The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women.

NAME: Faina Umulisa

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: Jet Travel (travel agency)

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.

NAME: Rica Rwigamba

COUNTRY: Rwanda

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.”

NAME: Hortense Mazimpaka

COUNTRY: Rwanda

BUSINESS: Moriah Hill Resort (resort)

Hortense, 35 years old, co-owns Moriah Hill Resort, a beautiful get-away in Rwanda.

Hortense and her husband owned a small part of land on the shore of Lake Kivu. After building two small apartments on the land, they were able to secure a loan from the bank. The project grew into the resort it is today, which opened in July 2007. Moriah Hill Resort features 18 rooms, a restaurant, a conference hall that seats 120, and one motorized boat that holds eight passengers. There are also kayaks for the lake recreations.

Hortense currently has 28 employees at the resort. She has recently secured more land and plans to expand the resort from 18 to 68 rooms, a fitness facility, more water sports and an artisanal shop featuring handicrafts made by women in the region.

By attending PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, Hortense hopes to learn more about marketing her resorts and how to approach business challenges as they arise.

Hortense says that before starting her business, providing for five children was difficult, but her business has helped bring financial stability to her family.