Entrepreneurs optimistic about Rwanda

Close to 120 Rwandan entrepreneurs teamed up with a group of 15 Canadian to brainstorm on how to contribute to poverty reduction and transform Rwanda into a middle-income country, with an emphasis on innovation.They met in a leadership summit at Serena Hotel yesterday.According to a statement, the highlight of the day included a ground breaking announcement from a Rwandan entrepreneur and coffee expert, Arthur Karuletwa. It announced an agreement with Starbucks Coffee Company for the purchase of GeoCertify, a company that supports Rwandan coffee farmers.““I have been fortunate to know Karuletwa for a few years now, and to see him share in front of fellow Rwandan business leaders was inspiring,” said Richard Taylor, the Executive Director of Wellspring Foundation for Education.“In a country that is desperate for Rwandan role models in the business sector, it was powerful to have one of Rwanda’s own share and spur on the next generation of leaders”.The summit was hosted by Opportunity International Canada and Wellspring, with the support of the Stronger Together 2011 collaborative granting initiative of nine foundations and individuals in Canada who combined forces to invest in the strategic growth of Canadian NGOs.Doris Olafsen, Executive Vice President of Opportunity International, said: “Rwanda is looking optimistically to the future. There is still a very raw pain that exists, but rather than holding back, the people of Rwanda are moving forward with new hope and determination”.Other speakers included Bob Lawless, the CEO & Chairman Opportunity International Canada.The other speaker, John Magnay, the Senior Agricultural Advisor for Opportunity International Canada, stressed the importance of unlocking human capacity and shifting from subsistence to commercial farming in Africa’s rural areas.Founded in 1971, Opportunity International provides access to savings, small business loans, insurance and training to over 2.5 million people in developing nations.

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Entrepreneurs optimistic about Rwanda