by Martine Irakoze
My goal in writing this third in a series of articles for Lionesses of Africa is to shine a light on Burundian female entrepreneurs who are moving things in their country. This week I speak to three women entrepreneurs who are making their mark and an impact with their businesses in the fields of waste management, green jewellery design, and construction.
Aniella Niyondiko, founder of Aheza Iwacu
Aniella Niyondiko is a Circular Economy Innovation Lioness and the founder of Aheza Iwacu, a company that offers waste management services and environmental conservation education in Burundi. Seeing a great need in the disposal practices and management of the waste generated by Bujumbura citizens in Burundi, and how this was affecting their health and the environment, Aniella founded AHEZA Iwacu in 2016. The aim of the business was to provide a restoration and environmental conservation response, punctual in responding to emergencies, and providing educational training programmes on good and responsible management of biological resources generated from waste. The goal was to ensure that any use of these resources was equitable and ecologically sustainable for the benefit of the population and the environment we live in.
Learn more about Aheza Iwacu by visiting the website http://ahezaiwacu.com/ or on social media https://www.facebook.com/ahezaiwacu/ Contact Aniella via email ahezaiwacu@gmail.com or phone +257 75 435 000.
Kelly Nahigombeye is a Plastic Recycling Innovation Lioness and the founder of Greenchic Designs, a Burundian-based company that creates unique pieces of jewelry and other fashion accessories out of recycled plastic bags. Speaking about the inspiration for starting her impact driven business, Kelly says: “My hate for dirt is one of the things that motivated me to do what I do. I wanted so badly a clean environment. From there, I taught myself how to recycle plastic into jewelry. In the beginning, I was making them just for me. I wanted fancy and original jewelry, that looked like no one else’s. And my friend liked them and wanted them and ordered some. That’s how a cause turned into a business. I faced challenges because most people didn’t understand my motivation, but through all the good and bad times, I learned something. Recently I took a step forward and obtained a license. It has been now 8 years, and next month the 1st anniversary as a licensed company.” If you want to gift your friends sustainably with Greenchic Designs products, you can contact Kelly via email greenchicbdi@gmail.com or kellnahgrace@gmail.com or visit her business on Instagram:@greenchic_257
Kelly Nahigombeye, founder of Greenchic Designs
Nadine Ndikumasabo, founder of Amasabo Enterprises
Nadine Ndikumasabo is a Construction Innovation Lioness and the founder of Amasabo Enterprises, a Burundian based construction company. Speaking about how she started the business, Nadine says, “My name is Nadine, a Burundian entrepreneur living in Burundi. I am 44 years old and have worked for 12 years with 2 humanitarian organizations in project management and monitoring. However, my dream since a young age was to work as a freelancer and create jobs, hence the creation of my own enterprise. I started my enterprise in July 2019. We do construction and monitoring- evaluation. I am on a mission to develop further my skills as I am doing a Masters in Monitoring in Civil Engineering. For sure, entrepreneurship is hard, but I am not afraid of working hard.” To find out more about Amasabo Enterprises and its range of specialist services, contact Nadine via phone +257 79 76 76 64.
About the author
Martine Irakoze is a Burundian student at the University of Edinburgh in International Relations & International Law. She is a serial entrepreneur, passionate about African youth empowerment. One of her favourite activities in Burundi is to walk around the streets of the slums, where it is common to see young people sitting inactive and unemployed. This sight fuels her drive to break this cycle of wasted youth potential. She envisions an Africa where every young person has the opportunity to fulfil their full potential. She believes that, by investing in young people and involving them in the development of their communities, we are not only rising nations but a whole continent. At university, Martine co-founded Linda, which is a student-led social enterprise aiming to spark conversations around sexual health related issues affecting young people in Kenya and Africa. She was also awarded the Resolution Fellowship and the MasterCard Scholarship at the University of Edinburgh.
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