Iribagiza Nakabonye, a Congolese refugee living in Kiziba camp, set up a cafeteria in the camp through a cash grant of $450 in 2018. © UNHCR/ Lilly Carlisle
Step into Kiziba refugee camp that hosts Congolese refugees in western Rwanda, and you’ll quickly hear about Iribagiza Nakabonye. Not because her restaurant is famous, but her real magic lies in being a role model for self-reliance — she’s a living example of how displaced people can thrive even in the scarcity of humanitarian assistance.
“I’m really happy that I can now provide for my family and send my children to school thanks to my business,” she says.
The mother of eight works together with other four refugee women at the restaurant which is a subsidiary of ‘Best Future Women Company’, a business they established in 2019. The restaurant serves residents of the camp, provides outside food catering, and supplies meals for events taking place in the camp.
Iribagiza mentions that the company distributes dividends to its shareholders quarterly. In addition to covering her family’s needs, she also uses a portion of her profit to reinvest into other income-generating activities. For instance, this year, she was able to purchase a small house worth Rwf 13 million on the outskirts of Kigali.
“Even though the house is small, the fact that I was able to acquire a property near the city has boosted my confidence that if I keep working hard, I will achieve even much more,” she says.
Yet, Iribagiza’s success wasn’t immediate. Her family had to go through harsh situations in the camp before deciding to take advantage of available opportunities so that she could stand on her own feet.
In 1996, after fleeing DRC and seeking refuge in Rwanda, Iribagiza’s family started from scratch. Initially, they relied on humanitarian assistance but growing up as a teenager amidst the struggles, Iribagiza decided to forge her path with only one thousand Rwandan francs.
Her first venture involved the trading of cassava flour, laying a foundation for what would grow into a larger economically independent enterprise in the camp. Iribagiza explains how at first, she used her meager profits to support her family to improve their diet.
As her small business gained momentum, Iribagiza shifted to a marketplace within the camp. There, she diversified her food commodities to add vegetables and tomatoes to her stall. The modest income earned not only sustained her family but also expanded the horizons of her aspirations.
The turning point arrived when a Community Centre was built in the camp. Recognizing an opportunity, Iribagiza seized the moment to mobilize other four refugee women so that they could join efforts to open a restaurant. They raised one million Rwandan francs as a starting capital, including a grant from Caritas. Since then, investments have increased to over Rwf 10 million.
“We often win tenders for supplying food and can cook for 500 people a day,” she says. “We have 6 permanent employees which means we are also contributing to the reduction of unemployment in Kiziba camp.”
Iribagiza also says that her company pays taxes which contribute to the development of the host country.
About 350 km away from Kiziba camp towards the southeast of Rwanda, Pelagie Sezikeye, a Burundian refugee in Mahama camp, shares a similar experience. After fleeing her country due to the violence that unfolded in 2015, she never let the hurdles that come with being a refugee get her down.
With a USD 800 grant she got thanks to a partnership between UNHCR and Denmark, she managed to rebuild her life by selling clothes and jewelry in the camp.
“When we fled Burundi, we depended on food rations, which weren’t sufficient. However, since I was fortunate to receive funding, there are no longer any problems! We now have a small [income] which allows us to buy food,” she says, adding that she even manages to save some of the income through being part of a savings group.
Pelagie recalls the benefits of running her own business, that when she invests RWF 100,000, she can potentially earn around RWF 180,000 a month; this also allows her to save approximately RWF 40,000 per month after covering other household expenses.
She states her future goal is to become a wholesaler.
UNHCR remains committed to working alongside the Rwandan government and other partners to support more refugees who become self-reliant as humanitarian assistance declines.
Both Iribagiza and Pelagie encourage refugee youth, women, and those with disabilities to be confident and go for whatever they believe would help them uplift their lives without heavily relying on humanitarian assistance.
“I realized that whoever you are, wherever you come from, you don’t have to underestimate yourself,” Iribagiza says, calling on fellow refugees to follow suit and forge paths to self-reliance, resilience, and a future beyond the confines of dependence. (End)