IFAK, E.S Bumbogo rewarded for smart money-making ideas in BK Foundation challenge

On May 23, 2026, BK Foundation, in partnership with iDebate Rwanda, hosted the national finale of the fourth cohort of the Money Makeover Challenge, awarding students from two best-performing schools for their innovative financial literacy projects. The Money Makeover Challenge is a practical competition that pushes secondary school students to apply real-world financial thinking, moving beyond classroom theory to develop business ideas that can generate and sustain income. This year’s finale drew 11 schools from across the country: E.S Bumbogo, IFAK Kimihurura, Kagarama Secondary School, Rusumo High School, Lycée de Rusumo, Rwanda Coding Academy, Cornerstone Leadership Academy, Rwanda Children Christian School, Saint Mary’s High School Kiruhura, Petit Séminaire Saint Léon Kabgayi, and Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. The programme is built on the belief that equipping young people with financial skills early creates a generation capable of making smarter economic decisions, building businesses, and contributing meaningfully to national development. Each school sent a team of three students who were given a financial scenario: two young graduates earning Rwf60,000 a month but spending Rwf80,000, leaving a monthly deficit of Rwf20,000. Teams had to design a viable business idea that would not only close that gap but also generate enough surplus to support the students’ future plans. IFAK Kimihurura claimed first place and took home Rwf900,000, with E.S Bumbogo finishing as runners-up and receiving Rwf450,000. Lycée de Rusumo placed third, Rwanda Children Christian School fourth, and Rwanda Coding Academy fifth. All 350 students who participated across the training phases received Rwf50,000 each and certificates of participation. Ketsia Keza, Coordinator of the Money Makeover Challenge, said the programme has grown well beyond what they initially envisioned, with the two-year partnership with BK Foundation having made it possible to reach a level of impact that would otherwise have been impossible. “In two years, we have managed to train close to 15,000 students, which would not have been achievable without BK Foundation’s commitment. We are not stopping here , we are looking at expanding the reach of this challenge, including the possibility of bringing it to a national television audience,” she said. For Guilliane Juru, 17, a Senior Five Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics student at IFAK Kimihurura, winning the fourth cohort was a validation of the team’s preparation and creative thinking. Her team presented two projects: “Smart Card Canteen,” a card-based payment system designed to help parents send money directly to their children’s school canteen accounts, reducing the risk of cash being lost or misused, and “Akazi Link,” a training platform connecting fresh graduates with employers. “Money, however little, always has the potential to grow if handled with discipline. Competing here taught me that financial literacy is not just about knowing the theory, it is about having the confidence to put it into practice. I am already thinking about investing in BK Capital shares as a starting point,” she said. Arnold Imfura Munyaneza, a Senior Five Mathematics, Physics and Geography student at E.S Bumbogo, said the competition shifted how he and his teammates think about money, from something to be spent to something to be managed and grown. “Before, we thought the natural thing to do with money was to spend it and then look for more. Now we understand that the first thing you do when you receive money is set aside what you will save, and then work with what remains. That shift in thinking is what this competition gave us,” he said. His team’s projects included an automated envelope-making machine and a fertiliser production venture, both designed to generate income and employment. The fourth cohort also marked a significant regional milestone. Six students from Taraba State, Nigeria, attended the event as part of a growing partnership between iDebate Rwanda and Nigerian schools. The Nigerian delegation took part in a standalone debate on the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence in education, which they won by arguing the case against early AI adoption. “Coming to Rwanda gave me a different perspective on what young people are capable of when they are given the right platform. Debates like this one train you to think fast, take a position, and defend it with evidence, skills that matter far beyond the classroom,” said Gabriel U. Divine, one of the Nigerian participants. In keeping with the programme’s philosophy of turning learning into lasting habits, the prize money awarded to winning teams is not handed over directly as cash. It is instead channelled through AGUKA, an investment fund managed by BK Capital, so that winners experience firsthand what it means to invest rather than simply spend a reward. Through a combination of structured training, competitive problem-solving, and hands-on exposure to investment, BK Foundation is working to ensure that Rwanda’s next generation of entrepreneurs starts their journey not from scratch, but from a foundation of sound financial knowledge.

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IFAK, E.S Bumbogo rewarded for smart money-making ideas in BK Foundation challenge