2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

58 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020

ENTREPRENEURS• ASSUMPTA UWAMARIYA

FORBES AFRICA

FORBESAFRICA.COM

Photo

by

Emmanuel

Ntirenganya

T

HEBEAUTIFULHILLCOUNTRYOFRWANDA

istypicallynotknownforitswineindustry,but

isreputedforitsinnovativeentrepreneurs.And

30-year-oldAssumptaUwamariyaisonesuch,

makingredwinefromanunconventionalsource– beetroot.

BasedinRubavudistrictinwesternRwanda,Uwamariya

startedofffarmingdifferenttypesofvegetables,andatfirst,

decidedonmakingjuiceoutofbeetroot.

August 2015 markedthebeginningofwhatshedescribesas

a “toughjourney”.Shehadnoworkingspaceofherownand

couldonlyproduce 20 litersofjuice.

Theturningpointcamein 2016 whenshewaschosenthe

bestyounginnovatorattheYouthConnektAfricaAwards,

bagging$5,000.Thatenabledhertohirelabor,buynew

equipmentandacquiremoreknowledgethroughtraining.

Fora longtime,shewasmakingwinefrombeetrootbut

later,expandedproductiontoalsomakewinefromfruitssuch

aspineappleandbanana.Beetrootwineremainsher principal

productwiththehighestdemand.

Butit wasa journeyfilledwithimpediments.

“Formany,it wastoogoodtoberealandtheirassumption

wasthatI imported[wine]fromothercountriesandjust

packagedit,”shesays.

Evenmorediscouragingtoherwerecommentsthata

womanhadnoplaceinthewinebusiness.

“Moneyknowsnogender.Isit profitable,amI passionate?”

Thatisallthatmatters,shesays.

“Iwassubjectedtomockeryfrompeoplewhoconsider

agricultureanareaofthebackwardandtheprimitive.”

Thatdidn’tdampenherspiritasshehadalreadyhada taste

oftheindustryandknewhowprofitableit was.Shesaysmore

youngpeopleshouldbeencouragedintothesector.

“Werecentlywentfora fieldtriptoKenyawherea groupof 80

youngpeopletraveledtovisitindustrieswiththegovernmentfooting

thebill.”

UwamariyaseesagricultureasthecornerstoneofRwanda’s

economy.

“When you try agriculture, there’s no turning back. I also never

AssumptaUwamariyamakeswineoutofbeetrootandhas

becomea sparklingrolemodelforotherRwandanwomen.

RED RICHES

BY STEVEN MUVUNYI

thoughtI wouldstayinit thislongbutnowI’mproudanddetermined.”

Herbrand,KarisimbiWines,is alsoavailableintheDemocratic

RepublicoftheCongoandUwamariya’saspirationis toexpandthe

reachofherproductsacrosstheglobeinthenextfiveyears.

Priortowine-making,shehadtriedherhandatvariousbusinesses.

Today,sheproduces 300 litersofwineeveryweekandhasbigger

ambitions.

Theentrepreneurtakesprideinhavingmademoneyata youngage

buthergreatestsatisfactionliesinshowingotherswhatyoungwomen

arecapableof.

“IbelievethatmenandwomenareequallyableandI thinkit’shigh

timepeoplestartedtoseethatwomencanbebroad-minded,self-

reliantandvisionaryjustlikeourmalecolleagues,”assertsUwamariya.

The positive feedbackfromherconsumersmotivatesandkeepsher

goinginthefaceofchallenges.

Whenaskedwhatshewouldhavedone

differentlyif shecouldturntheclockback,

Uwamariyasaysshewouldhaveentered

theagriculturalsectorevensoonerthan

shedid.

But she has invested her time well.

Moneyknows

no gender.

Assumpta

Uwamariya