Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera, kuwa 21 Kanama
Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera hamwe na UN Women batanga amahugurwa ku bucuruzi bwa ba Rwiyemezamirimo b’Abagore mu Rwanda.
Mu Rwanda, ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi by’abagore byihariye hafi kimwe cya gatatu cy’ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi byose, bikaba bigize igice kinini cy’ubukungu. Nk’uko Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera rifite inshingano zo kubakorera ubuvugizi, kubaka ubushobozi, kubahuza n’amasoko yo mu gihugu no hanze yacyo, hamwe no gusangira ubunararibonye hagati y’abagore binyujijwe mu gukorana, batangije uruhererekane rw’amahugurwa ku bucuruzi mu rwego rwo gufasha abanyamuryango babo guhangana n’ibibazo byatewe n’icyorezo cya COVID-19, no kurushaho kwiyubaka.
Ku nkunga ya UN Women, no ku bufatanye na BPN Rwanda hamwe na Kora Coaching Group, Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera bakoze ubushakashatsi ku banyamuryango babo hagamijwe kureba imbogamizi bahura nazo n’ibyo bakeneye kurusha ibindi mu gihe cy’icyorezo. Muri ubwo bushakashatsi, bashyizeho serivisi zitandukanye z’ubujyanama bwakwifashishwa mu gukomeza ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi hamwe na serivisi z’ubujyanama mu rwego rw’imitekerereze n’imibereho myiza, binyujijwe mu masomo ahabwa buri muntu ku giti cye yahawe ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi 30 by’abagore biri mu cyiciro kimwe muri Kigali byakoreweho igeragezwa.
Imbogamizi ikomeye abagore bahuye nayo mu gihe cy’icyorezo ni uko cyaje gitunguranye, bityo nta gihe cyo kwitegura cyangwa cyo gushyiraho ingamba cyabayeho. Imbogamizi zikomeye kandi ba rwiyemezamirimo bahuye nazo ni uko abari bafite ibicuruzwa kuri gasutamo batabashije kubibona, kandi ntibanabasha kwishyura abakozi kuko nta kazi kari gahari.
Izi mbogamizi zateje ibibazo mu rwego rw’imitekerereze no mu rwego rw’akazi ku bacuruzi benshi. Abagore bitabiriye amahugurwa ku bucuruzi bari bakeneye ubufasha mu gusuzuma uko ubucuruzi bwabo bwari buhagaze mbere ya COVID-19, hamwe n’ubufasha mu gushyiraho gahunda zo kuzahura ubukungu mu gihe kizaza.
Abagore bitabiriye icyiciro cya mbere bishimiye ibi bikorwa; bavuze ko batigeze batekereza na rimwe ko bashoboraga guhindura cyangwa kujyanisha n’igihe ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi byabo kugira ngo babashe kurokoka icyorezo.
Agnès Samputu, Umuyobozi w’Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera yagize ati : «ubumenyi n’ubumenyi ngiro baduhaye bwaradufashije cyane mu bucuruzi bwacu kurusha kuba bari kuduha amafaranga.»
Umuyobozi wa RCWE ashimangira inyungu zitezwe n’impinduka nziza uyu mushinga uzagira ku buzima bwa ba rwiyemezamirimo b’abagore mu Rwanda.
Jeanne Francoise Mubiligi, Umuyobozi w’Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera yagize ati:
«Nk’Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera, icyorezo cya COVID-19 cyatubereye imbogamizi ariko kinatubera uburyo bwo gukora ubuvugizi kugira ngo hakorwe impinduka z’uburyo ibintu bikorwamo, hanashyirweho politiki zikwiriye, hamwe n’ibikorwa byo kurengera ba rwiyemezamirimo b’Abanyarwandakazi ndetse n’abagore bose muri rusange kugira ngo mu gihe kizaza batazongera kwibasirwa n’ibibazo nk’ibi cyane kurusha abandi. Twizera ko izi mpinduka zishobora kugira ingaruka ku mibereho ya ba rwiyemezamirimo b’abagore benshi no ku buringanire bw’abagore n’abagabo mu Rwanda mu bihe bisanzwe, nyuma ya COVID-19.”
UN Women yagaragaje ko ibyakoze mu mahugurwa yo kuzahura ubucuruzi bw’abagore hamwe no gutanga ubufasha bukenewe mu rwego rw’imitekerereze n’imibereho myiza byatanze umusaruro, kandi ko bateganya kuzakomeza amahugurwa nk’aya ku bucuruzi ku buryo burambye. Bitewe n’uko indangagaciro ngenderwaho ya UN Women igira iti : « Ntagusiga n’umwe inyuma », abafatanyabikorwa bari kwiga uburyo bwo kuzatanga aya mahugurwa n’ubujyanama ku bacuruzi bato mu zindi ntara z’igihugu.
Fatou Lo, Uhagarariye UN Women mu Rwanda yagize ati:
« COVID-19 ni ikibazo gikomeye ku buzima no ku bukungu n’imibereho y’imiryango. Muri aya mahugurwa ku bucuruzi, twizeye ko tuzatanga ubufasha bwihuse kandi bunoze mu gushyigikira ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi by’abagore byinshi bishoboka. Twamaze kubona amafaranga yo kongera ubufasha dutanga bukagera kuri ba rwiyemezamirimo 100 b’abagore, kandi twizeye ko hari abafatanyabikorwa bashya bashobora kuzadushyigikira muri iki gikorwa. Gufasha abagore benshi gutangiza ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi, kugira no kuyobora ibigo by’ubucuruzi bito n’ibiciriritse biri mu nshingano zacu nka UN Women. Iki ni ikintu cy’ingenzi mu mikoranire yacu na guverinoma hamwe n’urwego rw’abikorera. Bitewe n’uko turi muri Gahunda y’Intego z’iterambere rirambye, hamwe no kugerageza kubaka isi nziza kurushaho, yita ku bidukikije, idaheza, kandi idasumbanya nyuma ya COVID-19, tugomba gukora ku buryo abagore badasigara inyuma.»
Ni muri uru rwego, ikindi cyiciro kizatangira vuba. Uko COVID-19 izagenda igabanuka, ubumenyi n’ubumenyi ngiro bwatanzwe mu mahugurwa ku bucuruzi, hamwe n’ubufasha mu rwego rw’imitekerereze n’imibereho, ndetse n’ubujyanama, bizagera ku bacuruzi bato mu gihugu hose. Bizafasha kandi ba rwiyemezamirimo b’abagore batari bazi Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera kumenya ko ririho n’ibikorwa rikora, bityo bikanabatera imbaraga zo kurijyamo.
Muri iyi minsi, amahugurwa ku bucuruzi ahabwa gusa abagore bari mu Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera bagaragaje ko bayakeneye kandi bakiyemeza kugira uruhare muri iyo gahunda, kandi bakanoza cyangwa bagahindura ubucuruzi bwabo.
Ni gute umuntu aba umunyamuryango w’Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera?
Kugira ngo abe umunyamuryango w’Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera, rwiyemezamirimo w’umugore agomba kuba afite ubucuruzi bumwanditseho ku buryo bwemewe n’amategeko, kandi akishyura umusanzu buri mwaka. Ku yandi makuru, wakwegera Umuhuzabikorwa ushinzwe abanyamuryango b’Ishami ry’Abagore mu Rugaga rw’Abikorera, Marie Olga Mukayisenga, cyangwa ukabasura kuri Twitter yabo (@chamberofwomen):
Ushaka kumenya byimbitse ibyerekeranye n’amahugurwa ku bikorwa by’ubucuruzi by’abagore, ushobora kureba aya mashusho:
CNBC Africa: Chamber Launches Business Clinics…https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/07/09/chamber-launches-business-clinics-to-support-women-led-businesses/
KORA Coaching Group: Business Clinic Launch Rwanda Women Entrepreneurs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mslpOQ8kUws
CNBC Africa: This Business Advisory Clinic Seeks to Empower Women Entrepreneurs in Rwanda https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/07/20/this-business-advisory-clinic-seeks-to-empower-women-entrepreneurs-in-rwanda/
Rwanda Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs/PSF with Support of UN Women provides Business Clinics for Women-Led Businesses affected by COVID-19 in Rwanda
In Rwanda, women-owned businesses account for about one-third of all businesses, a large portion of the economy. As the PSF – Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs’ mandate is to provide advocacy, capacity building, linkages to local and international markets, and experience sharing among women through networking, they initiated a series of Business Clinics to help their members cope during the COVID-19 pandemic, and build back better.
With support from UN Women, and in partnership with BPN Rwanda and the Kora Coaching Group, the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs assessed their members to find out their challenges and greatest needs during the pandemic. From this assessment, they designed a series of business continuity advisory services combined with psychosocial support services, with one-on-one coaching sessions for a pilot cohort of thirty women-owned businesses in Kigali.
The biggest challenge for women during the pandemic was that it came with no warning, and no business had time to prepare or make a strategy. The major challenges the entrepreneurs faced were that those who had merchandise at customs were unable to access them and had difficulties paying employees when there was no work.
These challenges brought both psychological and professional distress to many businesses. Women in the business clinic needed both support in assessing how their businesses were operating prior to COVID-19, as well as the assistance in making recovery plans for the future.
These interventions have been greatly appreciated by women who were part of the first cohort who noted that they had never imagined that they could find ways to either transform or adjust their business practices to survive the pandemic.
What they have received in terms of knowledge and skills has contributed much more to our businesses than money ever could.”
– Agnès Samputu, Director, PSF Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs
The Chairperson of RCWE insists on the expected outcome and impact of this project on the lives of women entrepreneurs in Rwanda.
“As the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs, the COVID-19 pandemic provides us with a challenge and an opportunity to advocate for systemic changes and appropriate policies, interventions and actions that protect Rwandan women entrepreneurs and all the women in general from being disproportionately affected by shocks like these in the future. It is our belief that these changes could also have a far-reaching effect on the state of women entrepreneurs and women equality in Rwanda at even more stable times, post COVID-19.”
– Jeanne Francoise Mubiligi, The Chairperson, PSF-Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs
UN Women noted that the efforts made through the business clinic to restore women’s businesses and provide the necessary psychosocial support have shown positive results, and that they look forward to continuing these types of business clinics in a sustainable way. Since a core value of UN Women is to “Leave No One Behind,” partners are exploring ways to bring these workshops and mentoring to small businesses in other provinces of the country.
‘‘The COVID-19 crisis is both a health and a socio-economic crisis. With this business clinic we hope to provide the quick and quality support to assist as many women-owned businesses as possible. We have already secured funding to extend the support to 100 women entrepreneurs and we are encouraged that new partners might be joining us in this endeavor. Supporting more women-owned businesses to launch, own and manage small and medium enterprises is integral to our work as UN Women. This is at the heart of our collaboration with the government and with the private sector. As we enter the decade of the SDGs and try to build a better, greener, inclusive, and equitable world post COVID-19, we must ensure that women are not left behind.’’
– Fatou Lo, UN Women Representative in Rwanda
To this end, a second cohort will begin soon. While the situation of COVID-19 is stabilizing to some extent, the knowledge and skills conveyed through the business clinic, along with the psycho-social support and mentoring, have the potential to reach out to small businesses nationwide. It may also help women entrepreneurs who are not aware of the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs to learn about its existence and activities, and motivate them to join.
Currently, the business clinics are available only to those women who are members of the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs in good standing, and who have expressed their needs and committed to participate in the program and improving or transforming their businesses.
How can one become a member of the PSF chamber?
To become a member of the PSF- Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs, a business woman must have a legally registered business, and pay dues on a yearly basis. For more information, contact the Chamber’s Membership Coordinator, Marie Olga Mukayisenga, or visit them on Twitter (@chamberofwomen):
To learn more about the Women’s Business Clinics, you can also check out these videos:
CNBC Africa: Chamber Launches Business Clinics…https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/07/09/chamber-launches-business-clinics-to-support-women-led-businesses/
KORA Coaching Group: Business Clinic Launch Rwanda Women Entrepreneurs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mslpOQ8kUws
CNBC Africa: This Business Advisory Clinic Seeks to Empower Women Entrepreneurs in Rwanda https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/07/20/this-business-advisory-clinic-seeks-to-empower-women-entrepreneurs-in-rwanda/