Peace Through Business
Season 1

Terry Neese

Ep. 1-Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the Developing World

Terry Neese is a prolific entrepreneur who is dedicated to mentoring women both locally and abroad in starting their own businesses and turning their ambitions into reality. As founder of the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW), her organization has grown a network of women business owners in Afghanistan and Rwanda who are provided with leadership skills and business strategies to reach their goals.

Nan McKay

Ep. 2-My Life-Changing Experience

When attending the Peace Through Business training sponsored by the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, podcast host Nan McKay intended to record an episode with the organization's founder and then return back to her regular schedule with the Trailblazers Impact podcast. Instead she met so many inspiring women who had overcome life-shattering tragedy, she was compelled to tell their stories.

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Judith Mutamba

Ep. 3-Medals for Hand-to-Hand Combat

Judith Mutamba recalls at a very early age losing her father and four siblings due to the uprising in Rwanda. She wanted to be in Rwanda and wanted Rwanda to be free, so at a young age she was one of the first to to join the fighting.

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Hasina Aimaq

Ep.4-Growing Up in Her Brave Mother's Burqa

Hasina Aimaq's father died in Afghanistan, leaving his wife and a daughter. Girls were not allowed to go to school or study under the Taliban. Her mother took her to a house who taught children and always hid Hasina under her burqa since both would have been killed if discovered. (Click on Read More)

Chantal Munanayire

Ep.5-From Genocide Survivor to Woman of Courage

Chantal Munanayire lost her mother, sisters, and other members of her family in the Rwanda genocide. Yet she was determined to build a life and overcome the tragedy, doing so in a society where women have to work extremely hard to enter into business and entrepreneurship.

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Jeannette Gakwandi

Ep. 6-We Develop Courage by Surviving Difficult Times

The start to young Jeannette Gakwandi's life was beyond tragic - her parents and siblings were killed in the Rwanda genocide. It was the remainder of her fractured family who sustained her and nourished her to find a path forward.

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While much of her story is painful, Gakwandi's inner strength is palpable in this interview. One way to overcome her experience was a vow one day build a house of her own. Her ambition then grew to make this skill a livelihood, slowly and meticulously learning the trade of construction and building her own business. Her company now has several employees and contractors working to advance housing in Rwanda.

Being a woman in housing construction has come with many challenges - some men have refused to work with her, and she must continually assert herself to keep the business moving forward. It took a lot of scrambling for resources and learning skills on the fly, but today she has a steady business with an eye towards further expansion. Her message to young girls is to not be afraid to tackle industries that have traditionally been closed to them.

About: Jeannette Gawwandi is t owner of Shan Group Ltd, a construction company that focuses on housing and other specialized jobs. She wants this business to eventually be able to handle large-scale construction projects like skyscrapers. Jeannette says that many did not trust her or her business because she is a woman and construction is considered a man's profession. She is making an effort already to pay her experiences forward by working with a local association of construction company owners.

Manizha Wafeq

Ep.7-Creating Peace And Well-being Through Business IS Women's Rights.

Manizha Wafeq was raised by her parents to believe that women could be strong, confident, and achieve great things. She's put that ethos to work in her life as an advocate for women in her native Afghanistan, who often face discrimination. (Click on Read More)

Wafeq is the co-founder and president of Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which supports women in their entrepreneurial pursuits. She has spent almost two decades working with governments to assist women in business, leading seminars for how women can forge ahead, and training men to be allies.

Her journey saw the struggles that women still face in Afghanistan, with many men she's encountered still believing that women don't belong in the working world or shouldn't have equal access. Much of her work involves debunking this thinking misconceptions regarding Islam and the role of women.

Through the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® PROGRAM, she has been an ally for training women to pursue business opportunities in Afghanistan and changing the narrative about what women can achieve. Her goal is that Afghan women will continue to move from just being economic beneficiaries to economic actors who drive change and opportunity.

About: Manizha Wafeq graduated from the inaugural PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® class in 2007 and is currently teaching her 12th year of the program in Kabul as the In-Country Facilitator for Afghanistan. In this role, she has taught and mentored more than 400 Afghan businesswomen in Kabul and other smaller provinces. Manizha is the co-founder of the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network and Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan's Development (LEAD), a predecessor organization for the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI). With over 17 years of experience in women's empowerment, Manizha has established gender units within the Ministries of Commerce and of Economy and trained their staff. She is the founder of the Bibi Khadija Awards - an annual award honoring successful businesswomen and role models in Afghanistan. She presented AWCCI's work at the 11th World Chambers Competition and won in the Best SME and Entrepreneurship Development category. Manizha earned her MBA from the American University of Afghanistan in 2017 all while being a new mother.

Rachel Kakize

Ep. 8-Saving Lives Keeps Me Motivated

Rachel Kakize saw a problem that needed to be fixed. After high school she started working in the medical field and noticed a regular lack of essential supplies available. She was inspired to take action by forming her own medical supply company, PRIMAMED Technologies LTD.

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As a Rwanda businesswoman, she speaks about the hope she has for her country and the role she is playing in helping to rebuild the nation's structure after the horrors of the genocide. As a businesswoman, she is playing a leading role and hopes to inspire future generations. A wife and mother of three sons, she's committed to being a part of a peaceful and successful Rwanda.

To build up the success of her company, she continually works at creating a more efficient supply chain and building long-standing relationships with her contractors. When it comes to future growth, her ambition is to have her own manufacturing plant to close the time gap in ordering equipment and having it delivered to customers in a timely manner. As the medical field grows in Rwanda, she plans to be a part of a better future.

About: Rachel Kakize was born in Burundi after her family was forced to flee Rwanda in 1959. After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, she returned to Rwanda. She noticed that her country lacked adequate medical supplies and equipment, which she deemed necessary for the economic growth and stabilization of Rwanda. A wife and mother of three sons, Rachel worked in the medical sphere, which allowed her to obtain the knowledge she needed to open her own business, PrimaMed Technologies LTD specializing in supplying medical and lab equipment. Rachel hopes to gain more entrepreneurship knowledge as she also wishes to open a coffee shop.

Priscilla Umutashya Ruzibuka

Ep.9-Building a Children's Fashion Brand in Rwanda

From an early age Umutasha Ruzibuka developed an eye for clothing and fashion from a family housemaid in Rwanda. As a little girl she was able to model to experience how clothing can powerfully shape how one feels.

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This experience stuck with her, and she would develop a passion for clothing and helping other women by founding Ki-pepeo Kids Clothing, a children's apparel store with a focus on fashionable options for kids and empowering female employees to build greater autonomy with their career.

She mentors her team in tailoring skills and helping them find success in the workforce, as many women in Rwanda must really push to make their way into a professional industry. Ruzibuka also has ambitions to grow the business beyond the small group of tailors into a larger operation with a full-blown factory.

Anyone can buy Ki-pepeo Kids clothing online, but she hopes to make it them available through Amazon. It's part of her desire to build a sustainable company that empowers women with confidence and long-term skills for success.

About: About: Priscilla Umutashya Ruzibuka grew up knowing that she wanted to have a positive impact on th lives of others. After witnessing her former babysitter learn the art of tailoring and use it to gain success and economic independence, Priscilla was inspired to delve into this field. Her Company, Ki-Pepeo Kids, is a social enterprise creating children's clothing made in Rwanda. Ki-Pepeo means "butterfly" in Swahili, and just like the life cycle of a butterfly, Priscilla wishes to see the lives of underprivileged women and their children transformed into something beautiful. She understands what it is like to be in the darkness and wishes to shed light and opportunity on the women who were not fortunate enough to receive an education and obtain steady and gainful employment.

Agnes Mukamushinja

Ep.10-As an Entrepreneur you Fail when You Choose to Give Up

Agnes Mukamushinja owns Nova Coffee, which is grown in the volcanic regions of Rwanda. As a mom to four children, she is an example to her family about how a woman can build a successful business and make her own path. www.novacoffeerwanda.com

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Her husband offers advice on agriculture, and is sometimes needed for obtaining credit due to existing cultural attitudes about lending solely to women. Yet the business is going strong, selling coffee to European, Asian, and American markets.

The coffee offseason doesn't stop her, as she sells jewelry from a network of suppliers who hand make the merchandise to support their families. In this and her coffee business, she is constantly supporting women who want to get ahead and build themselves up.

She's open about the challenges of having a women-led business in Rwanda, but wants to keep speaking out and empowering women in her country to chase their dreams.

About: Agnes Mukamushinja grew up shadowing her father on his visits to local coffee farms. These fond memories would later decide her path. She and her husband originally ran a small pharmacy but this was not enough to help care for the orphans of family and friends due to the genocide. Realizing the potential of the coffee industry in Rawanda, Agness' husband encouraged her to start her own coffee washing station, Nova Coffee, in 2013. Coffee is Rwanda's main export and Agnes aims to be a top exporter by offering her customers high quality product and the newest trends. Agnes also teaches young women with little-to-no income how to sew and tailor clothing so that they may earn a living and become less vulnerable.

Yvette Muhayemariya

Ep. 11-Adversity is the Test of Strong Women

Yvette Muhayemariya is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, losing many members of her family. As time went on, she found a sense of purpose in creating her own identity and owning her future by starting her own business.

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It grew out of struggle she experienced when building her home, realizing a need for businesses that sold construction materials. While her business has grown, it's had a set of challenges such as ensuring suppliers deliver on time and taking a chance on customers by extending credit. She plans to expand her supplier base as part of her efforts to keep the business growing.

Her success is an example to her three children, showing her daughter a woman can succeed by working hard and being focused on her goals. She hopes her sons will respect women and understand girls can succeed, just like boys.

About: Yvette Muhayemariya grew up in a family of five children and her father was determined to send all of them to school despite advice from others to send the sons first; he did not want the girls to be left behind. Yvette reflect s on the struggle and sacrifice made by her parents and is determined to give the same to her daughter. Yvette owns a company that provides wholesale construction equipment. She is proud to have clientele tell her that dealing with women business owners is ideal because they show more care and concern for their buyers' needs. Yvette is hoping to grow her business so she can employee other women and help pull them out of poverty.

Nazila Kakar

Ep. 12- Be Independent, Focus on your Vision and Fight for It

Nazila Kakar is realizing the dream of being a woman business owner in Afghanistan. She's tapped into the agricultural resources of the country to build a food company, producing yogurt, cheese, butter, james, and pickles.

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Her mom made jams and pickles when she was young, and it's been satisfying to transform that into a sustainable business.

Like many women business owners in Afghanistan, she faces challenges acquiring credit and battling bias against women in the workforce. She's sought to differentiate her business through natural, high quality offerings and a growing reputation with her customers. Along with growing her business to other cities in Afghanistan, her aim is to inspire young girls with a message of focusing on their vision to be independent and to fight for what they want.

About: Nazila Kakar is the owner of Taza Food Products, a business specializing in dairy, jams, and preserves, which includes its own dairy farm to ensure the freshness of its products like milk, butter and cheese. One of Nazil's biggest struggles with her business is a lack of packaging machinery, meaning that everything to be sold in the store must be hand-prepared. Ms. Kakar wishes to get more women involved with her business because of the traditional nature of pickling in which many Afghan women are skilled. In the future, Nazila wishes to mass-produce her food and export to other nations to help share Afghan culture.

Frida Kansime

Ep. 13- Your Dreams Become a Reality with Determination and Hard Work

Frida Kansime was only three years old when her family was forced to flee due to the Rwandan genocide. When her family returned, she learned she had lost her grandmother and other members of her family.

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With her close family and support system, she was able to build a life through achievement at university, culminating with an MBA. After spending time in the workforce, she reached a point where she grew tired of her job and knew it was time for a new opportunity. At only 28 years old, she is the owner of Eclipse LTD, which provides electronic security systems and fire alarm systems for residents, hotels, and businesses.

With her four employees, she takes great pride in what she's built and how hard her team works together. She wants her success as a businesswoman to be an inspiration to other girls and women who dream of owning their own company. Her ambitions are big - growing to be a leading security company in East Africa with an eye towards expanding to other countries.

About: Frida Kansime is the third born of seven children. It became more difficult for her pare to provide for them as Frida and her siblings got older, but they were always thankful for their lives. When Frida's maternal uncle, who help pay for schooling, lost his jobs and saved up for a year to pay for her University tuition. She now has her own business, Eclipse LTD, which specializes in electronic security systems such as fire detection, gate automation and intruder alert. Frida hopes to gain more knowledge in her field and to encourage others by sharing her success story.

Freshta Sarwaree

Ep. 14- Always Try to Achieve your Goals

Freshta Sarwaree has an immense passion to build economic security and independence for women in Afghanistan. She does this through her business and school, building a support network for the women in her community. Sarwaree's company, Green Choice, provides processed food, fruit, and spices for her customers. (Click to Read More)

She has an all-women team, part of her desire to build women's independence and sense of purpose in the workforce.

Her life experience is a true asset to her community. She lived with her husband in Japan for graduate school, and while there she observed how Japan runs its kindergartens and sought to emulate the model for her students. The school has children in range from three months to six-years-old, providing a comprehensive school experience and child care setting for the students. The school has ten teachers and employs cooks, drivers, and security.

The latter remains a concern, as the return of the Taliban would be a devastating setback. Her husband, an engineer, is a strong source of support in her goal to raise women's profile and create a stronger foundation for the future. With a six-year-old daughter, Sarwaree is determined the work she is doing will help create an Afghanistan where women are welcome and able to succeed.

About: Freshta Sarwaree started her fruit and vegetable processing company, Green Choice, while still acting as Vice President for Blossoms of Hope Kindergerten, her first business that she began in 2014. Green Choice is self-financed and only employs women, keeping in line with Freshta's goal of creating economic security and independence for other women in her community. Her goals include expanding her business across Afghanistan, connecting directly to the farmers who are producing the raw materials. Ms. Sarwaree plans to use her business to mentor and provide new opportunities to the women of Kabul.

Angel Mutoni
Ep. 15- Music Can Set You Free!

As a child, Angel Mutoni admired her father's musical talents. It was one of many sources of connection she clung to in her childhood as she coped with the loss of her mother. Mutoni's father released an album and did a number of performances during those years, while also giving the family a rich experience of living abroad and a stint as a diplomat in Canada.

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Even with his encouragement, it would be a while before Mutoni would embrace her own talents and become an artist in her own right. Her career is young, and she's used social media and music platforms like Spotify to promote her work. With that experience, she wants to help connect other artists who have their own ambitions. Her startup seeks to help artists find gigs and publicity for their talent.

Connecting with artistic women is the key to fostering a community, so she's started a collective of women artists so that they can help each other to be independent and continue to promote their work. She encourages other women to understand that they can make music and art their career - it doesn't need to only be a side ambition. She's passionate about fostering this connection through sponsoring a women's event, bringing in artists to perform and providing resources for women to build careers through the arts. There's a strong music scene in east Africa, and she's excited to support the growth of women artists.

About: Angel Mutoni and her brother were raised by their father after her mother ied. Angel says that losing a mother is vastating for a young girl; however, her father was able to play both roles as he supported and encouraged his children's dreams. Angel's father was a musician and she became interested in music and poetry at a young age. Performing since 2013, she believes that music can set people free to be their true selves. Her goal is to inspire others to be passionate about learning who they are through music, which she seeks to do through her arts and entertainment company, DIVART Agency.
www.angellmutoni.com

Barbara Umuhoza
Ep. 16-Pastor and Successful Communications Business Owner

Deep and meaningful conversation is at the core of what Barbara Umuhoza believes can connect and heal others. This vision drove her as a pastor and has been continued with her as the business owner of Eclat Communications. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-umuhoza-186b1b182/

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With her pastoral background, integrity is essential to how she runs this firm, which is dedicated to helping with their marketing and promotional strategy.

She's particularly dedicated to helping her country become a regional conference hub for east Africa. Her company has a wide spread of services, such as translation, content production, and social media usage.

Umuhoza describes hos she's keen to the change in her country, with more women attending university and pursuing a business career. While some old attitudes remain, she's hopeful for a wider cultural shift and encouraged by the president and first lady of Rwanda's support for women. She's seen the change in her own family - her husband was supportive of a time she walked away from a job, while her father was more skeptical.

Umuhoza also offers a perspective on the Rwanda genocide. With this retelling, she frames the context for younger generations, which she hopes will sustain the vision for the Rwanda they wish to build.

About: Barbara Umuhoza formed her company, Eclat Communications, as a way for people to create and maintain meaningful relationships with each other. During her years as a pastor Barbara came to believe that people can vastly improve their lives with deep, meaningful conversations in which they will find healing, strength and hope. With this presence and passion, she aims to produce content that will inspire the youth to strive for their dreams. She is currently working on a broadcast that will bring to light different social and economic issues in Rwanda.

Aisha Haguma
Ep. 17-Focus on Your Dream

Growing up, Aisha Haguma had to do a lot of fending for herself. Her family was forced to leave Rwanda as refugees, and she went to live with her aunt. That experience gave her the strength and courage to be independent. She's grown into an entrepreneur as the owner of a supermarket, Alimentation Le Panier.

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The spark for beginning her own journey to entrepreneurship was trips to Dubai, where she was enamored with the clothing and began to sell items that she purchased on the journey there.

After this taste of success, she launched her own supermarket, growing the store's inventory and adding a bakery and butcher. Talking to customers and continually asking how her store can serve them creates a personal touch and sense of connection to the community.

She credits the Peace Through Business program as being another source of motivation and practical strategies for improving her business strategy. Much of her support also comes from her husband, who fully backs her business goals and independence. Haguma also shares thoughts on work-life balance and why she works at home when her children aren't in school to better spend time with them. In total, her strong Christian faith and desire to make things happen instead of waiting for them continues to drive her forward. She believes that women can have a bright future in Rwanda, and she wants to be an example and mentor.

About: Aisha Huguma grew up in a world that did not encourage women to pursue business outside of the home. Now, she is the owner of Alimentation Le Panier, a supermarket with an in-store bakery and a butcher. Aisha's biggest passion is being able to work for herself, sparked by her trips to Dubai in which she began to buy and bring home clothes to sell to her friends and neighbors. She then began building her own business by partnering with her brother-in-law to form the supermarket. In the future, Aisha wants to grow the size of her bakery, diversify her product line and open new branches.

Sona Mahmody
Ep. 18- Being an Entrepreneur is Seeing Opportunities Where Others Don't

Being a businesswoman in Afghanistan isn't easy, according to Sona Mahmody. She's the owner of Rumi Trading LLC, a business that helps Afghan women export dried fruit, saffron, and nuts to eastern markets, with a goal of eventually expanding to the U.S. and Europe. www.rumillc.com

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The aim of her business is to promote the Afghan agricultural sector and its products, which has often been overlooked and had to break through in a difficult market. Her products come about from a combination of her own efforts and the larger agricultural community - she grows, harvests, and processes saffron, and exports dried fruit and nuts grown from local farmers.

Originally, her family was wary of her going into business given many of the long standing beliefs about women undertaking such an initiative. However she received support from her husband after getting married, and they saved money to start the business together. The cultural and safety challenges are formidable - a friend saw their business destroyed from a terrorist bombing. Mahmody won't travel without a male family member to ensure she's protected from the Taliban. Misunderstanding is global, though, as many of her Afghanistan colleagues weren't granted visas to attend the Peace Through Business conference. Yet the sacrifice is worth it, as she's passionate about modeling how a woman can achieve and showcasing the products from her country.

About: Sona Mahmody is the president and owner of Rumi Trading LLC, a business that helps Afghan farmers export nuts, dried fruit, and saffron to eastern markets with plans to expand into US and European markets and help grow the Afghan agricultural sector. Sona struggled forming her business: "Attending school as a teenager, attending university as a young girl and now doing business as a young woman in a totally male-dominated country is not an easy thing to do. You get stared at; you get harassed; you get threats." Sona hopes to be part of the change that reverses this attitude towards Afghan women and she plans to help women through engagement with teh Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Asterie Hitimana
Ep. 19-You are your own Limit. Live Each Day with Passion

Like many families during the Rwandan genocide Asterie "Asty" Hitimana's fleed to escape the violence, returning later to try and rebuild their lives and country. Growing up, Hitimana hada passion for fashion and design, dressing up dolls and helping her mom as she made clothing for the family of 12 children.

Instagram: twinkle_by_asty

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Asty has taken that childhood passion and succeeded at turning it into a business. Her store, Twinkle by Asty, creates clothing for clients not only in Rwanda, but the U.S. and Europe. She handles the design, and hires other women who make the clothing for customers.

She speaks about her passion for Rwanda and inspiring other women and girls that they can have a future for themselves in business. She takes great pride in that her products are made in Rwanda - many are still just warming to the idea of buying something made in their own country. With this success, Hitimana hopes her sisters will also take notice of what she has achieved and embrace the belief that they can accomplish whatever they may dream of.

About: Asterie "Asty" Hitimana was born in Burundi into a family of twelve children. When she was still young, her family made the move from Burundi to Rwanda where Asty started her store, Twinkle by Asty, as a small fashion line that shared building space with two other businesses. Since then, she moved into her own building and creates designs for special occasions for clients in location s ranging from Rwanda, to the USA and Europe. Asty puts her friends and family above all else and would do anything to help them. She hopes to gain the skills to help advance her brand in the market.

Diane Murekatete
Ep. 20- When We Have the Courage to Pursue all our Dreams, They Will Come True

Diane Murkatete discovered the key to her success through trial and error. Her family was always focused on agriculture, and after a career in government service she and her husband decided to give farming a go.

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They purchased a large plot of land, hopeful to build a future for their four kids and to try something new after 15 years as a tax auditor. When harvesting sweet potatoes she grew, it turned out they weren't great for eating but made exceptional bread and biscuits. Through her company GMDI Investment LTD, she sells plenty of bread and sweet potatoes for others to make it as well. Murekatete is passionate about her community seeing the health benefits, as sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins. She also wants her entrepreneurism to be an example to girls and women in Rwanda. She's optimistic about the future, as the government and wider society are showing they want a future of strong women, too.

About: Diane Murekatete was born into a family that focused on agriculture. She recalls that her time spent around the dairy cows and in the fields led to her passion for agriculture activities. Diane earned a degree in Economic Sciences and obtained work as a tax auditor, and despite her time as a civil servant, she longed to return to her agricultural roots. She created GMDI Investment LTD focusing on modern agriculture in rural areas teaching farmers how to better grow and treat their crops for distribution in Kigali and other eastern cities.

Peace Through Business Season 1

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Peace Through Business
Season 1