32-year-old Noeline Umuhoza and her colleague Marie-Christelle Ishimwe, 30, realised that many women lack resources to cater for their families, and so, they decided to find a way to change this. The ladies own a crocheting and knitting company, NISH Ltd, located in Kimironko. The company makes clothes for women, men and children. Their business was launched in 2015 as a local fashion brand that makes crocheted and knitted clothing in unique patterns. The duo met with a burning desire to do business and, decided on fashion. Although they are from distinctive backgrounds, fashion united them. Umuhoza didn’t study any course in fashion but was enthused by her late mother who died during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She was a tailor by profession. Some of the designs made by the duo who also work with vulnerable women to empower them. Some of the memories are still fresh in her mind—how her mother made her and her siblings clothes—and she grew up with a longing to transform a piece of cloth into a beautiful garment. This, however, was not the case for Ishimwe, who says she was ‘born a fashion designer’, and her stimulation is drawn from each thread and apparel she sees. Having met in high school, the business partners teamed up to discuss ideas on how to make sketches of attires that they longed to produce one day. The company started as a fashion boutique but later on shifted to crocheting and knitting as a primary design. They then decided to work with vulnerable women in Kigali and train them to produce their own designs, and in return, share finances so as to sustain their families. The duo envision growth, and becoming a competitive factory that makes affordable modern knitwear for Rwandans; and sharing the distinctiveness of the Rwandan culture and tastes to the world through their unique supplies. “We aspire to have a renowned brand in East Africa that will be the best choice and provide the best customer care services, thus addressing clients’ needs,” Umuhoza says. The entrepreneurs are determined to actively ‘change the history of the community’ and make it self-sustainable, so that more Rwandans embrace locally made clothes as opposed to imported ones. That way, they believe that Rwandan designers will earn from their work and give Made in Rwanda products the boost they need. Umuhoza is of the view that fashion surpasses sheer elegance, which is why their company makes clothes that reflect dignity and class. “Though appearances remain important, our philosophy is that clothing can paint our story in the eyes of the world. We produce high quality products with strong attention to detail,” Umuhoza says. Some of their future plans include producing diverse gears using high quality materials, and crafting an environment in which customers feel important and comfortable. A knitted sweater by NISH Ltd Like any business, they face challenges, as some of the raw materials are not accessible in Rwanda, and it is tough travelling during this pandemic. The entrepreneurs are also limited in choice and quality of what they source from here, they are revising means to look for international reliable partners that can supply them with the quality of raw materials they need. Umuhoza explains that there is still an issue of low mind-set of labour as crochet and knitting have for long been considered as a hobby, not a profession. Marie Christelle Ishimwe, co-founder of NISH and her partner Noeline Umuhoza. But gradually, they are turning their workers into aggressive and professional staff by focusing on capacity-building in the company. Before hiring an employee, they train them for six months, not only in technical skills, but ways to be proficient. In the beginning, the duo didn’t have any employees, but the company expanded, and they are currently working with 10 permanent staff and 25 trainees. 36-year-old Clarisse has been working with NISH since 2016. She didn’t get a chance to finish secondary school, as she became a teenage mother. After getting pregnant, life became hard as the father of her son couldn’t give her the financial support she needed. “She stayed with her parents as she struggled to sustain herself and her son. When we met her, she was toiling to provide for her son with the basic needs. She had excellent crochet skills and was even eager to learn new tricks to evolve. We started training her and shaping her skills to make better and modern crochet patterns,” Umuhoza says. Six years on, Clarisse is a self-sustained mother, full of hope and can now easily afford her family’s needs. Her whole family is proud of her and the woman she has become. NISH Ltd wants Clarisse’s story to become every woman’s story as they aspire to change lives and communities.
