A story from a retired soldier turned entrepreneur

Entrepreneur confessions are some of the untold stories of what it takes to become a small business owner. From going bankrupt to making the business a success, these personal entrepreneur stories show what being an entrepreneur is really all about. Success is often achieved when the person is able to go further than most people, breaking limitations imposed by their own economic, physical and cultural boundaries. Peter Niyonsenga, a resident of Rwamagana is a typical example of success, as he overcame poverty to become one of the most powerful people in businesses today. The youthful entrepreneur says he was inspired by a great desire to achieve what others think is impossible. He says that his business flourished mainly due to exemplary customer services he offers to his customers. “Respect is what makes me...I never underlook anybody; poor, young, old or unique...this is a great endowment from God. It partly explains why my company is doing well.” He says that the sky is the limit in his efforts to grow into a big entrepreneur. “I like watching people grow ...The other thing is watching people who overcome some awfully tough challenges and reach something that nobody would have expected they would. I mull over perseverance ... People that work hard and solve tough problems, those are Heroes.” says Noyonsenga. A retired soldier turned entrepreneur, Niyonsenga overcame his childhood huddles and poor economic background to become a millionaire. Born in 1974 in a humble family, always wearing second hand clothes, as his parents struggled to make ends meet, he never despaired in life.He grew up in the Muslim dominated streets of Rwamagana town, where young people engaged in petty trade, vending foodstuffs and beverages for survival. The retired soldier’s humble background never allowed him to push his education beyond elementary school level. In his youth Niyonsenga joined the Rwanda Patriotic Army where he served for 5 years and was later demobilised after serving diligently.He was not privileged to immediately get the veterans’ small loans to begin a new life. He had however saved some money on his account and supplemented it with his retirement package, to start up a business venture that grew with time. Today, his capital has grown and he owns a transport company that serves most of Eastern Province. “I first bought one omnibus and joined a transport cooperative...after saving for a year or so, I bought another one. The business flourished and I thought of forming my own company...that is how the idea of Buganza Transport Company came up,” he explains. He has since moved very fast and works long days to keep his businesses going. He struggled for what was best for his businesses hence registering a lot of growth. He is an entrepreneur, and says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I really didn’t expect to start my own business,” says Niyonsenga. But that is exactly what he did after leaving the Army. He credits his five years of military service with giving him the confidence he needed to set-up locally and in turn, find out what he needed to do to start his own business. “The one thing that translated from the Army for me was the drive and commitment. You learn in the Army to make something happen out of nothing. I didn’t expect that I would manipulate a computer with my very low education level. But here I am, coordinating my company work on line,” he says while relaxing in his office. A characteristic that makes Niyonsenga special is his strong will to achieve and a resourceful spirit. His first taste of success was in the transport business. He has since then poured her entire life savings to finance a fully fledged transport company. Given his great determination to succeed, he boasts of fleet of cars-jeeps, pick-up trucks, omnibuses and small cars and two multimillion commercial houses. Tired of waiting for contractors to complete the houses, he decided to build the houses herself by becoming a self styled contractor. “Contractors can be frustrating, but Instead of complaining, you have to take that energy, when problems happen, and put it towards taking you to the next level. This is how I managed to complete the house construction irrespective of the huge challenges,” he explains. The entrepreneur is married and gifted with four children. Niyonsenga is a true Rwandan success story, aiming to reach the stars through the virtues of hard work, imagination and perseverance. mugitoni@gmail.com