Entrepreneurs get Tigo boost

One of the leading telecom companies in the country, Tigo Rwanda, has partnered with Reach for Change, a non-profit organisation, to support social entrepreneurs who have projects geared towards improving the lives of Rwandan youth.Through the partnership, winning projects will get financial support of up USD25, 000 annually, for three years.According to Tigo, “the best way to enhance social change is to provide the right tools to people who are passionate and who have the drive to build a project which is able to sustain itself for the long term.”Interested candidates are invited to apply with ideas that can have positive impact in the many dimensions involving Rwandan youth.The Reach for Change initiative calls on Rwandans to present innovative ideas to contribute in bettering the lives of children and youth. The proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts and selected on the basis of how relevant they are for Rwanda. In addition to the financial reward, senior Tigo staff will provide business expertise and mentorship to the winning projects. “It is a great honor to be part of a movement focusing on transforming the lives of children in the long run as opposed to unmeasured donations,” Nina-Claudia Ndabaneze, Tigo’s Corporate Social Responsibility Officer and the in-charge of the Reach for Change program in Africa, said.She added, “I feel very lucky to be able to work with the candidates personally and help them make an idea come to reality.”The project was launched Tuesday evening, with applications being received immediately after the launch, through Tigo’s website.The Chief Executive Officer of Tigo Rwanda, Diego Camberos, said the initiative is aimed at promoting ICT as well as enhancing entrepreneurship projects that are perceived as the backbone of the economy.“Our objective is not just to give money. We want to build something but the most important thing is mentorship; so we are looking at helping young people create change in their own society,” Camberos said.The project is also seen as a boost to the nationwide efforts geared towards promoting ICT and building a private-sector led economy, as well as youth employment.Marcien Nizeyimana, an internet café attendant, noted that the support to social entrepreneurship would give youth courage to start their own projects since the biggest challenge has been lack of funds.“We as youth have so many ideas that can transform the society but at times you find your idea needs a lot of money and concentration and we don’t have any source of funds,” he noted.Experts are optimistic that with the recent support from both the private sector and government to boost entrepreneurship, more small and medium projects stand to benefit.

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Entrepreneurs get Tigo boost