Jean Claude Ndayishimiye is the founder of Rwanda Premier Model Agency, a top Rwandan modeling concern. He talked to Grace Mugoya about his passion for modeling and the state of Rwanda’s modeling industry. Why did you decide to start your own modeling agency? I wanted to contribute something to the development of Rwanda’s modeling industry. What do you have to say about the state of this industry? Well, we find problems convincing parents to let their children pursue a career in modeling. Most of them have negative perceptions about modeling. Some think that modeling is against our culture, which is not true. So, what message do you have for such parents? They should know the roles modeling play in society, such as advertising products. How do you plan to overcome the challenges you face in the industry? I believe it’s a matter of encouraging my models to be disciplined as this will prove to their parents that modeling has got nothing to do with bad behavior.
