On a long, sun-baked highway in Kayonza, tired passengers shuffle off a bus and into a roadside haven. The air is thick with the scent of fresh Rwandan coffee. At Bashana's Coffee & Fastfood, commonly referred to as 'ku imigongo', young baristas move swiftly behind the counter, serving different drinks and treats. Travellers stretch, laugh, and step into spotless restrooms before continuing their journey. It’s hard to believe that just seven years ago, this same stretch of road offered little more than long drives and silence. No coffee. No clean stopovers. No place to rest. That gap is what Charles Bashana saw—and dared to fill. Leaving behind a secure job in Kigali in 2017, he gambled everything on the idea that rural Rwanda could become a place for cosy coffee stops, decent meals, or even a guesthouse to rest before continuing their journey. “In 2017, I left a job I was doing to pursue a passion I had for social entrepreneurship in rural Rwanda,” he recalls. “By the middle of the following year, this centre in Kayonza, the first of its kind, was born. What you see now was born out of that passion and commitment.” From one centre, his model grew into a movement. Hospitality, arts and crafts, farming, furniture, and trade—each venture under his umbrella was designed with one guiding principle: social impact. “Our business model revolves around that. We aim to bring innovation and creativity into rural Rwanda and, hopefully, rural Africa as well.” The journey, he admits, has been “challenging and exciting at the same time.” Much of the work was experimental, yet the appreciation from customers reassured him he was onto something transformative. “It has brought so much joy to us,” he says with a smile. Bashana’s decision to leave Kigali for Kayonza was not a compromise. “I was born in a cattle-keeping village, and much of my childhood was not city life at all,” he explains. “No place in Rwanda feels remote anymore, given the level of development services across the country.” As coffee stops multiplied across Rwanda’s highways, many began calling him the “godfather” of countryside hospitality. He waves off the title with humility: “Godfather seems like an exaggeration. If what I did inspired someone to be bold enough to start their own thing, credit should go to our country’s enabling environment. It allows anyone to pursue their dream.” Still, the impact is undeniable. Today, travellers expect to find roadside havens that did not exist a decade ago. “Jobs have been created, the experience for people moving around Rwanda’s countryside has improved, and it’s now normal for anyone to get a good meal, quality coffee, a clean bathroom, and even shop for local produce along the way,” Bashana says. “Here in Kayonza, people can even stay in our guesthouse and explore the district more. That’s a lot of impact.” Looking ahead, his focus is on growth and refinement. “Much of what we’re doing still needs further innovation,” he says. “The next phase will be about fine-tuning what we have built and probably adding one or two new projects with a similar approach.” For him, social entrepreneurship is not about choosing between profit and people. “The two don’t conflict—they complement each other,” he explains. “Any revenue gained in a social business helps pursue the desired social impact. SMEs need about two years to stabilise, but in social business, you probably need double that to ensure sustainability.” Beyond Rwanda, he is convinced Africa holds the world’s greatest untapped economic promise. “Africa is a giant—probably the only place left where dreaming is still possible for everyone,” he says. “When our people realise their God-given right to prosper, we’ll witness an economic miracle like never before. Rural Africa, in particular, has the key to this miracle because it holds immense untapped resources—both natural and human, especially youth and women.” His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is straightforward: start. “If you have the passion, gather the information and tools you can, and just get started. There will never be a perfect time. Learn, make mistakes, improve, and the chances of success are high.” If he could advise his younger self, he adds, it would be: “Focus on building strong teams above everything else.” Asked to envision rural Rwanda 10 years from now, Bashana doesn’t hesitate: “It will be the place where people go to witness Rwanda’s economic transformation and prosperity.”
