What started as a small basketball coaching session for kids in his neighbourhood after a career-ending shoulder damage has earned Elie Nsengiyumva Rwanda's prime YouthConnekt entrepreneurship prize.
The founding father of Ujama Sports activities Ltd in Rubavu District was named the general winner of the 2025 YouthConnekt Awards on July 14, taking dwelling Rwf15 million for his enterprise that makes use of basketball to empower younger folks.
Nsengiyumva was amongst greater than 140 younger entrepreneurs and innovators recognised throughout an awards ceremony in Kigali celebrating winners of the YouthConnekt Awards, ArtsConnekt Awards and the Tony Elumelu Basis (TEF)-UNDP Rwanda AGUKA Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme. Collectively, the beneficiaries acquired Rwf643.6 million in money prizes and seed funding.
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For Nsengiyumva, the award crowns a journey formed by resilience.
“I used to be a basketball participant, however after struggling a shoulder damage I needed to rethink my future. As an alternative of strolling away from the game, I made a decision to change into a coach and set up a basketball academy,” he mentioned.
“I began by coaching my youthful brothers and kids from my neighbourhood on a court docket owned by a tea firm. That small initiative has since grown right into a thriving sports activities enterprise.”
Right this moment, Ujama Sports activities Ltd trains dozens of younger folks, coaches a faculty basketball staff and has helped produce gamers who’ve gone on to signify Rwanda's nationwide junior basketball staff. The membership additionally competes within the nation's second division basketball league.
“This award is a serious increase for our imaginative and prescient. I’ll make investments the prize cash to broaden our programmes, attain extra younger folks and create a better social impression via sport. My long-term dream is to change into Rwanda's nationwide basketball coach,” he mentioned.
Younger entrepreneurs rewarded for remodeling concepts into thriving companies
Among the many beneficiaries have been 41 winners of the YouthConnekt and ArtsConnekt Awards, who acquired money prizes starting from Rwf2 million to Rwf15 million, whereas 100 entrepreneurs underneath the AGUKA Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme every acquired $3,000 (over Rwf4.4 million) in seed funding.
High prizes included Rwf15 million every for winners within the ICT, Manufacturing and Different Companies classes, Rwf15 million for the general ArtsConnekt winner, Rwf10 million for the AgriConnekt winner, and Rwf5 million every for winners within the Girls and Youth with Disabilities classes.
Within the Visible Arts class, Elisa Niyogisubizo gained Rwf8 million, saying the popularity would strengthen each her confidence and her artistic enterprise.
“This award is each an honour and a supply of motivation. It evokes me to work even more durable, enhance the standard of my providers and broaden my enterprise. I imagine it’s going to play a major function in advancing my profession and serving to me attain new alternatives.”
Authorities urges youth to take a position awards in sustainable ventures
Talking in the course of the ceremony, Minister for Youth and Arts Dr Jean Nepo Abdallah Utumatwishima praised the dedication of the winners and urged them to take a position the funds correctly.
“Consistency and self-discipline is essential; we wish you to be taught from one another and encourage others. It is a time so that you can shine but additionally to uphold self-discipline and be constant,” he instructed the winners.
On the AGUKA Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme, he mentioned it was created to assist younger folks flip promising concepts into companies.
“These individuals who give you concept and bought $3,000 had simply concepts and so they have been awarded to show them into companies, now we have restricted price range and we may solely award 100 contributors,” he mentioned.
“Our problem to the youth is to make use of the acquired cash to show concepts into enterprise,” he mentioned, urging the entrepreneurs to view the help as a chance to develop their ventures and create lasting impression.
Utumatwishima mentioned the AGUKA programme has created greater than 128,000 jobs since 2022. In response to a tracer survey, seven out of 10 companies established via the initiative stay operational, beneficiaries have tripled their incomes, and every entrepreneur employs no less than three folks.
This 12 months's YouthConnekt Awards recognised the highest 41 entrepreneurs, whereas the AGUKA programme attracted 2,841 purposes, from which 100 winners have been chosen to obtain seed funding and continued enterprise help.
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For UNDP Deputy Resident Consultant Nana Teiba Chinbuah, the awards signify excess of monetary help.
“Right this moment's ceremony is subsequently way more to us than an awards occasion. It’s actually a celebration of what turns into doable when a rustic chooses to imagine within the potential of its younger folks, after which invests in it.”
“Entrepreneurship isn’t measured by the cheque acquired right now, however somewhat it’s measured by your willingness to unravel issues, to persevere via setbacks, and to proceed believing in your personal imaginative and prescient and concept when success nonetheless appears distant,” she mentioned.
She inspired the entrepreneurs to put money into folks, observing that robust skilled networks typically change into a key aggressive benefit.
“Probably the most profitable entrepreneurs usually are not merely chasing revenue. They’re fixing an issue. Bettering communities and giving hope to others. Revenue retains the enterprise alive is necessary, however function provides the enterprise which means.”
Most significantly, she mentioned “investing in younger entrepreneurs isn’t a price. It is without doubt one of the smartest investments a rustic could make.”
European Union Ambassador to Rwanda Belen Calvo Uyarra mentioned the awards reveal the impression of partnerships in nurturing younger entrepreneurs.
“The journey begins with an concept, nevertheless it succeeds via dedication, via resilience, via braveness, via imaginative and prescient, via staying within the journey to at all times construct greater ahead.”
She described AGUKA as a profitable instance of what could be achieved when authorities, improvement companions and different related stakeholders work collectively to help younger entrepreneurs.
“Since 2022, via this AGUKA programme has invested not solely in enterprise, however above all, in folks, sooner or later. It was invested in younger ladies and men with concepts, with ambition, with dedication, to form your personal future.”
She inspired the younger entrepreneurs to maintain believing in themselves.
“Your creativity, your resilience, your ambitions are the best strengths. And we’re proud to be your companions on this journey. Stick with it. Consider in your self,” she mentioned.
