Having the ability do what you love, when you want, on your own terms, and with the goal to help others too, is certainly attractive. Whether you take the plunge, or consider dipping your toe in first, quitting your job to launch a business is an empowering and exciting experience. Being a software engineer, 26-year-old Josue Plante Niyomugenga didn’t find his line of work fulfilling—putting aside the idea of doing something he was passionate about, more than anything, he want to make an impact in society in his own way. So he quit his job. What he had in mind was to start a business that would elevate rural craftsmanship and enhance the livelihood of rural artisans. This, he says, was something that lingered in his mind even as a child, seeing as he grew up in a community of artisans, who made peanuts or no money at all from their craft. “My mother was one of the handicraft makers and seeing all of them invest their energy and creativity in work with no gain, only to go back home to families waiting for them to provide was dismaying,” he says. A course in business management opened his eyes to how he could be of help to these people, which led to the launch of his Gasabo-based company called AFLIMBA Ltd that makes bags from recycled denim and other materials in 2018. “In 2022, we pushed our creative boundaries a step further towards making products that are meaningful and useful to the environment, hence the ‘Kinstugi Limbags’ project was born. And thanks to Impact Hub Kigali for guiding us along the way,” he says. He says the word ‘Kintsugi’ is derived from the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold to imply a metaphor for embracing one’s flaws and imperfections. Niyomugenga says that ‘Kintsugi Limbags’ are made with the primary intention of being environmentally conscious and making the earth greener by putting harmful waste to use. He adds that his artisans re-purpose the dumped pairs of jeans into world-class quality bags. Denim fabrics are one of the least eco-friendly clothing fabrics. Niyomugenga points out that jeans remain the cornerstone of just about any wardrobe, which is why he believes that purchasing one of his bags is saving the planet. He explains that his company partnered with unemployed women in low-income households to collect pairs of jeans that are no longer in use, from door-to-door starting in Kigali, among other areas. Niyomugenga adds that the bags differ in size, type and colour, from backpacks, laptop bags, duffel bags, tote bags, pouches, side bags, and so forth. He notes that one bag can be made by one artisan, and the simplest would take about two hours, while the complex ones can go for seven hours. According to the businessman, offering job opportunities and putting a smile on artisans’ faces is what gives him joy after a long day. “Different platforms have assisted us in telling our story, a thing that has attracted customers, some of these include social media, exhibition events and sales agents in universities,” he says. Though the company is progressing, he encounters some challenges, such as lack of local access to high quality materials to perfect the products, and absence of skilled training in production. So far, he has eight permanent workers and a number of part-timers. Niyomugenga notes that his future plans are selling his products on the global market, making a category of premium products, creating jobs for at least 100 rural artisans, and investing more in the circular economy. Circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which includes sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. Niyomugenga says that he didn’t do any training in making bags, but just enjoyed having fun with his imagination, putting the designs on paper and being mesmerised after bringing them to life. His bags range from Rwf 10,000 to Rwf 70,000 and, he emphasises, 90 per cent of his customers are Rwandans. Niyomugenga’s role model is the late Steve Jobs, an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, business magnate, media proprietor, and investor, for his zeal to create an addictive and global lifestyle brand.
