telling rwanda’s story agazine celebrating rwanda’s living...
TRANSCRIPT
Telling Rwanda’s Story
JAN - FEB 2015 ISSUE 48
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag.c
om
FREECOPY
Magazine
Celebrating Rwanda’s
Living Heroes
Mrs.Uwingabire M Chantala secondary school teacher at
Groupe Schalaire Butamwa in Nyarugenge deals in cattle
farming as well
UMWALIMU SACCO improves the Rwandan teachers’ welfare through
income generating projects
We proudly speak of the achievements of the SACCO in the last six years of existence and not just because of the healthy performance as a financial institution but because of the real lives that our services have touched and thank the Rwandan government under President Kagame’s leadership for this visionary approach to solving the needs of teachers..., According to the aforementioned impact assessment report carried out on a sample of 1080 teachers, “majority of the respondents (60%) asserted that Umwalimu SACCO has enabled them cope with emergency situations. .
7 EDITORIAL Umwalimu SACCO now focused on boosting teachers’ involvement in income generating activities.
8 UMWALIMU SACCO Celebrating Rwanda’s Living Heroes. Umwalimu Sacco improves the Rwandan teacher’s welfare through income generating projects.
12 PRESIDENTIAL MONTH highlights in pictures some of the President’s monthly activities in and outside Rwanda, for your recap.
14 BRALIRWA launches Legend Extra Stout Beer.
16 ENGEN AND SAWA CITI Partner for excellence.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
20 CITY OF KIGALI implementing new Construction Permitting Reforms Time spent reduces from 104 to 25 days.
26 RUSUMO One Stop Border Post and International Bridge completed expected to improve social and economic relations
28 TIGO extends Twenty Seven Million Rwandan Francs funding to Social Digital entrepreneurs’ projects.
30 AIRTEL RWANDA offers Priority Pass Membership to its premier customers. Offers an opportunity to escape crowded airport terminals.
34 DHL 159 elderly access free eye consultations as the DHL “Africa As One” ball arrives in Rwanda.
36 SERENA HOTELS Delivering as Promised Serena Hotels embarks on boosting domestic tourism this 2015.
38 SKOL BREWERY Innovation and hard work. Skol’s success. New production line launched, expected to double output.
42 UAE Exchange Rwanda Launches Transact And Fly Contest.
44 PEAL RWANDA Tasting Tasty Chicken. Children of Love for Hope get chicken.
PRESIDENTIAL MONTH12
ENGEN & SAWA CITI16 PEAL RWANDA44
RUSUMO BRIDGE 26
SERENA HOTEL36
HIGHLIGHTS
UMWALIMU SACCO
4
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
COVER PAGE Celebrating Rwanda’s Living Heroes UMWALIMU SACCO improves
the Rwandan teachers’ welfare through income generating projects
7
PUBLISHER’S WORD
Care is taken to ensure accuracy, Hope Magazine assume no liability
for error or omissions in this publication. All Advertisements
are taken in good faith, opinions and views contained herein
are not necessarily those of the Publisher. All copyrights and
trademarks are recognized. No part of this publication or any part
of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval
system or transmitted in any form without written permission by
Hope Magazine. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts with the
purpose of fair review. © 2013
Rebero Daniel
Umwalimu SACCO now focused on boosting
teachers’ involvement in income generating activities
Spinning a few years back lands into a period when being a public school teacher attracted so much humiliation, not for what one did but rather for what they could not get. Oftentimes
debtors to local shops, they always delayed to pay their bills, bringing yet more embarrassment.
Despite be ing the centers of socioeconomic transformation through the noble work of teaching the young and old, they often found themselves marginalized from the development they talked about, with meager salaries and almost no access to finance. Undisputedly, about a half decade later the welfare of majority teachers in Rwanda has improved; mostly to the credit of Umwalimu SACCO a teacher savings and credit cooperative established.
Since 2008 when it was licensed by the Central Bank of Rwanda to operate as a microfinance institution, the cooperative has had as its greatest achievement to date, melting the barrier to accessing finance. Today, a teacher benefits from a wide range of f inancial products, from emergence loans to meet immediate family demands, overdrafts, and mortgage finance to income generating activity loans.
Meaning for any need, the teachers’ cooperative has created appropriate products. And all the credit as dictated by government is offered at low interest rates of 11% annually for public school teachers, the lowest possible in the market today. But as the access to finance challenge solved, what remains to be tackled is where the money is invested.
According to the cooperative’s recently conducted impact assessment survey, most of the money borrowed by teachers since 2008 has been spent on meeting family basic needs, while another significant portion has been directed into constructing and
TEAM
Abraham RumanziAlbert NdataGahima Vital
Gaspard MushamboKarugahe Mutoni L.Latim Lawrence W.
Manzi JosephMatthew RwahigiMuziba Sheilah
Noella Rugema I.Rebero Daniel
PUBLISHED BY
Hope Magazine Ltd,
ADVERTISING &
GENERAL INQUIRIES
P.O. Box 6176 Kigali-Rwanda
+250 788 524189 /+250 788 404138
[email protected]: hope-mag.com
COPYRIGHT 2013
reserved by Hope Magazine Hope Magazine a monthly Magazine is published by Hope Magazine Limited.
All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily
those of the editors and publishers of Hope Magazine.
With the access to finance challenge eased, boosting teachers’ involvement in income generating activities should be next on agenda
renovating homes, all of which destinations are crucial in improving the teacher’s standards of living. Yet to ensure sustainable improvement of teachers’ welfare, there is need to mobilize more investments into income generating activities, which would guarantee additional sources of income to supplement teachers’ salaries and ensure that each can have a surplus and consequently accumulate some wealth.
However, shift ing the investment precedence requires campaigning for mindset change which cannot be accomplished by Umwalimu SACCO. It requires intervention from partners in the education sector, especially to elevate financial literacy in the areas of entrepreneurship, business planning and management. The benefits of this redirection of investments into income generating activities could have enormous benefits not just for teachers but for the entire Rwandan economy.
For instance provided that 90% of Rwandan teachers have income generating projects by the year 2018, as Umwalimu SACCO projects, employment opportunities would be created for many others as have already been, as you will read in our lead feature on the cooperative. Enjoy reading Hope Magazine as we bring you this and many more stories, all of which add up into one big narrative, Rwanda’s story of social and economic transformation.
We appreciate your feedback. Please keep sending more on [email protected] or visit www.hope-mag.com, to post your comment on any published story. We shall pick it and respond to you asap!
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
Establishing a SACCO, which idea was a b r a i nc h i ld of P re s i d e nt Ka g a me endeavored to ach ieve as i ts ma in outcomes; improving teachers’ welfare and ensuring that the resulting economic
development is shared amongst them.The idea was then constructed further and all legal paperwork developed getting the SACCO, the first of its kind, operational. And another test imony of Rwanda’s approach to development, one that focuses on home grown initiatives to solve challenges in a manner best appreciated and understood by the people was hatched.
The SACCO has since built and strengthened the social concept of unity and solidarity; which has been key in the country’s rise from the ashes of the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi’s by an extremist government of the time.
By easing access to finance, Umwalimu SACCO has significantly improved the welfare of teachers
Starting with about 2,500 teachers whose salaries were being paid through it, the numbers have since increased to over 46,000 active accounts by end year 2013 and. This is out of an estimated 62,000 teachers in public schools whose salaries ought to be channeled through Umwalimu SACCO. However, the teachers’ cooperative boasts over 75,000 members, including teachers in both private and public schools, and other employees of the Ministry of Education.
In an exclusive interview with Umwalimu SACCO’s Managing Director Mr. Joseph Museruka, he shares his joy for the work well done in the past half decade. Since 2008 when the SACCO begun taking savings and offering credit, it has recorded an ever growing loan portfolio with more teachers acquiring low interest credit rate to finance their projects and consequently that
Conceived in 2006 under the auspices
of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and
licensed in 2008 as a financial institution by the National Bank
of Rwanda, Umwalimu SACCO a teachers
savings and credit cooperative has in the
last six years of its operation significantly
improved the social wellbeing of Rwandan
teachers.
Until end year 2014, the government had extended over Frw12 billion. Part of this is included in a line of financing approved by the Rwandan
cabinet in 2012, which will see Frw30 billion given to the cooperative over a Ten year period. The credits are offered at an annual interest rate of 11%,
compared to prevailing rates with traditional lenders which is around 18% for commercial banks while the rates escalate
to over 24% in other microfinance institutions.
Celebrating Rwanda’sLIVING HEROES
SPECIAL FEATUREUMWALIMU SACCO
UMWALIMU SACCO improves the Rwandan teacher’s welfare through
income generating projects
Umwalimu Sacco Managing Director Joseph Museruka during the interview
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
in numerous v i llages, creat ing jobs for thousands more and in so doing improving not only their own lives but also of their families. According to an impact assessment survey commissioned by Umwalimu SACCO and conducted by a private firm at the end of 2014, members who reported to have created jobs from the f inancing received represented 47.9% and 54.6% of these were in the agriculture sector. That sounds very synonymous to the very basic understanding of the role of a teacher in community, one that involves an individual passing on knowledge to many
of their areas of residence. This has been bankrolled on an aggressive expansion plan which has seen the number of branches increase from just 14 which were operation till 2010 to 30 as of current, ensuring that there is at least one office in every district. Also to further ensure that Umwalimu SACCO offers proximal services to its beneficiaries, the cooperative has since last year entered into a partnership with over 416 Umurenge Savings and Credit Cooperatives, through which every teacher can now access services at the sector level. 295 of these sector based cooperatives are already operating and serving teachers across the country.
Most of the loans find their way to public schools whose teachers are most affected by low wages, and are offered at an interest rate unprecedented in contemporary Rwanda’s financial sector. To facilitate this approach to the alleviation of poverty among Rwandan teachers, the government of Rwanda has since the cooperative’s establishment channeled funds every other financial year, so that low cost financing is made available to as many teachers as can be reached.
Until end year 2014, the government had extended over Frw12 billion. Part of this is included in a line of financing approved by the Rwandan cabinet in 2012, which will see Frw30 billion given to the cooperative over a Ten year period. The credits are offered at an annual interest rate of 11%, compared to prevailing rates with traditional lenders which is around 18% for commercial banks while the rates escalate to over 24% in other microfinance institutions. This high cost of collateral based finance in the traditional financial sector was significantly restraining for teachers to access loans, hence the more reason for founding Umwalimu SACCO.
Another achievement to be proud of is that the rate of non performance of loans has been kept low over the past five years. Museruka shared that as at 31st December 2014, this parameter was recorded at a low 4.15%. Besides the healthy financial indicators in Umwalimu SACCO’s books of accounts, the impacts the access to finance it brought on board has had in improving the socioeconomic wellbeing cannot be overemphasized.
For instance of the over 44,000 teachers who have benefited from various credit products offered over the five year period, 25,000 have been able to construct or renovate and improve their houses. Another 18,000 of these teachers have directed the acquired loans into income generating act iv it ies; creat ing addit ional sources of income to the same end of improving their standards of living. Notwithstanding the additional sources of income created, teachers’ projects especially in Rwanda’s rural distr icts have been instrumental in sparking off economic development
others for the benefit of present and future generations and acting as the starting point for civilization. With their conventional role in constructing nations by ensuring a steady supply of able men and women reinforced with the current impact of sparking off social and economic development through job creation, there is little that Rwandan teachers may, if at all, lack to qualify for a hero’s celebration.
“We proudly speak of the achievements of the SACCO in the last six years of existence a nd not j u st be c a u s e of t he he a lt hy performance as a financial institution but because of the real lives that our services have touched and thank the Rwandan government under President Kagame’s leadership for this visionary approach to solving the needs of teachers,” Museruka shared. According to the aforementioned impact assessment report carr ied out on a sample of 1080 teachers, “majority of the respondents (60%) asserted that Umwalimu SACCO has enabled them cope with emergency situations.
Mrs. Rwimo Domitille a teacher at St. Joseph Primary School in Kicukiro district
Mukadusabe Petronille of Rwamagana Protestant School in Rwamagana District is a poultry farm owner.
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
In this instance, it helps them afford the purchase of food as their highest expenditure (30.8%) pay school fees (23.9%) and other requirements which also account for 5.3% of expenditures of teachers” the report reads in part.Also, operating enterprises increased household income as reported by 52.1% of respondents. 83% acknowledged an improvement in their living conditions especially habitat status, sanitation, food security, nutrition and access to electricity.
Financing Umwalimu SACCO
As a financial institution with a model of operation that requires offering low interest rate loans, Umwalimu SACCO does not stand a great deal of competitive advantage with traditional bankers for most of the finances available on international money markets. However, notwithstanding this limitation, the institution makes relentless efforts to attract this kind of financing from various development partners like the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD). From the latter, Umwalimu SACCO secured Frw1.5 billion loan at a 10% interest rate to finance mortgages for teachers that will paid over 15 years. Through similar channels, the institution has acquired various lines of credit to increase loan offering to its members.
However like Mr. Museruka shared, there are two main contributors of f inance to Umwalimu SACCO; the Rwandan government as indicated above and its now over 75,000 members as recorded at the end of the year 2014. From its members, everyone is mandator i ly required to save 5% of their monthly salary which is regarded a permanent saving while Frw10,000 is paid by every new member as share capital to the cooperative. Through the monthly savings, Museruka shared that the SACCO collects Frw170 million every other month which adds up to over 2billion collected annually.
In order to mobilize more funds and offer a wider range of solutions for teachers, Umwalimu SACCO has created several products unprecedented in trad it ional banking, like the Funeral Solidarity Fund. Under this product, a member of Umwalimu SACCO who by default is a teacher or an employee of the Ministry of Education and thus an employee in the teaching profession, rece ives Frw300,000 or 200,000 (an approx imate equ ivalent of US$428 or 285) in the event of loss of spouse or child respectively.
T h i s lu m p s u m i s m a d e poss i b le through a monthly contr ibut ion of Frw300 made by each of Umwalimu SACCO’ s ove r 7 5 , 0 0 0 m e m b e r s. From its establishment, the Funeral Sol idar ity Fund had benef ited 1177 at the end of 2014 with over Frw219 million has been disbursed. This fund still had over Frw550 million at the end of last year. Another such product is the Credit Solidarity Fund, which was introduced to benefit teachers who as a result of a wide range of challenges find themselves unable to meet their loan repayment obligations.
“This fund is for benefic iar ies who consume loans of Frw2 million and less repayable in a period not more than two years. They contribute to the fund based on how much credit they have received, which fund in turn operates as a fallback support for the SACCO in the event that the debtor is unable to pay their loans as a result of a genuine misfortune like death.” Since its creation, 138 cases have benefited from the Credit Solidarity Fund taking more than Frw74 million from the basket. Just like the former, the Credit Solidarity Fund had over Frw1 billion in its coffers at the end of 2014.
A cooperative for and run by teachersU mwa l i m u SACCO i s n ot o n ly a n inst itut ion that has teachers as its benefic iaries but also is a f inancial o r g a n i z a t i o n ow n e d a n d r u n by
teachers. Teachers form the body that oversees the institutions management both at the central and decentralized levels, making decisions that govern the day to day running of their SACCO. At the decentralized level, in all 30 districts of Rwanda, the management of each Umwalimu SACCO branch is overseen by a group of teachers who form the Delegates Committee.
The committee constitutes of teachers, one represent ing each sector in the d istr ict . The representat ive of each sector is chosen after a process which begins when the teacher committees at the school level select one representative a t t h e U m wa l i m u SACCO b o a rd of management at the cell level. At the cell, another vote is cast to establish the teacher representative of a sector who now goes on to join others selected from each sector in the district, forming the Delegates Committee that operates as the Board of Directors for each of Umwalimu SACCO’s 30 branches.
A total of 416 teachers, each representing a sector then form the overall body that oversees Umwalimu SACCO’s activit ies; the General Delegates Assembly. For accountability and transparency, a five teacher team is voted and these form the Board of Directors while three more are selected to constitute Umwalimu SACCO’s supervisory council which promotes equity among members and builds trust for the institution’s services.To ensure that the structure remains impenetrable to people outside the teaching profession, Museruka says, the number one prerequisite for anyone to be a board member is to be an active teacher.
SPECIAL FEATUREUMWALIMU SACCO
Jyambere Murezi, A teachers’ Coperative from GS St Aloys in Rwamagana District invested in transport
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
that 43.5% of the married members were within the 25- 35 age group with average household size of 5 children aged below 13 years. As a result, there is an increase rate of concentration of credit portfolio on overdrafts for purchasing food and financing education of children thus limiting engagement in income generating activities.
To address th is challenge and other lingering bottlenecks, Umwalimu SACCO in partnership with local government institutions especially districts plans on investing in capacity building programs for teachers in order to increase their financial l i teracy, entrepreneurship sk i l ls and knowhow of planning income generating projects, in addition to mobilizing teachers to employ family planning techniques in order to keep their families in manageable sizes.
In this regard, teachers will be sensitized to request for income generating loans and forming profit oriented cooperatives in their respective school centres. The strategies are geared towards ensuring that eventually, every Rwandan teacher has a source of additional income soon.
As H.E. President Paul Kagame always says “ Rwandans should always look for their own solutions for their particular problems”, that is why he introduced Umwalimu Sacco for the teachers to improve their welfare through saving and accessing loans with low interest rates. With a heroic philosophy in mind, teachers are engaged in income generating projects which in return provide assurance of their household welfare in particular and the nation’s motivated teaching profession at large.
Nshimiyimana Innocent of CS Kabuga in Musanze District invested in Irish Potato Business
far by Umwalimu SACCO and Rwanda’s teachers, according to its Managing Director, is nothing but a statement of gratitude by the people and government of Rwanda, for the heroism with which teachers serve the country and a sign of appreciation for the role that their profession has played in Rwanda’s post genocide recovery and continued social and economic recovery.
But like Museruka shares, the journey travelled so far is not one without flaw, many challenges remain unsolved and aspirations unmet but that this cannot take away the bliss in the achievements made to date. “There is still a lot to be done especially in ensur ing that every Rwandan teacher establishes an income generating activity.” To the letter, Museruka and his team of bankers at Umwalimu SACCO have a target of seeing 90% of teachers own income generating activities by the year 2017. From the cooperative’s loan book, he shares that 61% of all money given out is still outstanding loans most of which was borrowed by teachers to invest it in income generating activities.
Overarching challenges
As indicated by the impact assessment report, one of the main challenges of i m p rov i n g t he l i v i n g st and ards o f t e a c h e r s w a s t h e Te a c h e r s ’ households’ s ize and big number of teachers married at young age that increase rate of concentrat ion of portfolio on overdrafts and treasury for purchasing food and f inancing education of children.It was observed
“It is very strict in that even when a member leaves the teaching profess ion or ret ires, they are automatically disqualified from the board and any other body of management and elections are carried out to replace the vacancy.” The various teacher committees and the Board of Directors are vested with all the power to make decisions and orient Umwalimu SACCO, a factor that ensures that there is no straying away from the institutions vision. For instance Museruka offers, “in case my bosses (teachers) felt unsatisfied with my duties today, they are at liberty to immediately sack me and instate someone else whom they may find best suited for the job”. The journey travelled so
Kamutari Rose From Rubavu District invested in a Boating Business to supplement her teaching salary for the wellfare of her familly
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
6
1
7
1. On 30 January 2015, President Kagame attended the African Union Summit- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2. On 29 January 2015, President Kagame arrived in Addis Ababa to attend African Union Summit
3. On 27 January 2015, President Kagame received Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director
4. On 26 January 2015, Mrs. Erica Jean Barks Ruggles, the Ambassador of the USA to the Republic of Rwanda was among other new envoys who presented credentials to President Kagame
5. Davos: On January 24, 2015, President Kagame with Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women; Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; and Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway were on a panel on ending poverty in Davos
3
5
PRESIDENTIAL MONTH
Dear esteemed readers, on this spread we highlight in pictures some of the monthly activities that the President has undertaken in and outside the country, for your recap
2
4
12
8
Dear esteemed readers, on this spread we highlight in pictures some of the monthly activities that the President has undertaken in and outside the country, for your recap
11 12
6. President Kagame addressed the World Economic Forum event on MDGs in Davos on 23 January 2015, on importance of collaboration in achieving MDGs
7. Davos: On 23 January 2015, President Kagame, UNSG Ban Ki-moon; World Bank President Jim Yong Kim; CEO Unilever Paul Polman; IMF President Christine Lagarde and Michael Spence sat on World Economic Forum panel on Tackling Climate, Development and Growth
8. On 21 January 2015 in Davos, President Kagame sat on CNBC panel alongside President Zuma, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bronwyn Nielsen, Oscar Onyema and John G. Coumantaros during World Economic Forum
9. On 17 January 2015, President Kagame received Shri Kalraj Mishra, Indian Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
10. On 11 January 2015, President Kagame attended the National Prayer Breakfast.
11. On 15 January 2015, President Kagame held a Press Conference with local, regional and international journalists
12. On 9 January 2015, President Kagame hosted the Diplomatic Corps to a new year Luncheon
7
10
9
And the event of the day was that Rwanda’s b e v e r a g e s e c t o r g i a n t , B r a s s e r i e s e t Limonaderie du Rwanda (BRALIRWA), was announcing the addition to its beer beverage portfolio, Legend Extra Stout beer. Tracing its
origin in Ireland like many other stout beers,Legend has been in production since the year 1992 and in a landmark achievement got crowned the excellent stout beer in 2012 by Monde Selection. Monde Selection is an International Institute for Quality Selections and the originator of the annual international event organised to identify and recognise outstanding global brands. The Institute tests consumer goods from different global markets and grants them internationally renowned quality award based on
BRALIRWA launches
Legend Extra Stout Beer
PR EM IUM QU AL ITY
STRONG BEE R
On Friday February 6th, the happening place was none other than the new papyrus country club in Masaka sector of Kicukiro district in Kigali City.
independent quality evaluation of products submitted for evaluation. After careful analyses and tests, the jurors of Monde Selection saw it fit to award the Legend brand the prestigious Gold Quality award at its 51st Monde award in Athens, Greece in 2012. Such is the kind of appreciation that Legend Stout Beer has on the international market. As a leader in the beverage industry in Rwanda, BRALIRWA saw the need to bring the globally praised stout beer brand into the country, to the benefit of every stout beer lover.
BRALIRWA Marketing Director Julius Kayoboke (centre) enjoys a light moment with staff and guests at the launch of Legend
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
in a sentence and then welcomed everyone in the market to go and taste this legendary beer brand. “Legend is a great beer and I implore you to go out there and enjoy this great taste.”
Uniqueness in quality, pricing, and packaging
In the dark beer market in Rwanda, Legend comes as a much awaited addition to give customers a wide spectrum of choices. Packed in a 30cl bottle, Legend Extra Stout Beer will be sold in the market on a manufacturer’s recommended price of Frw500.
This affordability of yet a very high quality and worldly acknowledged stout beer is what expla ins the statement that as an addition in the stout beer segment, it comes as a revolutionizing move for Rwanda’s beverage market.
The alcohol to beverage content is also just 6.5%, meaning that for the dark beer funs; here is a drink that captures price sensitivity, quality in terms of ingredients while giving you a good gulp for every bottle bought as a result of its size.
That i s a l l w i thout ment ion ing the quality packaging which was one of the features of the newly introduced Legend Extra Stout Beer that received the admiration of enthusiasts at the launch.
Covered with a golden Staniol cover like all BRALIRWA’s premium beers, and carrying metalized labels, one of which shows the brand’s Golden Award by Monde Selection, Legend Extra Stout is a good match for the Rwandan beer tastes of a product with an aesthetic appeal, and great quality.
The launch was graced by the presence of popular showbiz faces like artist and recent representative of Rwanda in the Big Brother House Frank Joe among others who were braced to enjoy an evening that lasted till midnight. And throughout the time, body shaking music filled the house as Kigali’s leading band Neptunez kept the crowd entertained.
The event to launch Legend Extra Stout which was held in Kigali realized a big turnout, with an enthusiastic crowd in the ear ly hours of the evening waiting eagerly for the unveiling and then getting consumed in the ecstasy of the dr ink once it had been launched.
Speak ing at the launching c e r e m o n y, B R A L I R WA’ s Managing Director Jonathan Hal l who was c lear ly not about to give a long speech amidst a ready to party crowd expla ined Legend’s or ig in
Neptunez band perform for an excited crowd at the launch of Legend Extra Stout in Kigali
Enthusiats dance to the music at the launch of Legend in Kigali recently
BRALIRWA staff mixing with invited guests to share a joyful moment as
Legend Extra Stout was launching in Kigali
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
In another landmark development, Engen Rwanda and one of Kigali’s most popular food retailers, Sawa Citi entered into a partnership that will see the latter open retail express shops at the former’s service stations across the Rwandan capital.
seen the Express shops taking shape whilst renovat ions and branding act iv it ies are underway. Besides benefiting the partners in this deal to extend their reach and develop their respective businesses, Engen Rwanda’s Managing Director Sarah Doukoure says the partnership is aligned to the company’s brand promise of “With us you are number one”. “As a leading petroleum retailer, we aspire to be the One-stop destination for motorists in Rwanda, thus bringing the best goods and services to our valued customers”.
T h e m o st re ce n t i l l u st r a t i o n of t h i s partnership is in the new Freezone area where Engen has recently opened a world class filling station, where motorist can have their cars looked after, while shopping at the Sawa City Express shop or enjoying a cup of coffee from the Brood counter. Currently, the two are partnering within the City of Kigali but as the Engen boss shared during an exclusive interview with Hope Magazine, there is room for expanding this into other towns across
Engen Rwanda%s Managing Director Sarah Doukoure says the partnership is aligned to the company%s brand promise of %With us you are number one. As a
leading petroleum retailer, we aspire to be the One%stop destination for motorists in Rwanda, thus bringing the best goods and services to our valued customers
SPECIAL FEATUREENGEN RWANDA
Engen and Sawa Citipartner for excellence
The partnership, the first of its kind in Rwanda, tells a story of the power of collaboration in building the country’s private sector; an approach in which each party walks away a winner.
It also tells another story; that the shopping trends of Kigalians are changing, with people wanting to save time as much as possible whilst doing as many things as they can in one convenient stop.S ince the year 2015 begun, when Engen and Sawa C it i struck the h istor ical deal , seven service stations in the City of Kigal i have already
Engen Rwanda and Sawa Citi Supermarket launch Sawa Express shops at filling stations
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
16
through partnerships are becoming must stops, and as one of the largest petroleum products distributor and refiner in Africa, thus a trusted partner to leave your car issues to.
The partnership is a story of more growth for Sawa CitySpeaking to Ms. Belinda Bwiza the General Manager of Sawa Citi, the expectations and aspirations she shares are not so much divergent from Engen’s. “Our brands, Engen and Sawa Cit i , share similar values and
a s p i r a t i o n s o f c u s t o m e r satisfaction, and offering unique services and products which in a way ties us together so easily since we each target almost the same thing, though with different products.” She added, “With this new partnership, we promise our customers that these express shops we are opening across town will aspire for nothing but excellence in service provision.”
Responding to whether the supermarket chain has plans of extending its services outside Kigali, Belinda shared that this is part of the plans and in case the two partners
find it fitting, they will in the future try to extend to other towns across the country. “We are now going to try with the express shops we have opened and see how they operate such that they can be a baseline for our expansion program.”
By and large however, the partnership that these two retail majors in Rwanda’s small but rapidly growing economy sets ground for a new business approach that if well executed will see Sawa Citi, a Rwandan retail brand, expand its business footprint in the country, and consequently may be the advent for the first Rwandan supermarket chain that will be able to export its services to countries in the region and beyond.
%With this new partnership, we promise our customers that these express shops we are opening across town will aspire for nothing but excellence
in service provision.%Belinda Bwiza the General Manager of Sawa Citi,
17
Rwanda in the near future. In the past, Engen has taken keen interest in striking partnerships with other players in Rwanda’s retail industry, one notable example being the company’s very recent collaboration with DHL to bring e x p re ss s e r v i ce s c los e r. T he focus, as Ms. Doukoure shares is to br ing addit ional serv ices to the ir many stat ions across town, but also give other local companies an opportunity to use Engen’s footprint to develop their businesses.
Today, for a customer who for instance wants to do some grocery shopping for the family, it is possible thanks to the partnership with Sawa Citi that they can do so while at the same time refill their cars, hence saving time and money. In a similar manner, customers visit ing Engen service stations can benefit from DHL services, to drop off their packages without having to visit the company’s offices like the case was in the past.
Thus from refilling fuel, repair and car maintenance service, to shopping and sending packages across 220 destinations globally, Engen Service stations,
Belinda Bwiza during the interview
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
In the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2014, Rwanda was ranked 85th on the indicator of construction permits, a year before it had been ranked 122nd.
SPECIAL FEATURECITY OF KIGALI
Seen is part of the Kigali Convention Centre, a good model of the huge investments that are being attracted in the construction sector across Rwanda.
Report 2014, the Rwandan implementer charged with this particular indicator, the City of Kigali ’s Construction One Stop Centre (CoK/OSC has been involved in cont inued cons-ultat ions with all concerned part i es to f i nd ways of improving on it and the results are nothing short of amazing.
One year after the DB report 2014, the World Bank’s annual release that followed recorded a significant improvement for Rwanda on the indicator of construction
According to the World Bank, a would be developer was in 2014 required to go through a whole 13 procedures, spanning across a cumul-ative total of
104 days to acquire all required permits and documents, before (mean ing the construction permit) and after construction ( including an occupancy permit, and a freehold land title among others). And the financial cost for all the procedures was equally high and an impediment for smooth investment. Since the WB Doing Business
Time spent reduces from 104 to 25 days
One of the procedures that will now be eliminated from
the process of acquiring a construction permit is the obtaining of a survey
plan, which was originally done prior to applying for a
construction permit.
City of Kigali implementing newConstruction Permitting Reforms
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
p e r m i t s , w i t h a r e d u c t i o n o f procedures from 13 to 10, and time taken to acquire the relevant documents from 104 days to 77.5.
But for the Construction One Stop Centre, these scores were not in any way convincing, there appeared to be more room for improvement and complacency was not going to be let in; now ahead of the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2016, the team is implementing new reforms that will among others see the total amount of time taken reduce further to a total of 25 days, implying that for any investor, the time cost for construction permit procedures will be kept within just one month.
Proposed reforms; procedures droppedSurvey plan procedure eliminated
One of the procedures that will now be eliminated from the process of acquir ing a construct ion permit is the obtaining of a survey plan, which was originally done prior to applying for a construction permit. Known to many businesspeople by its French version, levée topographique, this procedure which used to take a minimum of f ive days, that is el iminat ing the t ime it took the investor to have experts work
o n i t , a n d c o s t US$500 has been
fo u nd u n ne ce ss a r y a n d e l i m i n a t e d . T h e
scrapping of the procedure came following realization that according to the K igal i C i ty Master, a l l the plots in the city were studied and orientation offered on what should be constructed on each, hence no need for another topographic plan as the former procedures for acquiring a construction permit required.
Eliminating financial and time constraints in obtaining a water connection
A s i n d i c a t e d b y M e r a r d Mpabwanamuguru, an Urban Planner with the C ity of K igal i and the in charge of Investment Promot ion and Doing Business reforms at the City’s Construction One Stop Centre, the former financial cost of water connections which was estimated at over Frw445,000 and the t ime constraint which was recorded at over 30 days, that used to be taken by an investor to obtain a water connection, was unfriendly to business and has been eliminated, so that it could only take two days for a new property to obtain a water connection and at no charge.
“There is no reason as to why a developer should spend so much money paying for a water connection, yet they would still be billed every month for the amounts consumed. Instead of h inder ing them in the beginning, we are finalizing talks with the Water and Sanitation Company (WASAC) so that these costs are completely scrapped.”
Apply Online : www.kcps.govt.rwCity Master Plan : www.masterplan2013-kigalicity.gov.rw
The scrapping of the procedure
came following realization that according to the Kigali
City Master, all the plots in the city were studied and orientation offered on what
should be constructed on each, hence no need for another
topographic plan as the former procedures for
acquiring a construction permit required
City of Kigali implementing newConstruction Permitting Reforms
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
a developer to request and receive a set out inspection before laying the foundation, but today we realized that since the master plan is available for all and the requirements for each type of property are well streamlined, developers start off knowing exactly what they are expected to do and thus there is no need for this procedure which is why we have eliminated it.”
The general impact of the adjustments include lowering the financial and time costs previously involved in acquiring construction permits. In terms of the financial costs, the aim of the reforms is to ensure that an investor spends not more than Frw60,000 that is paid when a detailed project for a construction permit is approved, and nothing more. As Mpabwanamaguru explains however, there are other impacts that come with the sought after reforms including among them, narrowing the gap for corruption and favoritism in the process, since everything has since early 2014 gone online, and reducing human error in archiving.
In the past, there was room for an
investor to influence the work of an urban planner or of a City%s engineer as they used to
meet face to face and discuss. Today that no longer has to happen since
all applications, approvals and recommendations are done online,
meaning that one investor will not know in most cases, which
people have been given the assigned to review their
project.%
Obtaining stamps from City Hall to be replaced with electronic signatures
A ls o ge a re d t owa rd s e l i m i n a t i n g procedures that originally were derailing the process and cost ing investors, doing away with seeking stamps on plans and documents from City Hall is work in progress at theCOK/OSC. Currently, the institution is developing electronic signatures which will be used in authenticating documents.
But before this process is concluded, the CoK/OSC currently stamps, scans and uploads documents such that customers receive them already authenticated and in so doing eliminating the financial costs and time that was originally spent in the process. According to Mpabwanamaguru, the procedures that are current ly being eliminated from the processes of construction permits are those that are no longer deemed necessary. “For instance, there used to be a procedure that required
SPECIAL FEATURECITY OF KIGALI
Every submitted application and its attached documents and approved permit is online and can be retrieved at any time, he noted. “In the past, there was room for an investor to influence the work of an urban planner or of a City’s engineer as they used to meet face to face and discuss. Today that no longer has to happen since all applications, approvals and recommendations are done online, meaning that one investor will not know in most cases, which people have been given the assigned to review their project.”
One Stop Centre for Construction already laying
ground for implementing proposed reforms
In order to facilitate and speed up the implementation of the projected reforms, the City of K igal ihas made several ad justments and changes. One such adjustment is the recruitment of experienced pe r s o n ne l t o be e f u p t he institution’s staff capacity. For instance from 2 urban planners and architects, the C ity of K igal i has increased in i ts Construction One Stop Centre the number to 6 respectively, and has recruited electro-mechanical engineer.
The recruitments imply that instead of a given project being reviewed by one individual, t he re a re s eve r a l pe o p le c h a r ge d w i t h t h e re v i e w process, each respons ible for a particular domain, all of which ensures that the
Merard Mpabwanamaguru, Urban planner for Investment promotion and doing business for the City of Kigali One Stop Centre, during the interview
22
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
quality of the property is the h i g he st poss i b le. B e s i d e s, M p a b w a n a m a g u r u s c o r e d t h a t t he Co nst r u c t i o n O ne Stop Centre also collaborates with various other institutions who are stakeholders in the construction sector, so that required sk i l ls that are not available at CoK/OSC can be offered by trained personnel from partner organs.
One such collaboration is the one between CoK/OSC and the Rwanda National Police, through which the latter’s fire brigade, helps the former in validating whether the development of a particular property took into consideration all required fire safety precautions as indicated by law in Rwanda.
Proposed reforms for the year 2015-2016
Construction permit procedures recorded by the World Bank Doing Business report 2015 Proposed changes
X 10 procedures including;
1. Obtaining survey plan (eléeve topographique)2. Applying for a construction permit (online) water connection and the environment impact assessment3. Receive joint site inspection for permit and water4. Obtain stamps for plans from city Hall5. Receive set out inspection6. Receive foundation inspection7. Request for final inspection, occupancy permit and freehold land title8. Receive final inspection 9. Obtain occupancy permit and freehold land title10. Pay fees and obtain water connection
X Reduce to five procedures which are;
1. Obtain a construction approval by submitting a merged online application of the Construction One Stop Centre. This is combined with environment impact assessment among others
2. Request and receive a foundation inspection
3. Request online and receive a joint and final inspection of relevant authorities coordinated by the COK / OSC
4. Request online and receive an occupancy permit and freehold land title through the COK / OSC
5. Request and obta in water connect ion. Th is takes place simultaneously with another procedure and the cost has been reduced from RWF 445,200 to No Charge- from 30 to 2 days
X The cost of obtaining construction permit was recorded at close to Frw1 million
X Reducing the cost to just the construction permit fee which is Frw60,000 for most buildings whose construction is overseen by the COK / OSC
X The process took 77.5 days X The total number of days that the processes will reduce to 25 of
which 20 will be for requesting, advising and acquiring a construction permit all of which is done online, while the other five days are for the remaining four procedures.
one of the streets in central Kigali.
Apply Online : www.kcps.govt.rwCity Master Plan : www.masterplan2013-kigalicity.gov.rw
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
The City of Kigali Construction One stop Centre, Together with similar facilities in districts have been key to reducing the time investors originally spent in acquiring documents. This year ahead of the World
Bank%s Annual Doing Business Report, the target is to reduce time spent and cost of the permitting process further to at most 25 days and frw 60,000 respectively.
SPECIAL FEATURE
MININFRA Rusumo One Stop Border Post and International Bridge
completed expected to improve social
and economic relationsThe infrastructure comes in to reinforce the old bridge commissioned into service in 1972 which at 40 plus years according to Engineers was outdated and no longer matched the prevailing trade demands for the border. Rusumo Border which is located in the central corridor of the East African community serves not only the trade needs of Rwanda but also is a passageway for cargo destined for Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond.
Unlike the old bridge which had a single lane, meaning it could only take a single car with a wheel-impact weight of 8tons at a time, the newly constructed bridge is a two lane road infrastructure implying that this coupled with its loading capacity can accommodate eight trucks at a go; four from the Tanzanian and Rwandan sides respectively. Also, another positive development that comes with the new Rusumo International Bridge is the increase in speed limit for trucks augmenting from 5 to 30km per hour.
According to Jeremie Mushaka, the Corporate Service Division Manager at Rwanda Transport Development Agency, which together with its Tanzanian counterpart supervised the construction of the new facility, increase in both speed limit and cargo carriage capacity, wi l l automat ically result into lowered transport costs for cargo to and from the Port Dar es Salam. Currently according to estimates by the East African Community, Unit transport costs in the region are 1.5 times higher than in Europe and are responsible for over 75% of the price of the commodities at the market.
After two years and ten months of construction works on the Rusumo border between Rwanda and the United Republic
of Tanzania, on January 10th 2015, stakeholders from both countries and the Japanese government convened at the border to inaugurate a state of the art bridge and premises of a one stop border post.
Constructed on the grant aid of the Japanese Government through the Japanese International Cooperat ion Agency (JICA) to a tune of US$32 million, the Rusumo Border Project is expected to play a big role in improving the flow of goods and people between Rwanda and Tanzania and thus the central corridor of the East African region.
For landlocked states of the EAC; Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi, this high cost of transport remains one of the leading bottlenecks to trade. However through improved infrastructure like the Rusumo Bridge, there is hope that this cost will significantly reduce to as much as 28% implying a total saving of over US$1.8 billion for the region’s economies. Similar to the Rusumo International Bridge, the One Stop Border Post inaugurated is one of a kind in the East African Community and sub-Saharan Africa in general. The facility, expected to be in full operation by end January 2015, will see the immigration and emigration authorities of both Rwanda and Tanzania converge into one structure to serve the needs of people utilizing
Kazuya Agawa Japan’s Ambassador to Rwanda, speaking during the inauguration of Rusomo
International Bridge
RUSUMO International Bridge and One Stop Border Post
Rusumo is one of East Africa’s frontiers connecting the East African Community region to its two gateways to the rest of the world, the Port of Dar es Salam and that of Mombasa, in Tanzania and Kenya respectively, which two connect the f ive member-state bloc to the Indian Ocean. An 80 meter long and 7.5 meter carriage way wide structure, the completed Rusumo International Bridge is a two lane road infrastructure and has a loading capacity of up to eight trucks with
a total wheel-impact weight of 50 tons.
26
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
the benefits that the new infrastructures will have in easing transport of people and goods through the Rusumo Border, Musoni promised that plans to rehabilitate the road from Rusumo to Kagitumba are underway. “We are currently discussing with partners to have the section of the road from Rusumo to Kagitumba rehabilitated very soon and when that is completed, I believe movement in the central corridor will improve tremendously.”Confirming the benefits garnered from the now completed structures, the Mayor of Rwanda’s Kirehe District which is at the border of the two countries, Gerard Muzungu noted that during the course of construction, a lot was gained.
According to Muzungu, a big number of residents (800 employed every day) in the border districts benefited from employment many using the opportunity to construct new houses, start businesses and subsequently improve their standards of living. “As we look forward to more benefits from these infrastructures (OSBP and Bridge) there is already a lot that we gained from their construction that we can be thankful for. It can only get better.”
Also in attendance at the inauguration of the two structures was John Mongella Tanzania’s commissioner for Akagera region, Kazuya Agawa Japan’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Ambassador Charles Murigande of Rwanda to Japan, JICA President Akihiko Tanaka, the Director General of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration Anaclet Kalibata, among other dignitaries from Rwanda, Tanzania and Japan.
the border. As the name suggests, the new structure will eliminate the need for both cargo trucks and passengers to make two stops in every crossing, at the Rwandan and Tanzanian side respectively. Under the new facility, goods and people in transit will only be required to make “one stop” after which they will have everything cleared and ready to continue their journeys. The entire project funded by JICA included construction of the buildings of the OSBP like the administration block, the warehouse facil it ies among others, the bridge, roads at the border, and procurement of equipments like generators, and forklifts among others. Launching both the Rusumo International Bridge and the
With Rusumo Bridge, there is hope to reduce the cost of transport to as much as 28% implying a total saving of over US$1.8 billion for the East African Community region’s economies.
An 80 meter long and 7.5 meter carriage way wide
structure, the completed Rusumo International Bridge is a two lane road infrastructure and has a loading capacity of up to eight trucks with a total wheel-impact weight of 50 tons. The infrastructure comes in to reinforce the old bridge commissioned into service in 1972 which at 40 plus years according to Engineers was outdated and no longer matched the prevailing trade demands for the border.
MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE
One Stop Border Post (OSBP), Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure James Musoni noted that besides the economic impact of the facilities through among others reducing the time heavy trucks spend at the border when clearing, and increasing the tonnage ceiling, they will also play significant roles in improving the relations between Rwandan and Tanzanian citizens and further integrating them into East African Community citizens. “These new facilities will ease the movement of people and goods between our countries and I hope beyond doubt that the resulting effect will be increased coherence in the border regions and successively in entire populations our countries.” To further
Minister of Infrastructure James Musoni officiating at the grand opening of the Rusomo Border post Bridge
27
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
With the growing number of air travellers, airport layovers are inevitable unless one is willing to pay the hefty airline tickets for direct flights and as is the nature of the business, no guarantee will be given that departure times will be strictly
met. More people will most likely be waiting for their next flight at the airport terminals. The congestion and the buzz in most cases will make it hard for one to rest or catch up with business, family and friends.
This situation is what makes access to an airport lounge more appealing. This In an effort to offer high class services delivery, Airtel Rwanda recently announced the priority pass offering, which will allow its premier customers benefit from the airport lounge access program at no extra cost. The priority pass will allow them access in over 700 airport lounges in 400 cities in 120 countries across the world. Priority Pass is the world’s largest independent airport lounge access program allowing customers to access a variety of airport lounges across the world through subscription. Airtel Rwanda will stipend the annual subscription for its customers allowing them an opportunity to get away
Offers an opportunity to escape crowded airport terminals
Airtel Rwanda offersPriority Pass Membership
to its premier customers
Bhullar hands over the priority pass card to one of the high value customers at the unveiling event
( L-R ) Teddy Bhullar and Jean Paul Nyirabutama unveil the Priority Pass Card offering ( Courtesy photo )
from the crowd and access an oasis of calm in airport lounges that offer a variety of services that will enhance their journey wherever they may be travelling in the world. According to the Priority Pass website, members of this global airport lounge access program show appreciation for the “little haven” offered amidst chaotic airport terminals, during long waits.
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
A customer receives his priority pass card from Bhullar
Kigali Pearl Lounge
Qn: What is Priority Pass?
Ans: Priority Pass is the world’s largest and most prestigious independent airport VIP lounge access program. It offers access to VIP lounges in 700 airports in more than 400 cities across 120 countries.
Qn: How do I get membership?
Ans: To get membership one has to register through either Airtel premier or Priority pass websites.
Qn: Can I enter a lounge without my Membership Card?
Ans: No. Unless you can produce your membership card, unfortunately the lounge staff will not allow you access. Lounges are th ird party owned and operated, therefore Pr ior ity Pass is u n a b le t o i nf lu e nce lo u n ge a cce ss should you attempt to enter without your membership card. It is important to a lways carry your Pr ior i ty Pass membership card with you.
Qn: What is the policy for taking guests into a lounge?
Ans: You can invite friends or guests to join you in a lounge. Most lounges will allow any number of guests but where there are limits details are shown in the Lounge Directory and via the lounge search functionality on the PP website (www.prioritypass.com). Guests are charged at the prevail ing rate. When you enter the lounge, you will receive a voucher which you must check before signing. This will record if any guests are with you at the time and it is your responsibility to ensure this is correct. The lounge visit fee will be charged directly to your nominated payment card.
Qn: Can someone else use my card to gain access to a lounge?
Ans: No. Your membership card is only valid for the member stated on the card.
Qn: What happens if my card has been stolen or lost?
SPECIAL FEATURE
Ans: If your Priority Pass membership card is lost, stolen or damaged please contact Airtel immediately.
Qn: Do the lounges provide flight information?
Ans: Somelounges do have flight information monitors, however not all lounges offer this facility. As lounges have no contractual obligation to Priority Pass members to announce flights, it is the member’s sole responsibility to remain aware of flight time and boarding information.
Qn: Is there any payment option other than the credit card?
Ans: No, the nominated payment card is linked to your PP card. And therefore, no need to carry cash or any other payment means. You only need to present your PP card when accessing the lounge. Sign up can happen only if you can provide one of the following cards: Visa, Visa Debit (except Asia Pacific), MasterCard, American Express, and Diners Club. Owing to information provided by Priority Pass, the Airtel Premier customer will save up to US$400 a year through the offer.
“When you are constantly travelling and departure times are not always achieved, it is really good to have access to comfortable lounges where you can have something to eat and drink in relative comfort and in a more relaxed fashion,” one priority pass member’s comment on the website reads. Such is the opportunity that Airtel’s priority pass membership for the telecom’s premier customers presents to a regular traveller. While making the announcement of the priority pass offering, Airtel Rwanda Managing Director, Mr. Teddy Bhullar said, “Airtel is giving its premier customers a worldwide experience of executive services and we want our customers to feel at home everywhere they go.
With the priority pass, our customers will no longer have to worry about the airport hustle and long queues. They will be treated to great services in 400 cities across the world.” The Priority Pass program includes a range of exclusive services such as; unlimited access to airport VIP lounges on an annual basis irrespective of class of travel or choice of airline flown, access to over 700 lounges in over 400 cities in 120 countries with the priority pass membership card, business facilities including phones, email, internet, Wi-Fi, fax machines, and even conference facilities in some lounges, complimentary refreshments, no need to
pre-book or reserve lounge space and full access to the most up-to-date lounge information via the priority pass website, mobile apps and SMS. Commenting on the offer, RwandAir Deputy CEO, Mr. Jean Paul Nyirubutama said, “The introduction of the Priority Pass offering by Airtel to its customers shows the massive steps that airtel is taking to build a better customer care environment for its customers as they travel the world and as the national carrier, we are happy to see such developments as it’s a win for us as well.” The event was also attended by a number of CEOs from various business sectors including, Sanjeev Anand the MD of I&M bank and Konde Bugingo, the Chief Executive of BRD Commercial Ltd.
All about the priority pass…
33
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
time in about 10 years, she could see small letters written on a paper previously handed to her by an eye specialist after testing her condition and giving her reading glasses to support her aging eyes. It was too nice to be true, that she was prompted to ask a question that was making her anxious; “Ndayagumana” meaning “Am I keeping them” as she pointed to the glasses which were already resting gracefully on her wrinkling face. If anything, they matched her pointed features.
With a mild laughter, the eye specialist stamped Mukankuranga’s excitement, “They are now yours and I hope they will help you read better with no pain in the eyes and relieve you of the constant headaches you have been having.”
SPECIAL FEATURE
Youngsters enjoy rugby for the first time in their life in Kigali during the DHL sponsored Rugby Clinic
For someone her age, it would be assumed that if she could read, then a reading from a religious book, most likely the Bible is a daily routine. And like
she confirms, about 10 years ago, it was, but then her failing sight became mammoth that she gradually started failing to read the smaller letters until when everything became blurred that she could just read big letters, even then after struggling much and with tears flowing from mostly her right eye as she tried.
Eventually, she gave up her bible become dusty as it sat below a pile of many other folders bes ides her bed. At 63 years, Mukankuranga Pascasie’s excitement came on January 16th 2015, when for the first
De t a i ls co u n t e d fo r le s s, s h e h a d already seen the difference and before the practit ioner was through with his statement, she was already lifting her aging self to moving position and making long strides to vacate the tent from where the consultat ions were taking place. Outside the tent, she shared that with the glasses; the aching effect of daylight on her eyes which often gave way to a pulping headache was also gone, happily sharing her excitement and joy with a broad contagious smile.
Mukankuranga had been to the Health Centre in Kinyinya several times over her eye conditions and on all the occasions, she received medicine to apply. She shared however, that had she had the financial capability to visit a larger hospital, she would have done so a long time ago but since she did not, she has settled for fate’s offer, sadly conceding to the fact that she could never read her bible again. Together with 158 other elderly men and women of Kinyinya, a residential suburb in Kigali, Mukankuranga benefited from free eye testing with 151 who were found in need
She immediately began making her plans for the evening as though she were a teenage girl planning her very first date dinner. Jovial and enthusiastic, she planned that that evening will
feature some minutes of reading from her favorite book, the Bible.
elderly access free eye consultations as the DHL
“Africa As One” ball arrives in Rwanda159
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
transformation. But these stories are rarely told and through this tour, besides the outreach efforts we are making sure that we share the African as one story; showcasing culture, lifestyles, and living conditions from numerous and different communities.” For instance, the countries are “more functioning” than the kinds of states normally portrayed in stories and narratives about the continent.
In addit ion to the “eye tests and glasses” DHL Rwanda in partnership with the Africa As One team donated scholastic materials
to 68 children of the Peace and Hope Initiative. Peace and Hope is an initiative that cares for the elderly in Kinyinya village of genocide survivors and runs an early childhood development centre which caters for vulnerable children, largely birthed by underage girls.
According to the local NGO’s legal representative Albert Musabyimana, t he i n i t i a t i ve wa s e st a b l i s he d i n response to the growing number of single-parent-teenage-mothers, many of whom were young g i r ls who had survived the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and who as a result of leading unguided lives were ending up parenting at an early stage and with little to support themselves, later on the kids they were having.
As a genocide survivor himself, and a child who had to take responsibil ity for his younger siblings at a tender age of 17 years, Musabyimana took it on himself to try and find a solution to the challenges in his community, founding the early childhood development (ECD) center, initiating a program to cater for the elderly members who in most cases had been bereft of family members by the genocide and would be seen manning household chores of fetching water and the likes by themselves.
Musaby imana noted that Hope and Peace Initiative still suffers from scanty resources and fails to meet the needs of i ts benef ic iar ies who include 78 vulnerable preschoolers below 7 years and about 20 elderly survivors of the genocide, hence appreciating the efforts by DHL to reach out. From the ECD centre, children graduate to primary school, after they have picked the momentum and love for education. “It is not the first time DHL is aiding our community, and like always, we cannot express in words our gratitude for the much-needed support.”
Introducing Rwanda to the rugby sport
On January 17th, the Africa As One team and DHL Rwanda organized a day long rugby acquaintance activity in Kigali during which, sessions for children and adults were conducted, giving the groups firsthand knowledge of the sport. The occasion also marked the arr ival of the “One Africa ball”, which as planned in the tour will be played in a pitch in each of the 45 countries to be visited. Addressing participants, DHL Rwanda’s Country Manager Julie Mutoni shared the rationale behind the tour. “Africa As One is not just a tour, it is about making an impact in Africa in a way of giving back to the community,” she noted.
To the rugby clinics, the team is slated to distribute over half a million units of stationery to young children across Africa and provide free eye tests and glasses for thousands of people, similar to what unfolded in Kinyinya Village, throughout January 16th, from as early as 7:30 a.m till late evening. With over 220 destinations worldwide and employing more than 285,000 people, DHL is a leading global major in offering logistics solutions and addressing the need for express services.
of reading glasses immediately receiving them also freely.
DHL telling the African story, and joining communities in supporting the vulnerable
The day was part of the “Africa As One” tour sponsored by DHL, a global major in express services, marking the arrival to Rwanda of the team of seven scheduled to travel across 45 African countries in the buildup to the Rugby World Cup to be hosted in the British City of London in September. The group is planned to spend one week in each of the countries. As part of the journey besides opening up the African continent to the Rugby sport, DHL is using the opportunity to reach out to some of the most vulnerable members of the communities in which the team passes.
R wa nd a wa s t h e 1 3 t h co u n t r y t he y were going through. Pr ior to offer ing free eye tests and glasses in Kinyinya, the Afr ica as One team accord ing to Louise Otter its leader visited Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, home to some of the world’s few surviving mountain gorillas, and had several tr ips around the Rwandan capital Kigali. Based on her observations in the 13 countries visited so far, Ms. Otter shared that the overbearing reality is that the African continent is oftentimes misrepresented. “There are very interesting stories on the continent, of economic development and soc ial
Peace and Hope is an initiative that
cares for the elderly in Kinyinya village of genocide survivors and runs an early
childhood development centre which caters for vulnerable
children, largely birthed by underage girls.
74year old Mukamusoni
Donatilla now reads happily, tanks to free eye tests and glasses
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
“In my 24 years of service in the hospitality industry many of which I have spent with Serena Hotels, I have had the pleasure of hosting some of the world’s strongest people, that is in fact; whoever journeyed to our
side of the world,” he enthusiastically shares.
SPECIAL FEATUREKIGALI SERENA HOTEL
And He continues, “Some of them have come back over and over again, and in the process got to know them in person.” His account of
the many people he has hosted in various Serena Hotels establishments among others speaks volumes about the kinds of people this ever growing chain receives; the very cream of the contemporary world. Excitedly, Charles Muia the General Manager of Kigali Serena Hotels says,
“I have exchanged pleasantries with the likes of Bill Clinton, Tony Blair among others.” But this is in no manner anything particular to Muia as he shares; it is about the hotel he works with. As a five star establishment, Kigali Serena’s promise is that her visitors will get the services
that can be found and enjoyed anywhere
Serena Hotels embarks on boosting domestic
tourism this 2015
across the world; hence the overarching need to ensure that the people and facility altogether are in good position to deliver on that promise of excellence in service and quality of products delivered. To this end, Kigali and Kivu Serena Hotels, the brand’s two establishments in Rwanda have in the past vigorously engaged in capacity building activities; for staff in every department. Particularly on January 28th, staff at Kigali Serena Hotels, who are part of a 150 people group, received their certificates after completing training in occupational food safety.
Charles Muia Serena Hotel Kigali Country Director
DELIVERING AS PROMISED
38
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
The accommodation fee also includes breakfast and lunch, thus for the two nights and two days spent at the facility, one is expected to cater for only two dinner meals. Besides the local tourism opportunity, Muia shared that in partnership with Rwandair, they are rolling out yet another package for locals travelling outside Rwanda, to countries where the airline flies and Serena has operation.
For instance if you are to travel to Nairobi, you are given a ticket, accommodation and transport on a rate more than 20% lower than if you were to buy a ticket and book accommodation separately. Notwithstanding the significant discount, the package also includes a number of other benefits l ike extra act iv it ies of visit ing various places, extra services like massages, among others.
Improvements expected on Kigali Serena Hotel facility and construction of a resort underway in the Volcanoes national park
As he shares, 2015 seems will be an adventurous year for the Serena brand in Rwanda. For instance, to the current elegancy of the hotel facility in central Kigali, there are expansion plans which will among others see an executive floor added onto the building, and renovations around the facility. The Executive floor according to Muia intends to ease the stay of executive visitors in the country by offering them an excluded area; where they can stay, dine and enjoy other facilities without necessarily mingling with the rest of the Hotel’s residents.
“As the year begins, Serena Hotel is prepared to give its customers the promise of a five star in Rwanda, which is what we stand for, and even much more through strategic partnerships and creativity,” Muia shared. Also, investments in a resort facility at the popular Volcanoes National Park which is home to the rare Mountain Gorillas is already underway and when complete, it will provide the opportunity to retain visitors to the area for long.
Among Serena Hotels Group, the Rwandan operations boast of the youngest workforce, which besides the
many advantages that come with it has some challenges among which is the need for relentless capacity building. We
have taken this heads on and we will continue doing so.%
According to Muia, this training aims at upping the skills of the hotel’s staff in safe food handling procedures, making sure that the quality of the dishes is assured; straight from when the ingredients are purchased from the market, transported, and stored to when they are mixed to make a particular dish. Besides the occupational food safety skills, the trainees were also reminded of the importance of individual hygiene in ensuring quality food handling, and sharing particular techniques to ensuring this.
Prior to the occupational food safety training, several groups of hoteliers from both in and outside Serena Hotels benefited from a course instructed by South Africa’s leading hospitality skills development company, Lobster Ink, one that sought to refresh trainees on several good practices when dealing with customers. All in all as Muia scored during an exclusive with Hope Magazine, the aim for
the already conducted trainings and others that are slated this year is to sustain Serena Hotels’ quality standard. “Among Serena Hotels Group, the Rwandan operations boast of the youngest workforce, which besides the many advantages that come with it has some challenges among which is the need for relentless capacity building. We have taken this heads on and we will continue doing so.”
2014 was a good yearRecalling the Hotels operations in the past year, Muia confided that it was a good one, especially for Kivu Serena, which he says performed better than it has in the last seven years.
Regarding the promotion of domestic tourism, the Kigali Serena Hotel General Manager shared that in collaborat ion with stakeholders in the sector, they are going to kick off with organizing weekend shuttles destined for Kivu Serena Hotel. The shuttles, which the hotel piloted last year, involve a group of people leaving Kigali for Kivu on a Friday, and spending Saturday at the serene Kivu Serena hotel and returning on a Sunday afternoon.
Under the arrangement, a group, which may as well mean two people, are given free transport including a car parked with their favorite drinks, at no cost. They are only expected to pay for their lodging; two nights of stay at the state of the art facility.
Serena Trainees and their Managers display certificates they received on accomplishing their training course
The previous year was a good one especially because of the Government of Rwanda’s efforts in marketing the MICE tourism, which attracted some big conferences and gatherings, the benefits of which trickled down to the hospitality industry. But 2015 as Muia projects is going to be an even better year. The focus, for Serena Hotel in Rwanda as he shares, will be largely in boosting domestic tourism and creating avenues that can attract visiting tourists and businesspeople to stay longer in Rwanda.
39
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
hard work and a readiness by the Unibra Group to invest into the company so as to get to where the vision sets it, among the leading brewers in the East African region, Skol Brewery Limited now has a number of milestones to count. Among these is the company’s most recent upgrade, a new production line that will see it increase its production capacity to meet market demand for its products in addition to creating more employment for Rwandans. Thanks to the installed and now operating production line, Skol Brewery is slated to increase its annual output from 80,000 hectoliters to
Such was Skol Brewery Limited’s case when i t establ ished in Rwanda back in 2010, Belgium established Unibra bought what was then a Rwandan enterprise
Brasserie des Mille Collines (BMC) in 2012. Compet i t ion as Skol Brewery L imited management says it, has however been the least of their troubles as focus has been placed on innovating to give the Rwandan clientele beverages they had never tasted, and at the highest international standard. The journey since 2010 has been a testing one but through continued innovation,
over 200,000. In terms of employment creation, Skol’s General Manager Ivan Wulffaert confided during an interview that with the new production line, the brewery will have to raise its working shifts from two to three, implying an additional over 30 new employees who will be recruited to man the plant in the new shift.
C u r r e n t ly, S B L e m p loy s ov e r 1 5 0 Rwandans and a few expatriates helping locals to acquaint with the required operational standards and grow their skills to international levels. The new production line interprets into about one third of the entire plant. The remaining part is also expected to be upgraded and expanded, and the works will see SBL increase its annual output to at least 500,000 hectoliters by the year 2020.
A ls o, i n t he la st h a lf d e c a d e, S B L according to Wulffaert, has managed to appeal to almost all market segments by developing a unique product offering that targets meeting the needs of each various sections in the beverage consumer market… in other words a “something for everyone” strategy. Demonstrating this innovativeness in product offering, the SBL General Manager used his brewery’s beer portfolio. “We are currently offering beers that suit the needs of each market segment of beer consumers; a luxury
New production line launched, expected to double output
Building a new brand in a market is a challenging endeavor anywhere in the world, but it is even more demanding if the market in view is one that has been dominated by a competitor for a long time.
Amb. Michael Ryan, Head of Delegation for the European Union to Rwanda shares a momentun with Minister of Trade and Industry Hon. Francois Kanimba at the commissioning of SBL’s new production line
Mr Ivan Wulffaert, General Manager SBL displays some of the company’s beverage
offerings
Innovation and hard work
Skol’s success story in Rwanda
40
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
high class segment to which our Skol Malt beer is very apt, Skol Gatanu to cater for the needs of those beer enthusiast who are not just after luxury but who find fun in enjoying huge quantities of a high quality beer, and the recently added Skol Larger, that is appealing especially to the youthful segment, with its lower alcohol to beverage ration of 5% and the shouting design that is overly attractive. “ In addition to the alcoholic beer portfolio, SBL also diversif ied its offering into the nonalcoholic beverages with its offering of Panache, which has gone on to become
two representatives of the shareholders of Unibra; Mr. Thibault Relecom who is the President of the Managing Committee and the Group’s Administrator and Ms. Michel Relecom, the Group President.
Skol has the support and admiration of the Rwandan governmentAccording to Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry Franc ios Kan imba, Skol Brewery Limited has impressed both the people and government of Rwanda and is one of the few most admired enterprises in the country. Kanimba shared some of the most applauded achievements by SBL speaking as the Guest of Honor at the commissioning of the new production line on January 28th at the company’s offices in Kanyinya Sector of Nyarugenge District Kigali City.
“Ever since Skol’s founding, the people of Rwanda especially beer consumers have benefited from stabil ized prices, and a variety of beverage choices.” From a government standpoint, SBL’s entrance into the beverage market has been crucial in increas ing the product iv i ty of th is industry, in addit ion to expanding the export proceeds from this section of the Rwandan market.
Kanimba however exhorted the brewer to continue taking advantage of the many opportunities that lie across Rwanda’s traditional borders, especially in the East African Community bloc. “I urge them to enter markets such as Tanzania, so that
a darling for most soft drink consumers Panache is steadily becoming a nonalcoholic beer favorite for high profile meetings where getting tipsy is not welcome, yet still the pleasure of a beer taste is not prohibited.And as Skol’s management shared, more in terms of diversifying the beverage portfolio will be coming in the course of 2015; with some new additions, just a little while away from hitting the consumer market.
Another jewel adorning Skol’s last five years of operat ion in Rwanda is the company ’s a lready at ta ined market share of the Rwandan beverage industry. According to Wulffaert, currently, SBL has a 14% market share and with the recent developments which will s ignif icantly increase product ion at the plant, the brewer is targets to grow its share of the market to around 20% in the next three years. With regards to investments, Unibra which is the sole shareholder of SBL plans on injecting US$50 million in a three year period ending 2016.
The new production line is part of this investment program.
Most of the investment will be channeled i n u p g r a d i n g t h e p l a n t ’ s c a p a c i t y, st re n g t he n i n g t he d i st r i b u t i o n , a nd enhanc ing the company’s market ing execution as the company’s shareholders, who were present at an event to launch the new production in Kigali shared. The event to commission the new production line into service was graced with the presence of
(Left to Right) Ms. Michel Relecom, Unibra Group President, Thibault Relecom, President of the group’s managing committee and Ivan Wulffaert diring the press briefing on the sidelines of inauguration ceremony
SPECIAL FEATURE
41
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
Two tickets to fly to Dubai are some of the many prizes to be won in the competit ion. Any customer, who sends or rece ives money through UAE Exchange in Rwanda
will be eligible to participate in a recently inaugurated contest dubbed Transact &Fly and will be in position to win prizes including air tickets from Flydubai to fly to the United Arab Emirates City of Dubai, telecommunication gadgets, a weekend at a luxury club in Rwanda and shopping vouchers.
Through the contest , two lucky customers will stand a chance of winning return air tickets in flydubai to Dubai at the beginning of 2015. UAE Exchange launched the Transact & Fly contest in Rwanda on 15th December, 2014.
Customers, who send or receive money at any of the branches in Rwanda, qualify for the contest that will run unt i l 15th February, 2015. Other exciting prizes include a stay at Lake Muhazi in AGS waterscapes, HTC mobile phones, Digital Cameras, Flash disks and shopping vouchers from Sawa citi and Mobicom among other valuables to be won in the competition. The winners will be selected from a lucky draw
that will be held at the end of the contest period. UAE Exchange has always believed in creating memorable experiences for its customers. The remittance major conducts contests and runs promotions throughout the year providing value addit ion to its customers. Currently, customers can walk
into UAE’s branches in Kigali and Remera in Rwanda and access their multiple financial requirements like money transfer and currency exchange. To further become the trusted neighbourhood brand to millions of customers, UAE Exchange has aggressively spread its footprints, worldwide. Today it has the largest branch network in its class with over 725 branches across 32 countries. Its strong corresponding banking relationship with 150 leading global banks adds to the might.
In Rwanda, the global money transfer major now counts two branches both in Kigali city but also plans to open many more other branches across the country in order to increase its presence and accessibility.
Send and receive money from UAE Exchange and stand a chance to win amazing prizes!
SPECIAL FEATURE
LAUNCHES TRANSACT FLY CONTEST
UAE EXCHANGE RWANDA
AND
44
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
in the company of other children from the neighborhood and former colleagues who have since acquired foster homes, boys and girls alike, assembled in the morning of January 16th, to receive visitors who included the Managing Director of Poultry East Africa Limited (PEAL), Shumei Lam.PEAL is a modern poultry farm located in Rwanda’s Bugesera District. The farm not only rears chicken but also processes, packages, and supplies chicken meat all across Rwanda.
The occasion at Love for Hope saw the PEAL team buy some handicraft products made by the former street k ids, and offer them 20 chickens to boost proteins in their diets. To further ensure that the youngsters access chicken meat, PEAL made arrangements in which the remaining 20 chickens of the initially planned consignment would be delivered to the Love for Hope Kids
over a two weeks period on days chosen by the NGO’s management. In the same spirit of boosting access to animal proteins for the formerly vulnerable children and thus boost their nutrition, the poultry company also agreed to be offering chicken mean as a reward item for the youngsters on moments of celebrating success and on other momentous events. “We have also agreed to facilitate them in establishing their own poultry farm such that they would eventually start to eat chicken meat from their own production,” Ms. Shumei
The joy at the home was unprecedented and every activity that went on from morning till afternoon was done with a lot of vigor and
life; for instance when the youngsters stood to dance, they did so like they would never have the opportunity to dance again. But their excitement and vigor, if anything was legitimate.
In a very, indeed very long time, to some which was equivalent to their lifetimes and to others s imilar to a forever resting somewhere far in the past, they were anticipating to have, as part of the dishes for dinner, chicken and in abundance. 25 former street boys aged from 11 to 20, housed in a four bedroom structure in Remera, a resident ial suburb in Kigali City which also serves as the off ice for Hope for Love, a Rwandan Non Government Organization,
The initiative to facilitate the Love for Hope children in improving their diet by introducing chicken meat portrays the very philosophy behind the establishment of Poultry East Africa Limited; that focuses on ensuring chicken meat is accessible for all Rwandans, at an affordable price, and of exceptionally high quality
SPECIAL FEATUREPEAL RWANDA
Children of LOVE FOR HOPE get chicken from PEAL to boost their nutrition
HO
PE
JAN
-FE
B 2
015
ISS
UE
48
shared. The initiative to facilitate the Love for Hope children in improving their diet by introducing chicken meat portrays the very philosophy behind the establishment of Poultry East Africa Limited; that focuses on ensuring chicken meat is accessible for all Rwandans, at an affordable price, and of exceptionally high quality. To finance the shelter, pay utilities, and cater for the food needs of the group, Egide Ruzindana the Chief Executive and Founder of the NGO uses money he earns from his part time employment and any other support he occasionally gets from family and friends.
This scant iness in resources in whole explains why dishes like chicken, which are popularly only affordable to well-to-do families, are not anything that Ruzindana and his boys include on their diets. But that is not because they would not love to. Like 20 year old Nsengimana Valens shared “I cannot wait to sit down on dinner today. I have not eaten chicken in like a lifetime and only thinking about it crams my mouth with water from anticipation.” Having lived on the streets of Kigali from the age of just seven, Nsengimana recalls that the only time he would eat a dish as decent as chicken was when he came across leftovers in clubs and restaurants, when together
Established in 2011, after Ruzindana paid heed to a calling which he describes was “from God” to take the gospel to other people, a calling that later got distinguished to target suffering children on the streets of Kigali and Rwanda in general, Hope for Love rehabilitates former street kids, helps them reintegrate back into their families, in cases where they still exist, and where they do not, are brought home to join others at what they each refer to “our home”.
with fellow street k ids; they salvaged garbage to collect what may have been left by “satisfied bosses” as he terms them. “We would pick the leftover piece, and each one has their turn at biting into the delicacy to tear off a tendon, that is before the workers at these joints spotted us only to send us away like the unkempt little scavengers that we were. I cannot even imagine the idea that we will sit at the table, and each of us have a plate to serve themselves from a delicious dish of chicken.”
Some of the handicrafts made by Love for Hope Children on display, from selling these and other activities, the former street kids get money to
supplement other resources in catering for their day to day needs
Shumei Lam shakes hands with Ruzindana together with some of the children of Love for Hope. other children can be seen in the background
ww
w.h
op
e-m
ag
.co
m
