S.U bouquets
It was in October 2019 when Sandrine Uwacu had a brilliant Idea. She thought of starting a business that revolved around flowers, something she had always been passionate about. Uwacu didn’t have any prior experience in the floristry industry, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams. And so, S.U Bouquets was born.
At first, Sandrine worked online through Instagram, selling her beautiful flower bouquets to clients. The business grew quickly, and by 2020, she had moved from an online store to a physical location in Sonatubes a widely known business area in Kicukiro. She then could sell her products directly to clients.
But Sandrine didn’t stop there. She saw an opportunity to expand her business by wholesaling her products to other florists. In August 2021, S.U Bouquets began wholesaling, while continuing to create their beautiful flower bouquets.
It is when her and the team introduced a new product called preserved roses, which are natural roses that can last a year, providing a warranty of 6 to 12 months.
More about her business here: https://kura.rw/florist-sandrine-uwacu-blooms-with-preserved-roses-that-last-a-year/
Afrolago
When Patrick Afrika made shoes and sold them to his high school classmates and patrons, he had no idea he would turn it into a business or how many lives he would touch and change.
Patrika Afrika was raised with a business-minded mindset. His father taught him how to make shoes at a young age. In 2013, he would begin selling them to his high school classmates and patrons. His small business grew until he decided to make it official. He established his own company, Afrolago.
More about his business here: https://kura.rw/afrolago-a-quest-for-inclusion-and-participation-of-people-with-disability/
Jane KU Social
Growing up in a village without her parents and raised by her grandfather and step-grandmother, Jane Uwamahoro was intimately acquainted with hardship from a young age.
“I grew up in a place where suffering was part of everyday life, especially for women,” Uwamahoro recalls. Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, she nurtured a dream to change the narrative for women in her community.
KU Social, born out of Uwamahoro’s vision and her experience at the Akila Institute for Women, focuses on teaching improbability skills to rural women. “Women learn on the job by producing the most innovative handcraft,” Uwamahoro explains.
More about her business here: https://kura.rw/meet-jane-uwahamahoro-a-social-entrepreneur-promoting-women-artisans/
Nezerwa Bamboo
Tuyishimire King Evariste is a young entrepreneur who has advanced his life through “Nezerwa Bamboo Product Ltd,” a company that transforms bamboo into various products.
This company, which he founded, engages in both weaving and carpentry using bamboo.
In the weaving section, they create items such as lampshades that enhance lighting, waste baskets, and other products. In the carpentry section, they produce items like beds, chairs, tables, and other furniture.
More about his business here: https://kura.rw/how-rubavu-entreprenuer-is-unleashing-the-potential-of-local-bamboo/
Answer Collection
After losing his parents, Rumaragishyika Jean Lambert and his siblings found a way forward through making open sandals with modern sewing machines.
Rumaragishyika, who hails from Rwamagana District, grew up in Kigali City after learning that his father had died before he was born, and his mother remarried. His mother also passed away later, and the siblings were separated.
Being the eldest in the family, he began thinking of ways to improve his life while also helping his siblings so they wouldn’t fall behind.
He and a close friend teamed up to start a shoe-making business. When Rumaragishyika finished high school in 2017, he partnered with his younger brother, who had learned the craft, and they started making shoes with limited resources.
In 2020, they found a place to work in Gikondo and launched a company called “Answer Collection,” starting with just one manual machine. Over time, they expanded, bought more machines, produced trendy shoes, and gained more customers as their business became known.
More about his business here: https://kura.rw/from-tragedy-to-business/
