African Management Institute and ICT Chamber: Offer Business Training to Over 2,000 Tech Entrepreneurs in Rwanda

By Richard Adorsu-

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Accra- The African Management Institute (AMI) and the Rwanda ICT Chamber have signed a one-year agreement to provide business training to entrepreneurs in the ICT sector to reinforce their skills and boost women’s participation in the sector. The partnership aims to reach more than 2,000 iworkers (i.e. internet workers who include digital services agents, freelancers, digital ambassadors and gig/platform workers). This is geared to help small businesses tackle the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and equip them with the skills, tools and strategies to manage risk and identify new opportunities for growth.

The African Management Institute will offer its sponsored virtual Business Survival Bootcamp in English and Kinyarwanda to tech entrepreneurs across the country and enable them to access AMI’s online learning platform. Through the programme, entrepreneurs learn about risk assessment, scenario planning, cash flow forecasting and other skills to support their business to grow and thrive.

To date, 114 entrepreneurs have already benefited from AMI’s sponsored programme in partnership with the ICT Chamber and completed AMI’s Business Survival Bootcamp programme. Members of the ICT Chamber are encouraged to apply directly through bit.ly/AMIICT.

Yvette Uwimpaye, founder of the online store Murukali Market Smart, is looking forward to the upcoming training: “The pandemic affected my business both positively and negatively. We had more customers ordering online, however they were buying fresh products such as perishable food. It was hard to keep up with the demand due to movement restrictions. This impacted our operations and caused us to lose customers and revenue. I’m excited to take part in the Business Survival Bootcamp because I want to recover losses and make my e-commerce business more profitable,” she said.

AMI Country Director, Malik Shaffy, commented: “This partnership is unique because it will also increase the number of women thriving in Rwanda’s digital economy. As we boost women’s participation in our programmes, I encourage all tech entrepreneurs to visit our website and apply for the Business Survival Bootcamp to gain the skills and network that will help your business to grow.”

Rwanda ICT Chamber CEO, Alex Ntare, shared how the sector will benefit from the partnership: “ Over the years we have seen a growing number of women owned or co-founded technology and ICT enabled businesses, this partnership with AMI has already raised interest among our members especially those participating in the IHUZO digital commerce project, the content in the programmes is very relevant to all sizes of businesses especially those affected by COVID-19 and who want to digitalize”

AMI enables ambitious businesses across Africa to thrive, through practical tools and training. We equip entrepreneurs with tools to build their businesses, help companies train their teams and run work readiness programmes for young people starting their careers. AMI’s programmes combine online and mobile tools with in-person workshops and on-the-job practice and support. During the COVID-19 period, AMI is delivering fully virtual programming across the continent.

AMI has worked with a range of businesses and organizations to support entrepreneurs and managers build and grow their businesses across Africa including Uber, Nestle, Radisson Blu, Mastercard Foundation, USAID, Shell Foundation and Equity Bank. AMI has directly trained over 30,000 people in over 30 countries. AMI has offices in Nairobi, Kigali and Johannesburg.

Rwanda ICT Chamber is an arm of the Private Sector Federation (PSF) of Rwanda and was established in 2011. The ICT Chamber is the leading partner for organizations to share experience, network, grow, and expand their operations. At the ICT Chamber, we help our members to work with the right associations, companies, and individuals to ensure that they get the needed skills, opportunities, and tools to grow.

The main vision of Rwanda ICT Chamber is to make Rwanda the leading ICT-driven society by influencing the transformation of the economy and the culture through ICT. This is accomplished by creating career paths through skills development, especially among the youth, stimulating entrepreneurship and competitiveness, driving and protecting investments and innovation, promoting export of ICT products and services together with acting as the arbitrator of the ICT sector.

For New Africa Daily News Richard Adorsu Reports,  Africa Correspondent

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