Sarah Uwase, even when young, had a strong liking for fashion. While kids her age played with toys, her focus was on making something new out of old clothes. But she also dreamed of a future with a bigger purpose. That purpose lay in the idea of single mothers straining to feed, raise and educate their children which touched her, and she longed to one day give them support. However, she wasn’t certain of how to put this dream into action. But during the 2020 lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, like many other people whose work was temporarily adjourned, Uwase used the free time to learn new skills. A friend suggested learning how to crochet, which she gave a try. It definitely was a great pastime, however, in this, she also saw an opportunity for business. “You never know how creative your mind can be until you test it. With yarn and a needle, I created everything I thought of, from duvets, carpets, clothes, head wraps, and doormats, to tablemats, cardigans, scarfs, and so forth. In two weeks I had gained the basics skills which I perfected with YouTube tutorials. It’s at that point that I knew I was getting closer to my vision,” she says. When she showed some of her creations to her close friends and family, the feedback was incredible and she heartened to start a company. At 24, Uwase is the founder and CEO of “Wase,” a Kigali-based company that crafts crochet customised products including sweaters, hats, women's and men’s attires, blankets, scarfs, carpets, doormats, fashion accessories, and much more. This business, she says, allows her to learn more and offer uniqueness to her clients, as she believes there is a lot of competition in the crotchet business, and standing out is key. Working with single mothers When Uwase was called back to work after the lockdown, her business was still new and she didn’t want to take a break from it. But she would need to train someone to operate while she was away, so she gave brief training to a random underprivileged single mother who became skilled in less than a month. “The business progressed slowly and I employed two other single mothers, and hired part-time workers whenever we had more orders. I didn’t limit them to anything, I asked them to create whatever they wanted, and that’s how I noticed their resourcefulness,” she says, adding that for every item sold, the mothers are given a certain percentage. The entrepreneur says that word-of-mouth has been her biggest marketing tool so far, though social media has also played a role in giving her products more visibility, not only in Rwanda but beyond. She now exports items within East Africa to clients willing to pay the shipping cost. Uwase adds that she is still discovering her target market, attracting more clients, and empowering women, mostly single mothers, to be financially independent. Challenges, plans Uwase feels that one of the challenges is a lack of appreciation for art as some people don’t take it seriously, which is why they think it’s cheap yet a lot of time and creation is invested. Uwase further says that she lacks enough capital to expand her business and for now, all profits are put back into the business. She looks forward to creating her own eco-friendly yarn but is limited by funds. She also anticipates having all her products 100 per cent Made in Rwanda. The acrylic synthetic material she uses sometimes is not of good quality, as most people are allergic to it, so she imports from Uganda and Kenya. She hopes to hire many more single mothers and equip them with skills to start their own businesses, and her wish is to have her products displayed in shops all over the world. To beat the competition, she believes it is necessary to have affordable prices, build loyalty, and provide clients with great and memorable customer service.
