Fiona Bruce MP praises work of local businessman in Rwanda
Fiona Bruce MP recently met with local businessman Adrian Veale who spent the summer in Rwanda helping the Rwandan people to start and develop their own businesses as part of Project Umubano, set up by Fiona Bruce MP three years ago. Fiona Bruce, who originally launched and developed the business scheme in Rwanda and whose son, Samuel, was over in Rwanda this summer, is thrilled with the way the scheme has taken off since the initial summer where 14 businesses were helped.
Fiona said “I am thoroughly enjoying working with businesses in Rwanda in such a rewarding manner and am so pleased that the project is growing year on year, from just a handful of businesses the first year – the scheme now has two components, the business element and the financial literacy element and both together helped over 300 businesses! Adrian did a fantastic job as part of the financial literacy team and the work done is vital to helping develop key skills needed for building a business.”
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| Adrian Veale shows Fiona Bruce MP photographs from Project Umubano |
Adrian said, “In September 2011, I was introduced to Project Umubano by Fiona Bruce MP, a voluntary project that runs in July each year in Rwanda and Sierra Leone, across education, medical, parliamentary, community, sport and business sectors.
I joined the financial literacy team whose main aim was to help teach financial literacy to existing business owners and potential new business owners, with the intention of helping them to access finance to help grow their business or to start in business. In two weeks in July 2012 we taught over 200 business and potential business owners about financial statements, forecasts, and how to put a business plan together. We worked closely with the Rwandan Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Rwandan Ministry of Commerce who provided both local business consultants who spoke the local Kinyawanda language, and introduced some of their members as course participants. At the end of the two weeks, many participants had business plans that they were able to present to local bank managers with a view to accessing finance and creating new jobs.
The participants gave us undeserved, overwhelming appreciation and even presented us with certificates of appreciation, and I will treasure mine forever. The feedback was so good, that the Rwandan Minister of Finance came on the last day to talk to all participants and brought the Rwandan TV news cameras with him.
Away from 2 intense working weeks, on the middle Saturday we visited a village school at the top of one of the Rwandan mountains that was being built by the local villagers. We spent the morning helping them lay the foundations for a new classroom and then talked and had photos taken with the children. After a singing and dancing display put on by the children for us, all the children chased the coach as we left, running down the hill waving continuously. Amazing!
This has been such a rewarding experience, and I have so many memories that will stay with me forever. After all the past troubles the Rwandans have endured, I hope we've done our little bit to help the wonderful people and their country continue their recovery, and hopefully I can return next year.”
