Make a Move. Shake the World

We want to ensure that every child has access to education and the self-sufficiency of the families en Kacyiru district and surroundings (Kigali, Rwanda) through 1. the creation of Irembo Boutique, a shop selling high quality products with a special African touch which, at the end of a training period, will be produced by the parents of those families in a vulnerable situation and 2. a volunteer program for youth to engage in activities with a positive social impact and the empowerment of women through a women’s club.

Our idea in a sentence

OUR IDEA

The need we are trying to address How our idea addresses this need

Many children in Kacyiru district and surroundings can’t go to school because of economic obstacles (orphans, monoparental families, unemployed parents) or because their families don’t understand the importance of education and give priority to other expenses.

Families (specially women) in vulnerable situations due to high unemployment rates and family breakdown, unable to make a living and provide for their own family.

Education for All Project: we identify vulnerable children whose families can’t afford their education. We cover school fees and materials and do a follow up on their performance.

Mama Rwanda Project: a club for single mothers dedicated to uncover the difficulties of single motherhood. They are provided with a place where to share their problems and give advice to each other in order to make their life better.

Youth for Youth Project: a community of young members in charge of organizing and carrying out activities with a positive social impact and empower other fellow youth to give the best of themselves in order to make this world a better place.

Economic Empowerment: through three of our projects (Sewing and Agaseke for women and Umulenge Shoe Making for Men) we provide them with resources and machinery as well as a training period so that they can engage in income generating activities and become self-sufficient.

There is an increasing number of young people in Kigali getting involved in drug related activities (trafficking and consumption) and other diverse criminal activities

Lack of women empowerment due to illiteracy and family breakdown caused by Rwanda historical background.

We use a human centered-design approach to identify the needs and

elaborate projects that serve as solutions.

COMPETITORS

Selling similar products!!Kimironko market offers cheaper but more standard products. Ours will be unique, adapted to the western taste, with a better quality and profits have a social purpose.

Similar organizations nearby!!Inema Arts Center and Niyo Cultural Center. They organize dancing/painting lessons for children. We would like to provide them with a place to sell their paintings in exchange for afternoon lessons for our “Education for All” kids.

Other non-profits with similar activities!

!Foreign organizations fail on targeting the real needs or getting people to trust them. Our solution is our human centered- design approach and the fact that Bertrand, President of Irembo in Rwanda, has lived in this district his entire life.

Market Opportunity: increasing number of high-budget tourists traveling to Rwanda ($$$Gorilla Tracking). Tourists with an interest in having a positive social impact. Tourists with an interest in buying “African products” and lack of shops that sells them. Lack of “useful” and “attractive” (adapted to western needs/taste) products (e.g. “this looks very pretty but when would I use it?”)

THE BUSINESS MODELPeriod 1 (first 5 months)

NEED FOR INITIAL INVESTMENT (5,000 EUR)

During this time, men and women will go under a 5 months training period where they will learn sewing, agaseke and shoe making techniques from an expert. We will acquire the sewing machines and necessary materials and a house will be rented to serve as Irembo workshop and Irembo Boutique at the end of this 5 months.

Ideas for source of investment

1.Crowdfounding Campaign

2.Company sponsorship Use the attention that Irembo Foundation has already obtained from the local media to get financial support from local companies in Almería (Spain) as sponsors.

THE BUSINESS MODELPeriod 2

Irembo Boutique!opening

Products sold in Boutique 2,225,000 RWF 2,700 EUR

Activities for tourists (e.g. Agaseke workshop)

Maintenance costs (bills + rent)

Materials

Salaries

Revenues Costs

350,000 RWF 430 EUR

175,000 RWF 215 EUR

1,500,000 RWF 25x60,000 RWF 1,850,000 EUR

150,000 RWF 185 EUR

2,375,000 RWF 2,915 EUR

2,025,000 RWF 2,500EURTOTAL

PROFIT 350,000 RWF = 415 EUR

Profits will contribute to the expansion and development of new activities in the Youth for Youth and Mama Rwanda Project. It will

also provide special assistant for those families who still face problems paying for

school fees.

Estimates based on data offered by owners of other shops in the area of Kacyiru and information provided by people with similar businesses in other African countries.

£500

And that’s what we have been doing since the winter of 2013 when we started building what today is Irembo Foundation. We managed to take 11 children back to school and

we increased this number to 41 in 2014. However we believe in development as freedom, we believe in the capacity of every single person to be self-sufficient when

obstacles are tackled properly. We don’t want to take these children back to school,we want their parents to do it, and that’s why Irembo Foundation grows to tackled the

obstacles that restrict the freedom of vulnerable families in Kigali.

When the hummingbird saw the forest was on fire he didn’t run away like the rest of animals, he went to the river and picked a few drops of water and put them on the fire. The animals laughed at him: “you are

too little, what do you think you are doing?”. The hummingbird, without losing a beat looked back and said: “I am doing what I can”.

For us, this Online UWC Social Entrepreneurship Prize would be the kicking element for this project and we would use it to purchase half of

the sewing machines we need in total, allowing us to begin with the women sewing lessons.

Make a Move. Shake the World