Rwandan Innovators Receive $640K in Entrepreneurship Awards
Over 140 young Rwandan entrepreneurs and innovators received a total of Rwf643.6 million (approximately $640,000) in cash prizes and seed funding at an awards ceremony in Kigali on July 14. The awards were presented through the YouthConnekt Awards, ArtsConnekt Awards, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation-UNDP Rwanda AGUKA Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme.
Elie Nsengiyumva, founder of Ujama Sports Ltd, won the top YouthConnekt prize of Rwf15 million for his enterprise which uses basketball to empower youth after a career-ending injury. Other winners received between Rwf2 million and Rwf15 million, and 100 entrepreneurs from the AGUKA program each received $3,000 in seed funding.
Government officials and development partners emphasized the importance of investing in youth entrepreneurship and urged recipients to use the funds to create sustainable businesses. The AGUKA program alone has reportedly created over 128,000 jobs since 2022, with seven out of ten businesses remaining operational.
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