Rwandan actress, filmmaker and entrepreneur Clenia Dusenge has established herself as a powerhouse in the country’s evolving cinema industry. Known to many by her character name “Madederi” in TV popular series Papa Sava, Clenia’s journey to the screen was born out of childhood curiosity, nurtured by a deep passion and shaped by persistence. Her love for acting wasn’t something she stumbled upon by chance. From an early age, she found herself mimicking actors in the mirror and writing short plays for her siblings and friends. While still in Primary Four, she went as far as calling phone numbers that appeared at the end of movies, secretly trying to connect with producers. Her big break came when she met Jean de Dieu Hitimana, known as Billy, a cast member on the same TV series Seburikoko. Though he couldn’t promise her a role, he encouraged her to keep honing her craft. In 2019, while producing his own series Papa Sava, he remembered Madederi and gave her a chance in episode 81. “I was terrified. I was acting alongside big names in a series loved not just in Rwanda, but also internationally. But my performance stood out, and audiences loved me. That moment marked the beginning of my professional career,” she recalls. Since then, Dusenge has featured in a range of hit productions, including ‘Indoto’, ‘The Bishop’s Family’, ‘Kaliza wa Kalisa’, ‘Inkomoko’, and ‘Icyaremwe Gishya’. She’s also acted in award-winning short films such as ‘Umugani’, officially selected for the 25th Festival International du Cinéma Africain in Morocco, as well as ‘Father’s Day’, which premiered at Berlinale Festival in Germany. Dusenge’s contributions have earned her nominations at the Rwanda International Movie Awards (2023) and the Mashirika Film Festival (2024). “Limited resources, lack of support, and the perception that acting isn’t a real profession in Rwanda are some of the biggest hurdles that I faced. Sometimes you create a beautiful film, and it goes unseen, which can be discouraging,” claims Dusenge. But her resilience and passion kept her going. She invested earnings from YouTube and acting into building her own arsenal of film making equipment which she rents out to other creatives. ALSO READ: 10 years behind the lens: Rwandan director Olaf Datus’ storytelling continues She recently began producing, directing, and writing her own films. Her debut project ‘Inkomoko’ which she also stars in, is a passion project born from years of preparation and collaboration. “I didn’t have a big budget, but I had a vision,” she said. With the support of close friends in the industry like Yves Mizero and Emmanuel Rugaba, she turned her script into a film, using funds she had saved from other projects. “We worked with what we had. Now we’re in the process of releasing it, and the love we’ve received so far is overwhelming. A woman of hustles Dusenge is also the founder of Clen Solution Group, a construction company that manufactures modern building materials like cement blocks and paving tiles. With the name she has in the film industry, she is optimistic that fame is contributing in pushing her business to bigger strides. “The visibility and network I’ve built through cinema helped me launch this business. Cinema can sustain you if you take it seriously. It’s not just a hobby,” she explains. In addition, she’s an active poet, collaborating with artists such as Junior Rumaga, Gratien Niyitegeka, and Clapton Kibonke, with works available on her YouTube channel. In the next five years, Clenia envisions to operate an international production company and releasing more than five films that carry strong, meaningful messages. She hopes to be a voice for young women in Rwanda and across Africa, proving that it’s possible to turn creative passion into a powerful career. “I want to inspire girls with talent but little confidence. I want them to look at me and say, If she did it, so can I.” On that note Clenia says, acting taught her to truly listen and understand life on a deeper level. To her, acting isn’t just about pretending, it’s about empathy, humility, and sharing humanity with others. It’s not just a job but a life lesson.
