Join us in our upcoming webinar about “Practical Solutions for Improving the Wellbeing of Women Entrepreneurs”
Join us in our upcoming webinar about
“Practical Solutions for Improving the Wellbeing of Women Entrepreneurs”
Together with the Geruka Healing Center and the Kigali Public Library, the SME Response Clinic will be holding a live webinar, “Practical Solutions for Improving the Wellbeing of Women Entrepreneurs.“ The webinar is part of the Building Back Healthier Series, which aims to support entrepreneurs’ wellbeing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussion will be on Wednesday, 8 December 2021 at 3 pm via the SME Response Clinic Facebook page. The discussions will feature Adelite Mukamana, Registered Clinical Psychologist Specialist, Scovia Mutoni, Founder KGL Flour Limited, and Amina Muhoza, Founder Saye Company Limited. The discussion will be in Kinyarwanda
Are you a student or a young innovator? Apply for Westerwelle Start-up Haus Ideate Program by 8 December!
Are you a student or a young innovator? Apply for Westerwelle Start-up Haus Ideate Program by 8 December!
In partnership with the US Embassy in Rwanda, Westerwelle Start-up Haus Kigali seeks to support young social innovators through the Ideate Rwanda program. Ideate Rwanda is a program that aims to empower young innovators to launch tech start-ups with a positive social impact.
Through the program, over 80 innovators will be selected to participate in a hackathon on 13th December 2021. From this group, 10 participants will be selected and provided with resources to support them in developing tech solutions for social challenges in their communities.
These participants will have the opportunity to complete a 4-month program at the Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali starting in January 2022. They will benefit from:
- Capacity building workshops
- Networking opportunities with a community of entrepreneurs
- Promotion of their developed solutions
The selection of hackathon participants will be based on the following criteria:
- The project demonstrates a positive social impact on the community
- Team/individual demonstrate the ability to execute their vision into reality
- Project/idea has an innovative model
Interested applicants should apply by 8th December 2021.
To apply, visit: Application
SME Response Clinic hosts a webinar on practical strategies to deal with stress at Kigali Public Library.
SME Response Clinic hosts a webinar on practical strategies to deal with stress at Kigali Public Library.
The SME Response Clinic held a webinar on practical strategies to deal with stress at Kigali Public Library on the 12th of November 2021. The webinar is part of the Building Back Healthier Series that was launched with a talk show on KT Radio on the 18th of October 2021. The series is organized in partnership with the Geruka Healing Centre.
The objective of the webinar was to inform and inspire entrepreneurs to incorporate wellbeing into the daily operations of their businesses and equip them with practical skills to cope with stress. The webinar featured a mental health expert, Dr Jean Pierre Ndagijimana, with two active small business owners, Claudine Tuyisenge and Johnson Runuya. Learn more below.
Dr Ndagijimana kicked off the session with a great example to help attendees and viewers understand how to improve the stress response. Let’s dig in:
Most of us use a fire pit to cook food. When the food starts to boil up, you decrease the intensity of the heat so that your saucepan, for instance, won’t explode. At a certain point in time, you may also increase the intensity of the heat again. This process of balancing the intensity of the heat that goes into your firepit is also applicable to managing stress. As an entrepreneur, this means knowing when your level of stress is increasing or decreasing so that you can think of what actions you should take to regulate your level of stress.
Claudine and Johnson each shared their own experiences – read on to learn more.
Claudine’s Experience:
Claudine Tuyisenge is the founder of KICIRWANDA, a local organization that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. The business works with artisans – 90% of whom are women -based in rural Rwanda who makes handcrafted products to earn sustainable livelihoods. Claudine is no stranger to stress – she shared that in particular, she and her colleagues are always very stressed during the festive season – a season that is important for sales and during which taking a helpful holiday to recharge is not possible. For her staff, the experience of rushing to meet looming deadlines created insomnia and other challenges that made their lives more difficult.
To manage the stress of the season – Claudine introduced a new way of taking orders. To promote a healthy workplace at KICIRWANDA, rather than taking every order that comes in and rushing to complete it, Claudine implemented a process of accepting orders based on production capacity. Now, staff work together toward achievable goals, and it has allowed the business to continue to uphold high standards of quality while caring for its employees. Claudine shared the sentiment behind the process, “It’s crucial to be true to yourself and to your clients. [If you plan well,] you can tell them the timeframe you need to make quality products for them, which is an important element in managing stress.”
Johnson’s Experience:
Johnson Runuya is the founder of Johnson The Baker, a bakery that operates in Kigali and surrounding areas. While lockdown measures implemented in March 2020 forced many businesses to close their doors, they gave some entrepreneurs the time and inspiration to start online businesses. Johnson is among a number of university students who saw COVID-19 as an opportunity – he launched his business’ website just days after the lockdown started and began receiving orders from friends, family, and schoolmates. By April 2020, orders started flooding in as Johnson promoted his business through social media platforms.
Johnson never thought his business would continue after the lockdown was lifted, but instead, it has continued to thrive to the point where he is expanding his operations. While the orders are increasing, this comes with stress. He highlights that a big source of stress is that as a pastry chef, you do not set your own deadlines – customers do – and sometimes those deadlines are as short as one hour. As an entrepreneur, it is difficult to say no to the customer, so what is key is preparation. Having all needed materials on hand is critical to being able to say yes and meet customers’ needs. Johnson also stressed the importance of being kind to oneself – not everything will be perfect every time. To plan for his continued expansion, Johnson is setting up a system through which clients will send orders with a three-hour turnaround time, better enabling the business to manage the number of orders that come in. Johnson is sure this will help maintain his own well-being as well as the well-being of his employees by reducing the level of stress that comes with strict deadlines.
Championing wellbeing is important to a company’s success
“To have stress is common. The only way to have no stress is when we are no longer alive. Stress assists us (including entrepreneurs) in being successful and, in more extreme circumstances, in surviving. The ultimate goal for all of us is to improve stress response. What differentiates how individuals regulate levels of stress includes things like the time period that stress lasts and the techniques one uses to deal with it.” – Dr Ndaagijimana.
Claudette and Johnson are building back healthier by creating self-awareness about their own wellbeing and educating their staff to do the same. By paying attention to their levels of stress, they are understanding more clearly what they are capable of as well as what changes they need to make to be able to deliver on time. And, as a result, both have seen positive impacts, including increased productivity and better workplace environments.
Visit SME Response Clinic for tips for entrepreneurs to sustain their wellbeing and optimize mental health at the workplace, and join us for our upcoming webinar, “Building Back Healthier: Practical Solutions for Improving the Wellbeing of Women Entrepreneurs” scheduled for 08 December at 2 pm Rwanda local time at Kigali Public Library, and on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
Are you an entrepreneur in the energy sector? Apply for the Cooking Energy Business Growth Fund by December 19
Are you an entrepreneur in the energy sector? Apply for the Cooking Energy Business Growth Fund by December 19
Energising Development (EnDev), a multi-donor funded, multi-country initiative that supports sustainable access to modern energy, seeks applicants for their Cooking Energy Business Growth Fund (CEBGF) for Rwanda. The Fund is implemented by GIZ, a German development agency, and SNV, a Netherlands Development Organisation, in partnership with Inkomoko Entrepreneurship Development and funded by the European Union and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Through the Fund, EnDev aims to identify and support up to ten companies and cooperatives in Rwanda with outstanding ideas that create affordable and clean cooking solutions that will improve household cooking practices in Rwanda. These ideas should also address Rwanda’s environmental and health challenges, such as indoor pollution and deforestation.
EnDev will offer successful businesses an investment grant to support implementing one or more clearly defined goals with this initiative. CBEGF will also include a capacity-building offer from Inkomoko Entrepreneurship Development, covering training, business assessment, investment readiness, and pitch presentation.
Selected or winning companies and cooperatives will receive grant funding, cash prizes, and in-kind support for their business idea with a total cost of up to RWF 50 million. CEBGF shall support 10% to 80% of the total cost of implementing the business idea.
Interested applicants should fulfil the following criteria to apply:
- Idea or business must reduce the consumption of firewood or switch to other types of cooking energy (except LPG)
- The business must be registered with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) or Rwanda Cooperative Society (RCA)
- The total investment required to implement the idea or solution should not be above 50 million Rwandan francs
- The business must be seeking funding for 10% to 80% of the total cost of implementing the business idea or solution
- The business must have been in operation for at least six months
Applications will be evaluated based on the following:
- Expected benefits of the proposed activity or idea
- Economic viability and sustainability of the proposed activity or idea
- Viability, robustness and institutional strengths of the business (e.g. team composition, assets, own financial contribution, prior recognition)
- The degree to which the proposal accelerates sustainable market development for improved/clean cooking solutions in Rwanda, avoiding market distortion or unfair competition (e.g., third-party funded free distribution)
To apply for the Fund, visit: Application form
Apply for the Innovation for Climate Resilience Fund.
Apply for the Innovation for Climate Resilience Fund.
The Global Innovation Fund (GIF), a UK-based non-profit impact investment fund, has launched the Innovation for Climate Resilience Fund. The Fund seeks to support entrepreneurs in climate resilience and adaptation and was established in partnership with the Adaption Research Alliance and Global Resilience Partnership, with seed funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The Fund aims to address the challenge of generating evidence of impact and scalability of climate innovations through working with innovators to improve the rigor of measurement and evaluation towards climate resilience and adaptation.
The Innovation for Climate Resilience fund will finance innovators through grants, equity, and debt instruments, whose innovations demonstrate potential to scale and support the world’s poorest to build resilience and adaption. Global Innovation Fund has a staged funding approach where innovations in the pilot stage can receive up to USD 230 000, innovations in the testing and transition stage receive up to USD 2.3 million, and innovations in the scaling-up stage receive up to USD 15 million.
Innovations eligible for funding should fulfil the following:
- Have an innovation focused on the poor
- Present novel approaches
- Be able to improve upon alternative solutions
- Have innovations backed by evidence of potential impact
- Innovation can be applied in several different settings
- Demonstrate a potential to scale to reach millions of people
- Be led by strong and dynamic teams
- Be ready for investment
- Demonstrate potential to generate new knowledge on what works
- Demonstrate a clear role for Global Innovation Fund
To apply for the Fund, visit Innovation for Climate Resilience Fund.
SME Response Clinic hosts radio show Supporting Entrepreneurs’ Wellbeing during COVID-19 on KT Radio in partnership with the Geruka Healing Centre
SME Response Clinic hosts radio show Supporting Entrepreneurs’ Wellbeing during COVID-19 on KT Radio in partnership with the Geruka Healing Centre
On 18 October 2021, the SME Response Clinic launched the Building Back Healthier Series with a session on KT Radio’s Ubyumbwa Ute? radio show in partnership with the Geruka Healing Centre. This conversation aimed to support small business owners with insights to positively impact their wellbeing, featuring expert psychologists in conversation with entrepreneurs.
As one of the fastest-growing economies on the African continent, Rwanda has earned a reputation for innovation in many sectors, including the implementation of different measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government formed a robust nationwide response in March 2020, which included lockdowns and curfews. While effective, these measures have affected the lives and businesses of Rwandans, including their mental health and wellbeing.
The Geruka Healing Centre, which was established in 2019 to respond to the mental health and psychological needs of Rwandans, has seen an increase in demand for services from entrepreneurs over the course of the pandemic. In addition to seeking strategies for maintaining their own personal wellbeing, businesses have also been looking for guidance and financial support for the well-being of their employees.
Early on, the radio session discussed that understanding warning signs for people struggling experiencing challenges with mental health is usually difficult. However, Dr Vincent Sezibera, interviewed during the radio show, explained that there are clear biological, psychological, and social signs. A symptom of deteriorating mental health can manifest itself through depression or stress. People may express that they “feel lonely” or are “falling asleep all the time.” Some may experience loss of appetite or concentration. Regardless of the way it manifests, it is important to get help once you see the signs.
“The number of days you experience a mental health issue is not [important]. What’s important is that you look for mental health support once those manifestations [begin to] lead to significant social or occupational impairment or when you do feel not comfortable and there have been changes in how and what you enjoyed doing before.” – Dr Vincent Sezibera
In addition to Dr Vincent Sezibera, the radio show also featured two entrepreneurs, Gloria Girabawe, Founder of Flove, and Jeannette Umutoniwase, Founder of Inzira Dreamz Networks. Read on to learn more about Jeannette’s and Gloria’s stories.
Jeannette’s Story
Jeannette Umutoniwase is the founder of Inzira Dreamz Networks, a social enterprise that supports women and youth empowerment by teaching them how to be self-reliant through entrepreneurship activities like crafting clothes, bags, and shoes. Jeannette is passionate about giving hope to the community, especially young people, and creating positive transformation, so she also offers leadership coaching and self-awareness training. During the pandemic, Jeannette’s business suffered because the markets were closed, and its products could be sold. Jeannette and her coworkers felt overwhelmed, depressed, angry, and sad. Because she could not meet in person with her colleagues, she also felt isolated and lonely.
She began to worry about her mental health. Jeannette was able to regain her well-being by reaching out for professional support and sharing resources with those working in the same field experiencing similar hardships. She realized that she wasn’t the only one affected by the lockdowns. Jeannette began using digital tools like Zoom to stay connected with her workmates, which helped, and to interact with customers. As businesses have begun opening back up, Jeannette has slowly gained back her customers. She feels reassured in her ability to communicate swiftly with her customers, address concerns, and serve the market.
Gloria’s Story
Gloria is the founder of Flove, a Rwandan company that hires teen mothers to produce handbags for women. Her passion as an entrepreneur is empowering women. With Flove, Gloria creates job opportunities, pays a livable wage, and fosters a safe space to talk about mental health issues. Like Jeannette, she also organizes workshops on mental wellbeing so that her employees can learn to cope with trauma and mental health issues.
Gloria launched her business during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and noticed warning signs of a nervous breakdown – defined as a period of extreme mental or emotional stress – in herself after a few months of lockdown. She began to feel discouraged, exhausted, less productive and stressed. She launched her business during an extremely challenging time and needed someone to speak to so that she could validate business ideas. She realized that her mental well-being was suffering. At one point, she went to the hospital with symptoms similar to COVID-19 but tested negative. Gloria knew that she needed to improve her personal wellbeing so that she could be the best boss and run a thriving business for her staff.
Gloria learned by experience that one of the ways to cope with mental health issues is to seek out other business owners and share experiences. Gloria met with other entrepreneurs so that she could communicate her frustrations and test out her ideas. Because she saw that other businesswomen were experiencing similar challenges, Gloria’s depression began to ease. Dr Sezibera and other mental health experts agree – it is critical for business owners to talk about their challenges and struggles with peers and professionals, like Gloria. Doing so is the first step toward building back healthier.
Building Back Healthier
Jeannette and Gloria are building back healthier by maintaining their connections with the community and their customers. They are working with their peers to support each other to overcome the hardships and impacts of the pandemic. Dr. Sezibera agrees that these are important tools to positively impact mental health and wellbeing – talking to others, sharing resources, and staying in touch are key.
See our blog post featuring tips and tools for small business owners to improve their wellbeing, and stay tuned for our next webinar, which will be held on our Facebook and YouTube channels in early December.
Supporting Entrepreneurs’ Wellbeing During COVID-19: Tools and Tips to Build Back Healthier
Supporting Entrepreneurs’ Wellbeing During COVID-19: Tools and Tips to Build Back Healthier
Building back after a difficult time is always stressful. Entrepreneurs have faced unprecedented pressure as they work to re-open their businesses and recover from losses while maintaining and ensuring their health and wellbeing as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on.
During a recent radio show that aired on KT Radio, the SME Response Clinic and Geruka Healing Centre shared tips for how entrepreneurs and businesses can manage stress and burnout related to the everchanging business environment. Read on for more.
Tips for entrepreneurs and small business owners
Take care of yourself.
The day-to-day hustle and the need to stay on top of market and supplier demands makes it difficult to find time to care for yourself. It’s important to take time to enjoy simple things like listening to music and exercising after work to help prepare for the next workday. Some entrepreneurs have found practicing breathing exercises or walking back home from work to be helpful. Taking time to practice mindfulness after a hectic day is a great way to take care of yourself.
Be gentle with yourself.
Do not blame yourself for things that are out of your control, such as government lockdowns or the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, take stock of the things you can control and focus on what you can accomplish in a given day. Set realistic goals to help build a sense of fulfillment.
Practice a healthy lifestyle.
Maintaining a healthy diet, drinking enough water, and jogging or walking a few minutes after a long day can go a long way in maintaining a good balance in your life. There’s strong evidence that physical exercise produces an effect equivalent to antidepressants, and playing sports can help overcome depression. Reducing unhealthy coping behaviors such as alcohol and drug use are also important in improving overall wellbeing.
Connect with others.
Although measures such as curfews have halted physical meet ups with loved ones, some people have found it useful to stay socially connected through texts, calls, and virtual events. These activities build a sense of belonging and togetherness during difficult times. Look for opportunities to connect with those around you, and if none exist, reach out and schedule time for a group call or start a group chat on WhatsApp.
Avoid misinformation.
With the onset of the pandemic, we’ve seen an uptick in misinformation circulating on social media and other channels. Staying up to date on the latest information about the pandemic is key for entrepreneurs in order to stay ahead of the competition, but overloading yourself with misinformation can increase anxiety. You may access accurate information on COVID-19 here: https://www.rbc.gov.rw/index.php?id=707 or how to look for information safely here: https://cyber.gov.rw/updates/article/7-tips-to-be-safe-online/.
Put your phone down once in a while.
While phones and digital tools have been critical during the pandemic, reducing excessive use of technological equipment during the day may help your brain rest and reset. Normalize having time away from technological devices such as your phone or computer, and take time to bond and build connections with people around you.
Seek professional help.
In Kinyarwanda, we say “Ibuye ryagaragaye ntiriba rikishe isuka,” which loosely translates to, “a stone visible in the field can no longer destroy a hoe”. As an entrepreneur, if you continue to see signs of depression or anxiety, it’s important to seek out professional support in your area. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness! Please reach out to Geruka Healing Centre for mental health support.
Tips to implement for your business
Create safe and open workspaces.
Employees should be able to share distresses or challenges that arise from work. Build in peer support networks and allow employees to share their feelings and stressors. Whenever possible, have a professional facilitate the conversations.
Recognize and acknowledge employee efforts.
Appreciate employee sacrifices and reward them when you can for their hard work during challenging times, such as by giving time off. Building strong relationships between the employee and employer helps boosts employee morale and ultimately results in reduced risk of stress and burnout.
Provide access to information.
Give employees access to important information on how to manage stress and burnout as well as useful health and wellness techniques for selfcare. For some people, having this knowledge easily accessible will promote a positive change. Techniques could include writing down on a piece of paper what’s stressing you along with how you know it is causing you stress and an idea or two for what you can do about it. Visit this SME Response Clinic for more health and wellness tips.
Ensure emotional and physical safety.
Safety and security are key for employees wellbeing. Promoting a safe and secure work environment will build trust and a sense of ownership. Honor and respect your staff by giving them enough time to adjust as needed to upcoming changes at work to encourage a smooth transition and avoid mental shocks.
Building Back Healthier
The silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic could be that we have learned to change the way we work, confront our day-to-day stresses, and talk about our needs. By turning inward to better understand emotions and cultivate compassion, it’s easier for business owners and leaders to address employee’s concerns and build resilience for any future challenges they may confront. Stay tuned for more from the SME Response Clinic on the topic!
Join us in our up coming webinar about “Practical Strategies for Coping with Stress”
Join us in our up coming webinar about “Practical Strategies for Coping with Stress”
The SME Response Clinic in partnership with Geruka Healing Center will be holding a live discussion as part of the Building Back Healthier Series. Building off the radio show that launched the series, the webinar will focus on supporting entrepreneurs with practical strategies to cope with stress.
The discussion will take place on Friday, 12th November 2021 at 2 pm via the SME Response Clinic Facebook page and YouTube Channel. The discussions will feature Dr Jean Pierre Ndagijimana, Co-Founder, Rwanda Psychological Society (RPS), Johnson Runuya, Founder & CEO, Johnson The Baker, and Claudine Tuyisenge Founder & Manager, Kicirwanda. The discussions will be in Kinyarwanda
Meet Mushiyimana Beatrice, KCB Bank Biashara Club Member.
Meet Mushiyimana Beatrice, KCB Bank Biashara Club Member.
The SME Response Clinic spoke with Mushiyimana Beatrice, a small business owner and member of the KCB Bank Biashara Club, about the Biashara Club’s impact on her business. Beatrice highlighted the numerous benefits of membership, including access to training and lower-interest financing. Watch the interview to learn more.
To learn more, watch the video and visit KCB Bank Biashara Club to register to become a Biashara Club member.
Are you a social business with a solution for sustainable food systems looking to scale up? Apply for the Grow Up Social Incubator by November 21!
Are you a social business with a solution for sustainable food systems looking to scale up? Apply for the Grow Up Social Incubator by November 21!
Yunus Environment Hub, a global social business network focused on creating solutions for the environmental crisis, is launching its 2022 cohort of the GrowUp Incubator for social businesses focusing on sustainable food systems in East Africa. The GrowUp Incubator aims to support and grow the skills of early-stage entrepreneurs who can create sustainable environmental and social impact. The cohort will support social business entrepreneurs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi. The program provides critical support to social business entrepreneurs in a post-revenue stage.
Why should you join the Grow Up Social Incubator?
Successful applicants will receive access to the following benefits through the 6-month program:
- Bi-weekly tailored mentorship
- Interactive capacity-building bootcamp and training
- Networking with local partners
- Peer-to-peer support to share challenges and discover solutions
Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible, your business must:
- Be located in one of the above-mentioned target countries in East Africa
- Solve a challenge within one or more thematic areas related to food systems
- Be beyond the experimentation stage
- Have your product/service on the market for 6 months to 3 years
- Be legally registered or plan on doing it during the incubation program
- Be led by a person or by the community (i.e., through a cooperative model)
- Be able to demonstrate substantial environmental and social impact
- Be in pre-seed investment but the post-revenue stage
- Have accumulated sales to date of approximately 10,000 – 25,000 USD
- Have 2-3 people from the team who will participate in the program
- Have regular access to stable internet to participate in mentoring sessions and cohort events
How to apply
Social businesses that are eligible can apply by completing the application form here.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor for the cohort, please find the Terms of Reference and apply here.
Application Deadline: 21 November 2021
For more information,
Email: Anna.Khudiiash@yunuseh.com.