Employee Empowerment... Rwanda Style

Gerard Sina is one of the most celebrated of Rwanda‘s high-growth entrepreneurs. I first read about him in Steven Kinzer’s book A Thousand Hills. His formal education does not extend to Junior High, but he is a born dreamer… and he has a penchant for “adding value” to every business he touches. The hills and valleys of the Rulindo District where he was raised, like many other rural Rwandan communities, have been cultivated for generations by farmers who sought to grow what they could eat or sell locally. Sina believes this is no longer good enough…Rwandans should develop a competitive advantage by adding value to everything they sell. Since 1993, his solution has been to process raw fruit and sell or export fruit products instead. Today, Sina‘s company, Urwibutso, employs over 200 people and supports more than 3000 farmers, helping each to support their families and communities in ways previously deemed out of reach. Along the way, Sina has not only transformed the Rulindo District, he has become one of East Africa‘s leading producers of juice, jam, preserves, chili sauce, banana beer and banana wine (which I shared with Sina over goat kabobs last Saturday).

From left to right: Alex of Urwibutso, Carter of Karisimbi Partners, SINA Gerard, and Dano of Karisimbi Partners

It is tempting to think that Sina has a lot to gain from Western business practices. On my most recent visit to his office, however, I came away convinced he has already outpaced many Western companies as relates to caring for and empowering his employees. Sina has built roads and two schools in the area, and paid for each child’s tuition to ensure opportunities beyond those he had as a child. He has built fine new dormitories for employees from distant villages. Urwibutso has a number of nice gathering areas so employees can have lunch in a garden or overlooking a peaceful river. Sina is a proponent of new ideas and perspectives, so he has placed a televisions in places like the bakery and set each one to international channels so his employees who have not traveled can still see into other cultures. Behind his operations you can see a soccer field where his employees and the Urwibutso company-sponsored team play (and I’ve been assured I can play there on my next visit).

To say such practices are unique in rural African regions is a huge understatement. His employees seem to know this, and respond with loyalty. We must hope more employers choose to “add value” as Sina has to the products and people at Urwibutso.

Onward & upward,

-Carter