What started as a small basketball coaching session for youngsters in his neighbourhood after a career-ending shoulder harm has earned Elie Nsengiyumva Rwanda's high 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 house 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 harm I needed to rethink my future. As an alternative of strolling away from the game, I made a decision to turn out to be a coach and set up a basketball academy,” he stated.
“I began by coaching my youthful brothers and kids from my neighbourhood on a courtroom owned by a tea firm. That small initiative has since grown right into a thriving sports activities enterprise.”
At this time, Ujama Sports activities Ltd trains dozens of younger folks, coaches a college basketball workforce and has helped produce gamers who’ve gone on to signify Rwanda's nationwide junior basketball workforce. 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 develop our programmes, attain extra younger folks and create a better social impression by sport. My long-term dream is to turn out to be Rwanda's nationwide basketball coach,” he stated.
Younger entrepreneurs rewarded for reworking 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 below 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 Ladies and Youth with Disabilities classes.
Within the Visible Arts class, Elisa Niyogisubizo received Rwf8 million, saying the popularity would strengthen each her confidence and her inventive enterprise.
“This award is each an honour and a supply of motivation. It evokes me to work even tougher, enhance the standard of my companies and develop my enterprise. I consider it’ll play a major function in advancing my profession and serving to me attain new alternatives.”
Authorities urges youth to speculate awards in sustainable ventures
Talking through the ceremony, Minister for Youth and Arts Dr Jean Nepo Abdallah Utumatwishima praised the willpower of the winners and urged them to speculate the funds correctly.
“Consistency and self-discipline is vital; we would like you to be taught from one another and encourage others. It is a time so that you can shine but in addition to uphold self-discipline and be constant,” he informed the winners.
On the AGUKA Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme, he stated it was created to assist younger folks flip promising concepts into companies.
“These individuals who provide you with thought and received $3,000 had simply concepts they usually have been awarded to show them into companies, now we have restricted finances and we may solely award 100 individuals,” he stated.
“Our problem to the youth is to make use of the acquired cash to show concepts into enterprise,” he stated, urging the entrepreneurs to view the assist as a possibility to develop their ventures and create lasting impression.
Utumatwishima stated the AGUKA programme has created greater than 128,000 jobs since 2022. In keeping with a tracer survey, seven out of 10 companies established by the initiative stay operational, beneficiaries have tripled their incomes, and every entrepreneur employs a minimum of three folks.
This yr's YouthConnekt Awards recognised the highest 41 entrepreneurs, whereas the AGUKA programme attracted 2,841 functions, from which 100 winners have been chosen to obtain seed funding and continued enterprise assist.
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For UNDP Deputy Resident Consultant Nana Teiba Chinbuah, the awards signify way over monetary assist.
“At this time's ceremony is due to this fact way more to us than an awards occasion. It’s actually a celebration of what turns into potential when a rustic chooses to consider within the potential of its younger folks, after which invests in it.”
“Entrepreneurship is just not measured by the cheque acquired as we speak, however fairly it’s measured by your willingness to resolve issues, to persevere by setbacks, and to proceed believing in your personal imaginative and prescient and thought when success nonetheless appears far-off,” she stated.
She inspired the entrepreneurs to put money into folks, observing that robust skilled networks usually turn out to be a key aggressive benefit.
“Probably the most profitable entrepreneurs will not be merely chasing revenue. They’re fixing an issue. Enhancing communities and giving hope to others. Revenue retains the enterprise alive is essential, however objective offers the enterprise which means.”
Most significantly, she stated “investing in younger entrepreneurs is just not a price. It is among the smartest investments a rustic could make.”
European Union Ambassador to Rwanda Belen Calvo Uyarra stated the awards exhibit the impression of partnerships in nurturing younger entrepreneurs.
“The journey begins with an thought, however it succeeds by willpower, by resilience, by braveness, by imaginative and prescient, by staying within the journey to at all times construct larger ahead.”
She described AGUKA as a profitable instance of what could be achieved when authorities, improvement companions and different related stakeholders work collectively to assist younger entrepreneurs.
“Since 2022, by 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 willpower, 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. Imagine in your self,” she stated.
