Dieudonne Demonstrates Resilience in Building a Brighter Future

Dieudonne’s life took a drastic turn when, at only 17 years old, he was forced to flee from his home country of Burundi due to political instability. Separated from his family, he was placed at the Mahama Refugee camp in Kirehe, Rwanda, where he has lived for several years now. During that time, he has been a diligent student, motivated by the possibility of reuniting with his family.

Dieudonne attends to his customers

When the pandemic hit Rwanda in early 2020, Dieudonne worked to gain financial independence by starting his own food production business selling roasted peanuts. Initially, he struggled with his venture due to his inexperience. Then, in October 2021, he joined Educate! and began to receive remote mentorship, which he says paved the way for his growth and success.

When Dieudonne began his small enterprise, he dealt with challenges like limited capital and low sales. After gaining skills in business research, marketing, and resource mobilization, he started to see improvements. Eventually, Dieudonne added a new product: mandazi (a doughnut-like treat). As his business began to run more smoothly, Dieudonne continued to leverage his support network. No stranger to hardship, Dieudonne says his resiliency comes from knowing that “giving up is not an option for me and my dreams.”

Dieudonne makes mandazi

As he waits for his university courses to begin, Dieudonne continues to build his business within the refugee camp, where he has secured a food prep space and currently employs four young people. Now making an average profit of RwF 16,000 (about $15 USD) on a biweekly basis and serving over fifty customers a day, he envisions expanding his business both within and outside of the camp.

Dieudonne has already seen the benefits that go along with an entrepreneurial mindset.

“Business ownership is intriguing because you have the autonomy to make changes as you see fit, and you can also help others.”

Looking towards the future, he wishes to harness the skills he gained from Educate! to focus on community development and youth empowerment. At the same time, he holds onto the hope of being reunited with his family.