New Light Junior Nursery, Rwanda

Jane Akimana’s passion to work with children took root at an early age.

“I lost both my parents by the time I was five,” she says. “I was fortunate because my uncle raised me and my three siblings. I always said to myself, ‘Let me do something with my life so that, one day, I can support as many children as I can to be happy and secure.’”

The importance of a good education was instilled in Jane by her uncle, brothers and sisters. After completing her degree in Rwanda, she was offered the opportunity to go to Tamil Nadu, India, to do further studies.

“My brother offered to pay for my scholarship, so I couldn’t refuse,” she smiles. “I took three degrees in India. The first was a bachelor’s in business administration with computer application at Sri Ganesh College. I also pursued a master’s degree in commerce with computer application at AVS College of Arts and Science, both affiliated with Periyar University. Then I got an MBA in banking and finance at Alagappa University.”

Her studies were eye-opening. “An education makes you broaden your horizons and think beyond what you are already doing,” she says.

Her attention was also taken by people’s attitude to work and commerce.

“I saw the way they did business with full hearts and were committed,” she says. “It made me determined to live life the same way.”

Jane returned to Rwanda in 2014 and began to save money to open a nursery.

“I was fully confident I could do this successfully,” she says. “My experiences in India made me believe I could do anything.”

Jane opened New Light Junior Nursery in the Gasabo district of Kigali in 2016, together with her husband, who owns 50 per cent of the business. Jane says she is fortunate to have a husband who supports her and helps with her business and the raising of their three children.

“I wanted to give children a good start in life,” she says. “Having lost my own parents, I knew how important it was for young people to feel loved. Children inspire me. This was my way of giving back.”

At first, the nursery’s clientele was children, age 3-6, from the neighbourhood. Jane started with 75 children, but by 2018, there were 130 young people attending the nursery.

“We began by renting the facility where we ran the nursery, but then the property owner decided to sell it,” she says. “I was praying to God that we would be able to buy it.”

Jane approached the bank KCB, and was given a loan to purchase the building.

“I was very happy,” she says. “KCB was already my bank of choice. Many of the parents whose children attend the nursery are KCB clients and pay for tuition using bank transfers.

It made sense to stay with them.”

The 2020 FinScope Gender Report identified that women lead about 52% of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Rwanda, which is around 420,000 businesses. Through these enterprises, women entrepreneurs are significant contributors to GDP growth and create jobs critical to people’s livelihoods in their communities and the country at large.

“Women entrepreneurs represent the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs globally, and Rwanda is no exception,” says Emna Mraidi from Argidius’ partner, ConsumerCentriX (CCX), which has been in partnership with Jane’s bank since 2019.

A core aspect of CCX’s work with BPR Bank Rwanda Plc, (which is a merger between former Banque Populaire and KCB Rwanda Plc in 2022), is to support the bank in implementing a holistic SME banking model to address the financial and non-financial needs of entrepreneurs in Rwanda, with a special focus on women.

“One aspect of the support we provide to the bank is building the capacity of its business bankers around the necessary skills to better serve the clients. In particular, we trained the bankers to recognise women entrepreneurs’ specific needs and characteristics as business owners,” says Emna. “We also have programmes around non-financial support, like the Survive to Thrive program in partnership with the African Management Institute and the Biashara Club, which offers preferential loan rates, business workshops and training, and networking opportunities.

Women in Sub-Saharan Africa face many challenges when it comes to access to finance due to their low level of financial literacy, limited ownership of assets that can serve as collateral for loans, and deep-rooted cultural norms, for example, restrictions on mobility, property ownership and limited decision-making power. Furthermore, women tend to run smaller businesses and occupy more space in the informal sector, where they rely on support from family, friends, and cooperatives to maintain their businesses. However, as they grow, women entrepreneurs tend to recognise the importance of banks and financial institutions as partners in their development plans, which is why banks like BPR are seeking to provide more support through products and services customised to their needs.

“The merger of KCB Rwanda and Banque Populaire Rwanda is meant to tap into the strengths of both brands. This includes the strong regional presence, and cutting-edge digital offerings of KCB Group, ” says Innocent Ntwali, head of retail banking at BPR Bank Rwanda.

“BPR Bank also wants to foster a more inclusive financial sector to better support underserved clients, including women. We want to provide BPR Bank customers with additional value. We are working to optimise our digital and banking services to meet the needs of clients and to provide business development services through our Biashara Club to nurture their growth. We are thrilled to be developing a women-focused banking service. We believe that fostering gender inclusivity will fuel the growth of women-led businesses and contribute to the development of Rwanda's entrepreneurial landscape.”

CCX has been collaborating with leading banks across sub-Saharan Africa to develop and implement holistic strategies fostering SMEs’ sustainable growth through access to financial and business development services. These gender-inclusive solutions, which incorporate cash flow-based lending products, business development training, and online information platforms, stem from extensive market research.

“We wanted to support Jane to develop her business because we could see that she was motivated and had a clear vision,” says Emna. “She wants to grow her business and recognises that, alongside a business loan, non-financial support is essential.”

Emna says that Jane is relatively unique in Rwanda, where women still struggle to access finance and set up successful businesses.

“What makes Jane special is her background in financial studies and the strong support she gets from her husband, who helped her set up her business in the beginning and has been her business partner,” she says.  

“We would like to see more women like Jane being able to access finance and business support in Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa,” she adds. “What we can clearly see in her case is a woman who is doing something she really loves, supporting her community, giving back and growing something of her own. We want to see more women pursuing their dreams and businesses.”

New Light Junior Nursery school now employs fourteen full-time staff, including eight teachers and six cleaners. The nursery has 175 children, twenty of whom are on scholarships that the nursery offers to under-privileged families.

“Offering free places is very important to me,” says Jane. “From my own experiences of losing my mother and father, I know how vulnerable children can be when everything they know is taken away from them. A nursery, where love and a good early education are provided, is a good grounding for the beginning of a young person’s life.”

Jane says she has challenges balancing her business aims with her desire to give back to children coming from under-privileged background.

“I have four children at the nursery who don’t have school materials, including books, uniforms and computers. We are currently providing everything for them. What I’m looking to find is finance which can support those children. In this way, we can grow as a business, and they can have a good start in life.”

Jane’s vision is to keep developing the nursery and to also open a junior and secondary school.

“It’s all dependant on money and access to finance is not always easy for a woman here. If I have finance, I can develop my business and continue to create jobs for our people,” she says.

“I keep going as I’m strong. It’s important not to feel weighed down by things. I encourage people by saying that, if they fall, they should stand again and keep going. Things always get better.”