On 28th March 2023, more than 40 retrenched public servants are undergoing training in entrepreneurship, business development, and innovation associated with access to finance for self-employment as helpful support from MIFOTRA in partnership with RMI for starting their own income-generating businesses/projects at RMI Murambi Campus.

The assessment survey was conducted by the Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) to identify areas of interventions that would support those who lost their jobs due to rationalization of public institutions and shared services. This group chose self-employment. The entrepreneurship program was conceived to enable retrenched public servants shift to the level of being entrepreneurs and give them the skills required that will open new doors of opportunities for them.

The training in entrepreneurship, business development, and innovation is an existing integral part of the intervention to equip beneficiaries with business planning and management skills, allowing them to design and plan bankable and viable business plans which may be funded.

In his welcoming remarks, on behalf of RMI Director General, Mr. NSHIMYUMUREMYI Vincent de Paul, the Principal Senior Training Coordinator welcomed the trainees and wished them a very successful training.

“The training has been prepared to equip you with requisite knowledge and skills that will enable you to be self-employed in the future rather than always applying for jobs. You need to dedicate your time to get the knowledge required for you to be able to apply it as future entrepreneurs and businessmen”, he urged the participants.

Isaac Hategekimana, a MIFOTRA representative showed the participants the opportunities that lie ahead of them. “It is a program that came about due to the changes that took place in the government and it is not the first time. In 2006, such training was held. Some studied and others created their own jobs” he said. 

“They are here to get the necessary skills and to make the person who has lost his/her job know that there are many other opportunities that can improve them and maybe earn more than the salary that they were paid. "After this training, we hope that you will acquire the needed skills and finally, the ideas you have for self-development will be put into practice. Another goal is that you will leave with bankable business plans which will be supported”, Hategekimana assured them.

Ms. Monique Umugwaneza, BDF Representative, made a thorough presentation of BDF products and clarified about the loan guarantees. She showed the retrenched public servants the following; “We will give you a guarantee of up to 75% of the money you request from the bank depending on the project you requested the loan for. We consider; the retrenched public servants, the survivors of the 1994 genocide, women, youth, all of them get 75% of the bank loan guarantees. You will go to the bank and improve your projects in cooperation with the banks and on your side, you will also bring 25% of the total project value", she clarified. BDF provide a loan guarantee of all projects up to Rwf 500,000,000.

Mr. Ntwali Alexis, one of the facilitators, promised that the course of entrepreneurship is something that produces good results. “This is an opportunity for them to acquire the skills they need to become self-employed. They will not regret not being in government services anymore”, Ntwali added.

To implement this intervention, the training shall be conducted in three phases. The first phase is expected to leave participants with the draft of their business plans that they shall have developed throughout the training. The second, through a well-structured coaching program, participants shall go back home for two weeks after understanding what it takes to develop a feasible and bankable business plan to study the market of their interest, gather the information, and incorporate the real business information in their business plan development with guidance from the coaches. The third is the final phase of the training and it has been planned to help participants finalize their business plans and make presentations to the plenary for validation.

MIFOTRA provide support in four interventions including; entrepreneurship, training in International certified courses, some chose to study Law at ILPD, others PMP, CPA, PHRi, and Data Science, while others go in IPRCs with a vision to acquire skills that will help them create jobs and compete in the labour market and those who have reached the age of fifty-eight and above, about to reach the retirement age have been given RSSB contributions to cover the gap of the remaining contributions.

RMI provides professional capacity development training, research, consultancies, and advisory services to both individual workforce and institutions in Rwanda.