Summary report of the training of unemployed graduates of GASABO District 11-13/20/2017

The Edified Generation Rwanda’s family would like to express our heartfelt “Thank you”

and our gratitude to our stakeholders in the implementation of Sector’s Economic

Transformation project . The Remarks and presentations made were very power-

ful ,educative, attractive and we assure it to have a meaningful positive impact to our

community by increasing the level of financial literacy, business mindset and cooperative

spirit . Your contribution made it possible to train 225 unemployed graduate from 15 sec-

tors of Gasabo District and with your continuous support, they are secured with employ-

ment.

We are very grateful for your Generosity , your valuable contribution to our mission, your

support to our giving back initiative as well as your involvement into our activities. Your

support brought positive impacts to the social –economic development of the community .

We stand together to make POSITIVE changes and break the cycle of unemployment among

Rwandan youth graduates.

We say Thank you as a word of act!!!!!!

APPRECIATION NOTE

Training took 3 days from 11-13 October 2017 at Classic Hotel.

Beneficiaries trained: 225 unemployed graduates of GASABO Distr ict

Main Focus: Business development through cooperatives

Represented institutions during the training

RDB Represented by: 1. Diana SAYINZOGA /Chief of SEZs and Expor t

2 . Celestin Kabera /SME Capacity Building Specialist

Ministry of youth represented by Mr. Benoit NGABONZIZA/Director of youth and

economic empowerment

RGB represented by Dr. Felicien Usengumukiza/Head of governance research and

monitoring department

RCA represented by Solange KAYITESI/research and carcula development officer

Imbuto Foundation represented by Clement kabiligi

Sport Game Rwanda represented by Patr ick Rwamasunzu/ General Manager

Handicap International Represented by Theogene Manirafasha/Director of Finance

Gasabo District represented by Tuyisenge Sosthene/Business development and employ-

ment unity

Bank of Kigali Represented by NSHUTI Thier ry/Head of Marketing and product de-

velopment

VLM represented by Musisi Bob Charles/legal representative

I&M Bank Represented by Stany Gasarabwe/Business Manager

CESB represented by Mr. Mar tin Gashagure/ Entrepreneurship and Business Develop-

ment Specialist/

Rwanda Revenue Authority represented by Angelique Dusabeyezu

BDF represented by Rugambage Bernard/ Analyst in Fund Depar tment

TRAINING DESCRIPTION

A S the Guest of Honor; Diane Sayinzoga, the Head of Special Economic Zones and Exports at Rwanda Development Board, said that through the partnership with Different institu-

tions ,the beneficiary youths will not only create employ-ment for themselves but will also employ others. “We want them to show commitment to self-employment and have clear goals of what they want to achieve in their businesses,” she said. “We shall continue to assist them with all the skills and financial support required along the way to make sure they succeed in the businesses.”

OPENING REMARKS

Speaking at the opening of the project, Valens Ntirenganya, the Executive Director of Edified Generation Rwanda, said they are dedicated to give back to the community through empowering young graduates with skills that would help them start vi-able businesses. “We want to help end mindset of looking for jobs that can lead to many years of unemployment even when one has ideas that can be funded,” he said. He said the project will eventually be rolled out countrywide and that the plan is to encourage un-employed graduates to form cooperatives through which they can access funding.

Presentation made by

Solange KAYITESI/ Rwanda

cooperative Agency

Presentation title :Understanding Co-operative

T rainees appreciated the course contents as they are

working to strive for cooperative working, Train-

ees got the course helpful and productive to them

in their journey of forming cooperatives

The main contents in the course have been highlighted:

Understanding cooperatives’ leadership

Cooperative Principles

Cooperative values

Advantages of cooperative organizations to members

Role of cooperatives to country’s economic development

Difference between cooperative and other associations

Types of Cooperatives

Being member and loosing membership for a coopera-

tive organization

Cooperative registration process

Organs of a Cooperative Organization

Characteristics of Good Governance in cooperatives

Presentation made by

Thierry Nshuti/ Bank

of Kigali

O ne of the issues with youth to join finan-

cial institutions in the lack of awareness

on the working conditions of the institu-

tions in delivering funds and/or loans to

the customers. With this issue, we invited the Banks

to help youth understanding the opportunities that

bank can deliver to customers especially in financing

cooperatives.

The presentation made by Thierry Nshuti the Head

of Marketing and product development was helpful to

the trainees as they understood the way they can

work with banks to develop their businesses.

Presentation Title: The entrepreneur

The main contents of the course have been high-

lighted and teach the trainees:

How to be an entrepreneur

How to explore your barriers in doing business

How to make the logic order in business

How to be with yourself: (You only need to be

clear with yourself)

What the Bank of Kigali deliver for its customers

Presentation by Mr. Mar-

tin Gashagure represented

CESB

T he presentation focused on NEP (National em-

ployment programme) objectives and pillars,

NEP-Interventions Priority Areas and presenting

the achievements of NEP as testimonials where

he declared some impacts of the programme:

Impacting hands on skills to 11,620 youths, Women and

PWDs;

Rapid response training in partnership with companies

to 2,074 youth for direct employment;

Assessment and recognition of prior learning to more

than 13,305;

Support 8,031 projects of start ups and growing Micro,

Small and medium enterprises to access capital and fi-

nance through guarantee support and grants offered

under BDF

Presentation by Celestin Kabera/ RDB

Presentation Title: Business Development for Youth

in Rwanda

Main contents:

Policies and strategies: Vision 2020 ,Vision

2050,SME Policy, EDPRS II

Business environment in Rwanda Business reg-

istration where the trainees acquired the

knowledge about Flat Taxe Regime for MSMEs,

Loan Guaranties for youth and women, Different

grants available at BDF and some NGO

Entrepreneurship and Business Development

where trainees understood Why Entrepreneurship,

How to get rich, Self-made entrepreneurs (job or

work), Self-development (Kwigira),Good health

vision (Money, Time

Supports and facilities available: where he

showed trainees that there is an ecosystem of sup-

port and facilities to encourage youth for entrepre-

neurship development

W hen thinking about business,

everyone also mind about

taxes. It become difficult to

the beginners of the business

when they negatively think about taxes. For

Rwanda Revenue Authority , taking the initia-

tive to talk to youth about taxes make them

aware of the importance of taxes in the develop-

ment of the country ,they become familiar with

it and move forward for the success of their

business.

Dusabeyezu Angelique who represented RRA

explained the importance of paying taxes ,

Difference between taxes and fees,

Types of taxes and fees collected in Rwanda

and laws governing those taxes.

Decentralized taxes: types of taxes and fees

collected by RRA on behalf of districts.

Different rates of taxes and fees

Percentage of taxes towards to the national

budget,

RRA target 2017/2018 challenges faced dur-

ing tax collections and support to achieve

target

Paying taxes is not an penalty for business, but

is one of the ways of building country and in-

crease The trainees reacted that the course was

very important to them as they are going to start

their business it is a good initiative of RRA to

explain to them about taxes in Rwanda.

BDF (Business Development fund),

an independent company that was

created in collaboration of the Gov-

ernment of Rwanda and the Devel-

opment Bank of Rwanda (BRD) represented by

Rugambage Bernard highlighted the eligibilities to get loan

from BDF where he highlighted the categories of eligibility:

All MSMEs, individuals, associations, coops & Cos.

Categories of Investments:

• All sectors of investment lasting less than 1 year

• Short term agric. Campaigns, trading & commerce

He explained also the types of Grants that BDF offer to cus-

tomers such as:

RIF 2 - Agriculture Investment loans , PRICE – Tea, Coffee

& Horticulture value chains, Women & Youth Grant facili-

ty, PASP - Post-Harvest and Agribusiness Support Project

Areas of Assistance

Starting a business: wr iting a business plan, getting

ready to start, Focus on Start-ups & Early growth

stage SMEs

Financing a business to grow/expand: Raising capital

and advice on financing options, Negotiate attractive

loan packages

He also clarified the lending modalities grants and guaran-

tees:

Some of the Media houses reacted to the article:

http://imvahonshya.co.rw/spip.php?page=article&id_article=44806 http://umuseke.rw/abadafite-akazi-bize-kaminuza-bagiye-kwishyira-hamwe-bakore-koperative.html http://tcop.education.rw/news/unemployed-varsity-graduates-acquire-entrepreneurial-skills

http://iriba24.com/article/1980/Urubyiruko-rwize-rurihirwa-na-Madamu-Jeannette-Kagame-rwatangiye-gutanga-amahirwe-kubashomeri--

http://allafrica.com/stories/201710130009.html

http://issabato.com/2017/10/11/abashomeri-bize-kaminuza-mu-rwanda-bagiye-kwitabwaho-byihariye/

Voice of America interview: https://www.radiyoyacuvoa.com/a/4051341.html

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/221695/

www.edigenrwanda.org

Stadium Road, Remera

P.O.Box:2502 Kigali Rwanda

Email: info@edigenrwanda.org

Tel: (+250)788321408/0783769682/0786546277

GET IN TOUCH WITH US

MEDIA REACTIONS

T he I&M Bank representative Stany GASARABWE explained

different approaches to work with I&M Bank where he high-

lighted the services and products to their customers:

“We extend business loans, in the form of overdrafts or term

loans, after detailed consultations with you. This ensures that the facility given

to your business is the most appropriate and cost-effective for its purposes. Loans and overdrafts are available

in Rwanda Francs as well as in other major currencies.”

He called upon youth to join the bank for personal accounts as well as business account and mobilize them to

join the bank for business loans.

He urged youth not be defeated in working with banks when wishing to run their businesses,

“Money is better learnt before it is earned” he also urged youth to choose I&M Bank as their reliable and under-

standing partner for availing financing to build up or run their business.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

T his project Sector’s Economic Transformation is set to benefit over 6000 unemployed graduates

countrywide in 24months from October 2017. With reference made to the pilot District, we have

some recommendations that will help in the implementation of the project successfully country-

wide:

To RDB:

We recommend that RDB as governmental in-

stitution involve deeply in the project and sup-

port us in all possible corners especially in get-

ting stakeholders for seed funding.

To endorse the project to stakeholder that Edi-

fied Generation Rwanda will approach.

Facilitate the working environment of graduates

who will join cooperatives. E.g.( For those who

will make their project and request to work in

government’s land such as IBISHANGA

To RCA:

As the trainees are now developing business to be

done through cooperatives, we recommend that RCA

will help us whenever needed and send their agent

for the intervention in the formation of cooperatives.

Continuous collaboration with Edified Generation

Rwanda in making follow-up of the cooperative.

Providing technical support to cooperatives and fa-

cilitate registration

To Local Government leaders (Districts, sectors):

We recommend that the districts and sectors

will help their graduates with transport facili-

ties in case they are called for training either

financial or in kind (e.g.: each sector can deliv-

er a bus for the selected graduates in that sec-

tor.

Work collaboratively with graduates whenever

they need sector support

To BDF and BANKS:

We recommend that BDF agents and Banks agents

can assist graduates in developing the business ide-

as to transform them into bankable projects and

facilitate them to get loans.

To Rwanda Revenue Authority:

Some People are sometimes afraid of taxes

when thinking about business, when RRA takes

time to talk to youth about taxes, they become

familiar with it and understand the importance

of taxes in positive way instead of criticizing it

negatively. We recommend that RRA should

make a continuous mobilization to young entre-

preneurs about taxes

To MINIYOUTH:

As the Employment accelerator project benefit

youth, we recommend that the Ministry of youth

involve in the project for full project endorsement

and funding.

To All stakeholders:

We recommend that stakeholders call for oth-

ers to join and grasp the program as their own,

putting more investments in the Sector’s Eco-

nomic Transformation to enable the nation-

al implementation.

We recommend that before starting any project

phase, all stakeholders will meet to cover all

needed budget and identify every partner’s

contribution.

“Let us work together to break the cycle of unemployment among youth graduates”