Global Entrepreneurship Week
Global Entrepreneurship Week/Rwanda
worked with 45 partners who hosted 50 events to reach more than 7,000
participants. Since it's inception GEW/Rwanda has brought together over 50
different partners for 75 events reaching nearly 20,000 people since 2011.
Rwanda is the leading East African nation participating in GEW
based on the number of partners and activities. BREC hopes to make the Rwandan
campaign the brightest in all of Africa in terms of scope, VIP involvement, and
innovations of our campaign and mission--creating a groundswell of
activities that inspire and advance entrepreneurship in Rwanda. The additional
aim is to demonstrate to the world how innovation and private enterprise
are transforming the country for the better.
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)
is supported by an impressive group of organizations and thought leaders from
around the world. From the day it was launched with the help of former British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, GEW has enjoyed the participation of presidents
and prime ministers on every continent, including: President Barack Obama
(USA); Prime Minister David Cameron (UK); Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Israel); President Anibal Cavaco Silva (Portugal); Prime Minister Stephen
Harper (Canada); Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegne, (Ethiopia); and
numerous other world leaders in the private and public sector.
GEW In the News
Celebrating Global Entepreneurship in Rwanda Benebikira Sisters Partnership
The Benebikira Sisters have been
working in Rwanda since 1919 to develop education and health care programs
throughout the country. In recent years, they have turned to income-generating
activities to help fund their important work.
When Sister Augusta, the order’s
Chief Financial Officer, first walked into the BREC office, she had two clear
needs: to help launch a bakery that supplied the cafeterias at their schools
and guest houses, and to develop a financial plan to help refinance the
loan taken out for their student dormitory in the university town of Butare.
After hearing about the history of
the congregation, the perseverance of the Sisters, and the unrelenting and
visionary drive of Sister Augusta, it was easy to offer support for the
high-impact entrepreneurs. A team of Babson students assembled to work
alongside Sister Augusta in addressing the issues she faced. The students
visited the Benebikira operations. A few months later, Sister Augusta arrived
in Boston, USA to study marketing and organizational behavior at Babson. Since
that time, Sister Augusta has taken the skills she gained back to her order of
350 nuns and the 5,000 students who study in their schools. She also has
deepened the ties between Babson and the Benebikira Sisters.
In May of 2012 a team of ten you
women from Babson spent four weeks operating a summer school for Sister
Augusta's students in Save, Rwanda. The team taught courses in computer
science, English and entrepreneurship during the day at Save and held evening
workshops at the National University of Rwanda on topics such as technology,
career development, entrepreneurship and business plan development.
BREC will partner with Babson’s
Center for Women’s Leadership Program to send a team of 5-8 of
Babson's Women's Leaders from across campus to Save, Rwanda for three
weeks in the Summer of 2013 for the second year in a row to teach
entrepreneurship, leadership and academic skills to 9th and 10th grade
Rwandan students, conduct a women’s leadership seminar at the National
University of Rwanda, work alongside aspiring and successful female
entrepreneurs of Rwanda, and engage with women empowerment organizations all
while getting the opportunity to explore the nation’s capital of Kigali and other
unique Rwandan experiences.