Joselyne Nzayisenga

Joselyne Nzayisenga’s journey as a Growth Guide is rooted in her upbringing in a rural community, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges farmers faced in accessing markets and earning fair value for their produce. This experience shaped her desire to use the knowledge she gained to support others, particularly farmers and young people, to improve their livelihoods and create more sustainable sources of income.

Her impact began close to home. Within her own family, she identified a pattern of spending without structure, which made it difficult to achieve any meaningful financial progress. She introduced simple but practical solutions, helping her parents create a household budget and start a small savings system. By setting aside 2,000 RWF each week, the family was able to save 144,000 RWF in six months, which they later invested and began generating returns from. This experience demonstrated how small, consistent actions can lead to tangible financial improvement.

She extended this same approach to young people in her community, where unemployment was common and many spent their days without productive activity. Joselyne brought them together to form a group focused on small income-generating activities combined with regular savings. Each member contributed 1,000 RWF weekly, building a shared fund that is now being prepared for investment. This initiative not only created a sense of purpose among the youth but also introduced them to discipline, collaboration, and financial planning.

Through her work, Joselyne has reached over 3,000 young people, focusing on building foundational habits such as saving, working consistently, and recording business activities. While the youth she supports have not yet accessed loans, largely because funding opportunities have not reached them, she continues to prepare them so they are ready when access becomes available. Her approach emphasizes readiness, ensuring that once financial opportunities arise, they can be used effectively.

One of the key lessons she has taken from this role is the importance of hard work combined with discipline, especially the habit of recording business activities. She believes that without structure and accountability, growth is difficult to sustain, regardless of the opportunities available.

Looking ahead, her hope is that young people in her community will gain access to financial support that enables them to expand their efforts and improve their lives. She believes they already have the potential and the willingness to work, and that access to capital would unlock even greater progress.

Her message to young people is direct and empowering: they should take initiative, stop waiting for external support, and start building with what they have. She believes that real change begins when young people recognize their own ability and take responsibility for their growth.