After emerging as winners of the 2025 JA Rwanda National Company of the Year Competition, four students from Rwanda Coding Academy (RCA) represented the country at the JA Africa regional competition, held from December 3 to 5, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria. The students described their participation in the regional competition as both transformative and eye-opening, exposing them to peer learning, innovation, and high-level competition beyond Rwanda’s borders. Junior Achievement (JA) Africa, one of Africa’s largest organisations working on youth economic empowerment, operates through national offices, including JA Rwanda, and is a member of JA Worldwide, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize-nominated global youth organisation present in more than 110 countries. JA’s mission is to prepare young people for the future of work through hands-on learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. JA Africa currently operates in 23 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, reaching more than one million young people annually. In Rwanda, JA implements the JA Company Program under the SET4LYF (School-to-Work Education Transitions for Long-Term Youth Fulfilment) initiative. Launched in 2025, the programme operates in 80 technical secondary schools, with plans to expand to more schools, including those in general education, in 2026. The team competed under the company name Agro Haven, a student-led venture that won the national competition in November. The project focuses on sustainable agriculture through soil-free farming methods and the reuse of organic waste, addressing challenges linked to rapid urbanisation, shrinking arable land and rising pollution. Agro Haven’s solution uses a technology-driven vertical farming model designed to minimise land use while optimising crop growth. The system integrates artificial intelligence to predict plant growth patterns and ensure crops receive appropriate nutrients at each stage. The JA Company Program is a 16-week initiative in which students in their last 3 years of high school create and run student companies, from ideation to prototype development and product sales. The programme is designed to provide practical business experience and career-ready skills. Ange Kevine Uwayo, Agro Haven’s Chief Executive Officer and a Senior Six student at Rwanda Coding Academy specialising in Software Programming and Embedded Systems, said participation in the programme helped build confidence and entrepreneurial skills. “Our participation in the regional competition was intimidating at first, especially as it was our first time travelling outside Rwanda and our first time flying,” Uwayo said. “Students who were highly competitive with strong presentation skills made us nervous initially, but it motivated us to prepare harder. JA Rwanda and our teacher at school provided strong preparation support ahead of the competition.” “We believed strongly in our business idea. We trusted our concept and its potential to make a difference,” Uwayo said. During the event in Abuja, the team took part in the regional competition, seminars, project showcases and trade fairs alongside other students from across Africa. Although the team did not win any of the top three regional awards, their performance earned them the Delta Airlines Award, which enables all four team members to attend the Girls Lead Camp in Ghana in March 2026. The award recognises outstanding young female innovators across the continent. Uwayo said the camp will offer opportunities to strengthen leadership skills, explore STEM career pathways and connect with mentors and peers from different African countries. During their stay in Nigeria, the students also met Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, H.E. Christophe Bazivamo, who commended their innovation and encouraged them to continue developing their entrepreneurial ideas beyond Rwanda’s borders. The team also visited several sites in Abuja, including art galleries, the Discovery Museum of Nigeria, the Arts and Crafts Village and the Magicland Amusement Park. Another team member, Kevine Niyikora Ihimbazwe, Agro Haven’s Chief Operations Officer, expressed appreciation to JA Rwanda and its partners for the support provided before and during the competition. She said interactions with other teams helped them gain insights into project execution, financial management, scaling strategies and the importance of differentiating their innovation. Ihimbazwe encouraged fellow students not to fear entrepreneurship, noting that structured programmes such as the JA Company Program provide essential support for young innovators. She added that the award received at the national competition was used to improve their prototypes and acquire additional testing equipment. “We conducted multiple trials, improved three prototypes and replaced damaged materials,” she said. According to JA Rwanda, schools involved in the Company Program receive training to support students throughout the 16-week process. Looking ahead, JA Rwanda plans to introduce a structured mentorship programme to support students during the Company Program. “We have engaged and signed memoranda of understanding with BK Foundation, Equity and Ecobank. Through these partnerships, we will leverage staff expertise across the country to mentor students,” said Safari Philippe, JA Rwanda Program Manager. He added that JA Rwanda aims to scale the programme to reach 36,000 students this year by expanding to more schools and engaging additional stakeholders to support youth entrepreneurship nationwide.
