made-in-Rwanda Expo

At the just-concluded Made-in-Rwanda Expo, young innovators and entrepreneurs made lasting impressions with some innovative products. 1. Making non-wood furniture Three young graduates from IPRC-Musanze, namely Erie Nshimiyimana Tharcisse Ndahimana and Jules Aimé Simbi, have managed to create own jobs through fighting deforestation by locally producing tables, chairs, ping pong tables, dining tables, multi-position chairs by using concrete, cement, gravel, sand and steel instead of wood. The products sold to hotels, markets, schools, public institutions, parks, homes, and others, are fire resistant, resistant to corrosion, resilient to water and are meant for environment conservation by reducing deforestation. They started the idea while they were in second year in 2017 by producing one table and today they have formed the company dubbed “ Reinforced Concrete Garden Furniture ( RCGF). Today the young innovators can produce worth Rwf3 million per week. In October 2018, they became best exhibitors at the provincial level in an expo that took place in Musanze District. The entrepreneurs also visited the African German Entrepreneurship Academy (AGEA) in Germany during summer school that was aimed at gaining skills in developing business. They said that they have 17 workers and they project to generate Rwf72 million in revenues. 2. Locally produced cables Alfa Holding Company, based at the Kigali Special Economic Zone, started to produce cables in August 2018. They produce over 1,000km of copper cables per month, it. 3. Locally made chili Petit Vuningoma, a young graduate from the College of Science and Technology at the University of Rwanda, is exhibiting Primo Chilo, a chili product that he makes in Nyarugenge District. In the beginning, he would produce 2,100 bottles of processed pepper per month which today has increased 8,400 bottles of 60 grams each per day thanks to Business Development Fund (BDF). The company which was started by not more than $2,000, he said, is now worth $15,000. 4. Biscuits and bread from sweet potatoes She started frying sweet potatoes and selling them together with mandazi and tea. Today she produces pastries like cakes, bread, doughnuts and biscuits from sweet potatoes which are being exhibited at the Made-in-Rwanda Expo. She sells her products in Nyagatare, Kayonza, Gatsibo Districts as well as Kigali City. 5. Juices, liquors from fruits and rosella plant Roselyne Nyirahategekimana from Rusizi District graduated from University in Agronomy and was exhibiting juices at the Expo. She started with Rwf40,000 she got from casual work to produce only 20 liters per day in 2016 and thanks to BDF financing scheme, she is producing at least between 200 litres and 300 litres of juice from passion fruits and rosella/hibiscus plant. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Young innovators impress at Made-in-Rwanda Expo