Marcelline, 30 years old, owns B&M Styles, a boutique that specializes in designer clothing.Before she was married, Marcelline worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a job she didn’t really love. After talking to her husband about her passion for business and style, she decided to start up her own boutique. With its two employees, B&M Styles offers its customers designer clothes, shoes, bags, as well as traditional wear. The business also sells material for tailoring outfits.
Over the next five years, Marcelline hopes to expand her shop and open more branches in cities outside of Kigali. She would also like to purchase sewing machines so that she can begin designing her own clothing line.
Marcelline looks forward to her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training for many reasons, including meeting with other businesswomen and learning about customer care and what more ideas she could incorporate into her boutique.
Chantal opened her restaurant’s doors after she and her husband combined their savings and approached the bank for a loan.
The restaurant’s 17 employees serve their customers with a worldly dining experience. The international cuisine includes Indian, Chinese and African selections. Lunch buffet is served Monday through Friday.
Chantal’s future goals include priding her restaurant with the best service in the entire country, to open more restaurants, as well as juice bars and potato corners in the city and in other districts. She also wants to open a health retreat center, where people can come to learn about nutrition.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Chantal hopes to improve upon her business plan, and to become more aware of what obstacles her business faces.
BUSINESS: Solidarity Academy School (secondary school)
Beltrida, 47 years old, co-owns a secondary private school in Rwanda, Solidarity Academy School.
After the genocide in 1994, Beltrida returned to Rwanda from diaspora and with permission from the authorities, borrowed the school in her neighborhood. The previous owners had fled the country, leaving the school perfectly in tact. Fifteen years later, Beltrida has 37 teachers and support staff at her school.
The school follows the national curriculum, and students take their national exams and those who receive national certificates go onto a university-level education.
Beltrida’s business goals over the next five years include increasing the number of students who pass the national exam. She also wants to find more ways to contribute to her country’s development and to help more students and teachers learn and adopt the English language, since it is so universally used at institutions of education. She would also like to increase her employees’ salaries and be able to renovate the school itself.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Beltrida hopes to gain more knowledge about proper financial and resource management, human resources, and accountability.
Growing up in a family of all girls, Betrida was often told by her family members that she would never achieve anything for herself and her family. But her mother believed in her and fought for her education. But after attending school, Beltrida realized that she did have something to offer to society.
Years later, when trying to re-open the school, Beltrida was met with the same opposition – that as a woman, she could not accomplish this task. But her zeal to work and serve her community proved otherwise.
“To me, this was great achievement in life, and as a woman I felt big inside myself, feeling that with determination I can always make it!”
Angelique, 36 years old, owns Eden Events & Décor, which focuses on tailoring bridal gowns. She first started by helping to dress brides in cultural attire. It was only natural that she started designing and sewing both bridal and bridesmaid gowns.
With her two employees, Angelique schedules appointments with brides months in advance of the wedding to discuss their vision and dream for their weddings. Angelique also helps find the right colors for complexions. Eventually, she wants to expand her shop to include a full wedding service packages, including wedding planning and a beauty salon for make up, hair dressing, manicures, pedicures and facial treatments.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Angelique hopes to learn more about event planning, customer care, organization and how to successfully expand her company into all of Rwanda’s provinces.
Faina, 39 years old, owns Jet Travel, a travel agency in Rwanda.
After working in the travel agency business for nine years, the company for which she worked shut down, so Faina decided to open her own business.
The company offers services such as hotel and flight reservations, airport pick-up and drop-off, visa support, private drivers, car rental, full organization of business and private events, banquets and receptions, as well as honeymooner packages.Faina currently has four employees. Her goals over the next five years are to obtain accreditation by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and to open a Branch in Burundi.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Faina hopes to learn more about tourism operations and hotel management.
Martine, 42 years old, owns Macadamia Hotels. She and her husband owned a large plot of land with a nice view over the town, so she thought a hotel might be a good way to fill the space. So far, the hotel construction is still a work in progress. The multipurpose hall and rooms will be available to the public this month.Martine currently has 14 employees. She hopes to expand the number of rooms, and eventually open up more hotel branches.
Martine hopes to find a suitable replacement for her job outside of her business, so she can focus all of her attention exclusively on Macadamia.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Martine wants to learn more about hotel management, accounting and human resources.
BUSINESS: New Dawn Associates (social & event management)
Rica, 31 years old, co-owns New Dawn Associations (NDA), a tourism and event management firm.
Rica had always dreamed of becoming a strong politician, and perhaps even the Ambassador of her country, but the government opportunity presented before her six years ago was an unexpected one: tourism. After working for the Tourism Board for nearly four years, Rica decided that she wanted to start her own company.
“The excitement of tourism growth at the national level, the knowledge I had acquired of the industry and the opportunities of finding like-minded individuals, created or awakened the spirit of entrepreneurship that lied deep inside me.”
Three years and eight employees later, Rica and her business partner run their business. NDA is a social enterprise that offers enlightening experiences for special interest groups, as well as superior destination and event management services in Rwanda. Clients range from leading international organizations, government institutions, universities, incentive houses and operators to philanthropists, educational travelers and celebrities. Rica prides her company on the fact that they tailor each experience based on individual interests.
Over the next five years, Rica’s business goals include expanding her tourism packages into the East African Region. She knows that competition will be tight, all the more reason to position her company in the market. Rica hopes to grow her business at least five fold in the next five years.
Eventually, she would like to have representation in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Rica would like to learn more about financials, because she has no formal training in this area. Though she has some innovative ideas, she would also like to learn more about marketing, especially on the side of event management.
“I belong to a family of professionals and not of entrepreneurs; I am therefore a pioneer in my family,” Rica wrote. “While I thought it would be a lonely road with no mentors or role model, I now see it as an adventure with an audience that is encouraging me to go to the unknown with great hopes for the future to come.”
BUSINESS: Achieving a Better Life (teaching theater troupe)
Charlotte, 38 years old, so-owns Achieving A Better Life, a theatrical group that teaches a message through its plays. Messages include how to address social problems, such as domestic violence, prostitute and poverty.
Charlotte has co-owned the business for one year, and currently has 10 employees. Her business goals over the next five years are both economic and social ones. She hopes to help eradicate poverty and social issues within her community.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Charlotte hopes to learn more about film and theatre production. Though Charlotte came from a background of extreme poverty, she managed to attend a university with what little money she could find.
Charlotte has faces many struggles in her life as a woman, but she remains firm in her belief – and sharing the belief that women have worth: women have good ideas and that women can make a difference.
BUSINESS: Premier Tiles (construction material sales)
Leonia, 49 years old, owns Premier Tiles, which specializes in the sales of construction materials.
After returning to Rwanda seven years ago from exile in Uganda, Leonia decided that instead of looking for a job, she wanted to start her own business. With her husband’s full support, they took what little savings they had to invest into a construction materials business.
Leonia says that growing up as a refugee taught her that she had to work for everything. This life lesson helped her achieve her biggest dream – earning a college degree.
Upon some market research, Leonia determined this was a good business to be in, since so many construction projects were now taking place after the war.
Premier Tiles currently has four employees and focuses primarily on the distribution of cement and trading in tiles and paint. The tiles are imported from India, Egypt and China. Most clients are either construction companies or individual developers.
Over the next five years, Leonia hopes to increase her sales revenue by 20% annually, expand her client base by at least 5 individual companies and about 80 individuals, and to diversify business content by carrying out value addition activities, such as the building of interlocks, cement blocks and pavements.
By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Leonia hopes to learn more about financial management, international procurement, marketing and the development of business plans.
Leonia is proud to be a Rwandan citizen, and she is proud to help rebuild and restore her country. As a mother, she is exceptionally proud that her children will have a country to call their own.
The 2011 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS International Women’s Economic Summit and Graduation is July 25-26 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Click on the following link to register: 2011 IWES Summit
IEEW Inducts Afghan Woman Into Global Hall of Fame
Dr. Terry Neese, Founder of The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, inducted Afghan leader, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi into the Enterprising Women’s Global Hall of Fame in Boca Raton, Florida. Read the article printed in the Oklahoman.
Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation Donates $125,000 to the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women Read the article: Amway heir Dick and Betsy DeVos say teaching women free market economics key to rebuilding Afghanistan, Rwanda
Spotlight on Dr. Terry Neese-Hall of Fame Inductee
Women’s Entrepreneur-Texas magazine published an article highlighting WBE Hall of Fame winners for “their unwavering commitment to fair and ethical business practices, passion for creating opportunity for women to excel in business and outstanding contributions to their communities.” Dr. Terry Neese is among the recipients of the award. Check out the article: Entrepreneurs-Leaders-Mentors
