When Clémence Murekatete graduated with a level in accounting from College of Lay Adventists of Kigali in 2019, she anticipated to observe a well-recognized path: making use of for jobs and hoping to safe a company job within the metropolis.
However after months of unsuccessful purposes, frustration pushed her to rethink her future.
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As an alternative of ready for employment, the 35-year-old from Huye District determined to create her personal alternative.
At this time, Murekatete runs a rising agribusiness that mixes poultry farming, animal feed manufacturing, crop cultivation and pig rearing. Her enterprise employs 10 everlasting staff alongside informal labourers, whereas additionally coaching aspiring farmers.
Her entry into agriculture was pushed much less by ardour than necessity.
“I spent a number of time making use of for jobs, however ultimately I realised I used to be losing time as a result of the competitors was very excessive and everybody was in search of employment,” Murekatete informed The New Occasions.
Even whereas nonetheless at college, she had anticipated the potential for struggling to search out formal employment. To arrange herself, she took on small informal jobs and saved no matter cash she may.
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“I did totally different small actions, together with informal work and grazing animals, whereas saving little by little,” she stated.
Over time, she amassed about Rwf1 million, which grew to become the seed capital for her first poultry mission.
Beginning small amid setbacks
Murekatete started with a small flock of chickens and modest expectations. Though earnings have been initially low, she repeatedly reinvested earnings to purchase extra chicks and increase the enterprise.
She quickly found that poultry farming was much more demanding than she had imagined.
“Feed is dear, chicks are expensive, and ailments can wipe out all the pieces in a short time,” she stated. “There have been many challenges, however I stored going as a result of I believed the enterprise may develop.”
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One among her greatest setbacks got here in 2021 when robust winds destroyed considered one of her poultry homes shortly after the Covid-19 interval. With out insurance coverage, recovering from the losses was troublesome.
She additionally struggled with fluctuating market demand.
“There have been instances when many farmers introduced rooster to the market directly, which diminished demand and pushed costs down,” she stated. “Even so, I by no means gave up.”
The challenges ultimately pushed her to rethink her method and diversify past poultry manufacturing alone.
Increasing the enterprise
Because the enterprise grew, Murekatete sought assist from monetary establishments and improvement programmes to scale up operations.
She later joined the SAVE programme, supported by the Mastercard Basis, which helps younger agripreneurs transition from casual farming into structured companies by way of coaching, mentorship and entry to expertise.
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Earlier than becoming a member of the programme, she produced animal feed manually utilizing fundamental instruments at dwelling. A significant turning level got here when she acquired trendy feed-processing tools value Rwf10 million.
“The machines helped me cease counting on exterior processing providers and scale back transport prices,” she stated. “Proudly owning my very own feed-processing tools had at all times been my dream.”
The programme additionally strengthened her expertise in monetary administration, report conserving and enterprise planning.
At this time, she raises greater than 5,000 chickens throughout 4 poultry homes, every able to accommodating about 3,000 birds. She has additionally established a coaching centre the place cooperatives and particular person farmers be taught poultry farming and feed manufacturing methods.
Her agribusiness has since expanded into chilli and vanilla cultivation, in addition to pig farming with improved breeds corresponding to Landrace and Pietrain.
Poultry manure is reused as fertiliser, serving to scale back manufacturing prices by way of an built-in farming system.
She can be making ready to package deal and market animal feed merchandise beneath her personal registered model.
Inspiring younger individuals
For Murekatete, one of many greatest classes from her journey is the significance of beginning, even with restricted assets.
“My recommendation to younger individuals, particularly ladies, is to not concern beginning small,” she stated. “Many need prompt success, however constructing a enterprise requires endurance, persistence and braveness.”
She believes agriculture continues to supply vital alternatives for younger individuals keen to method it as a enterprise fairly than a final resort.
Her ambitions proceed to develop. One among her long-term objectives is to determine a mother or father inventory operation and produce chicks domestically to cut back dependence on imports.
She can be exploring various feed sources as rising poultry feed costs proceed to have an effect on farmers.
“Via varied trainings, we’re studying new strategies of animal feed manufacturing, together with utilizing grasses and bug farming corresponding to black soldier flies,” she stated. “Agriculture is consistently evolving, and there are numerous alternatives for these keen to be taught and enhance.”
From months spent looking unsuccessfully for employment, Murekatete now sees entrepreneurship as greater than survival, it’s a path to independence and long-term development.
