A total of 22 Rwandan entrepreneurs in agritech, fintech and editech have completed a 10-day training on innovation and how to accelerate their businesses, in Israel.
The training was organized by Israel Embassy in Rwanda and MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development and Cooperation.
According to Ron Adam, Ambassador of Israel in Rwanda, the initiative stemmed from the idea that there are many lessons that Rwandan entrepreneurs can learn from Israel’s innovation ecosystem.
"Israel is one of the world’s leading innovative nations...half a million businesses in high-tech pay a quarter of the country’s total income tax, and make 15 per cent of its gross domestic product,” he said.
He added that the initiative therefore equips the entrepreneurs with ideas and skills that help them scale up their start-ups and come up with solutions that respond to the pressing challenges in their communities.
It is expected that Israel will send another group of Rwandan entrepreneurs for training on the country’s innovation ecosystem next year.
"Over the years, capacity building has been key in the Israel-Rwanda relations, in different sectors such as agriculture, ICT and innovation as well as public health, among others. This initiative is yet another move to cement this good cause,” the envoy asserted.
Beneficiaries speak out
Allen Kendunga, the founder and CEO of Talent Match says that the ten days she spent in Israel helped her to learn and collaborate with Israel’s entrepreneurs and innovators.
"It was an opportunity to learn, share our experiences and even form relationships that will help us create a supportive ecosystem,” she noted.
For Yussouf Ntwali, Chief Operations Officer and Co-founder of BAG Innovation, an edtech start up, the training served as a chance to acquire skills that will help him be more creative.
"Starting up my start-up journey, I read many books about entrepreneurship and innovation and one of the books is the famous ‘Start up Nation’. Having the opportunity to finally visit the nation itself was a dream come true, and helped me to get the know-how vis-à-vis incorporating a culture of innovation in my business.”