Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) Rwanda, in collaboration with German development agency GIZ and GOPA Consulting Group, provided seed funds to 90 refugee entrepreneurs and host community members through the Gera ku Ntego Refugees and Host Communities Business Competition. It is part of their Youth-led Refugees and Host Communities COVID-19 Response and Resilience Initiatives project, funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which aims to promote economic inclusion among refugees and host communities in Rwanda. This is one of the reasons why GIZ in partnership with DOT Rwanda initiated the project, the project aims to strengthen the professional and leadership development of 24 Digital Champions, both youth refugees from refugee camps and youth from neighboring host communities, who served as community facilitators and coached more than 450 beneficiaries in six regions of the project namely Kigali City, Huye District, Gisagara district, Nyamagabe district and Kirehe district. Through the project, entrepreneurs from the refugee camps, host communities and urban refugees received business development services through “Business Counseling and Exchange/BCE” model that was implemented in partnership with GOPA and a team of 22 Business Development Advisors, with a focus on business plan development, access to markets and access to finance. Violette Uwamutara, the Regional Vice President, Africa and Country Director of DOT Rwanda highlighted that through the project, in total 90 best projects from refugee camps of Mahama, Kigeme and Mugombwa as well as host communities and urban refugees received seed funds. “This will help the recipients to improve their livelihood and create business and employment opportunities not only for themselves but also for many in their communities. We expect ripple effects from all the support provided and economic inclusion of refugees and host communities as they work together,” she said. “All the entrepreneurs who received the seed funds will continue to benefit from coaching and support that will be provided by a team of Business Coaches and Business Development Advisors, helping them to grow further their businesses, use the received funds better and access more opportunities.” The award ceremonies were conducted between March 28 to April 5. During an awarding ceremony held at Grand Legacy Hotel in Kigali City, Eric Mutabazi, Refugee Technical Advisor at the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), expressed his gratitude towards GIZ and DOT Rwanda for the project, which he said aligns with the government's policy of supporting refugees to become self-reliant and thrive through socio-economic integration. He encouraged the awardees to use the grant they received wisely and create tangible change in their lives. Nanda Ritsma, the Project Manager of the Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Host Communities Project at GIZ Rwanda highlighted that their partnership with DOT Rwanda in the project was focused on providing support to entrepreneurs in setting up or growing their businesses, which would in turn create employment opportunities. She highlighted that the Business Counselling and Exchange (BCE) approach, supported by the project and implemented by Business Development Advisors, brought the entrepreneurs together and facilitated the exchange of ideas and learning from each other. She encouraged the entrepreneurs to continue exploring options to support their businesses' growth. Georg Heidenreich, the Team Leader of the project at GOPA, stated that the project would provide continued support to the entrepreneurs who have secured seed funding. This support, he said, will help them expand their capital gains, which in turn will enable them to demonstrate assets and financial records, such as turnover, entrepreneurship experience, and improved competition skills when they seek a regular loan in the future. One of the beneficiaries, Chanice Nzosaba, who runs a traditional music and dance troupe called Akaranga, received Rwf 500,000 seed funding. She said she plans to use the money to include boys in the troupe to make it more inclusive and to purchase modern equipment so that they can perform abroad. She expressed gratitude to DOT Rwanda, GIZ, and GOPA for the opportunity and said that the training helped her learn how to grow her business and market it. Another beneficiary, Saidia Bahininwa, who owns a beauty salon in Nyamirambo, also received Rwf 500,000. He plans to use the funds to expand his project and train other young people in beauty work. Bahininwa also expressed gratitude for the financial education he gained through the project, which helped him understand how to make a profit and study his competitors before starting a business. He believes this knowledge helped him be more competitive in the market.
