At first, Gervais worked in a company where he had a stable income. He was satisfied, but the work did not meet his expectations. Driven by the desire to find more meaningful work, Gervais made the difficult decision to quit his job. He moved to his ancestral home in the rural Ruhondo region in the northern province of Rwanda, named after the nearby lake, to look for ways to develop the region and explore investment opportunities.
An investor who had built a resort on one of the islands hired Gervais as resort manager. Due to the high demand for his services and the positive feedback from customers, he decided to set up his own company. In 2013, he finally founded his own vacation resort.
The business started with a few rooms and has grown considerably since then. It attracts tourists from all over the world who want to enjoy the beauty of Lake Ruhondo. Gervais now offers accommodation, boat tours, excursions and restaurant services. The company employs young people and women from the region and offers them training in the hotel and catering industry.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Gervais' company faced operational and financial challenges. However, this time gave him the opportunity to reflect on his capabilities and the direction of his business. Gervais has a strong growth plan and intends to increase the number of rooms from 10 to 25 over the next 5 years. He also plans to build a new accommodation in the town of Musanze in the next 2 years to cater for the growing number of guests visiting the region. Gervais is looking to expand his skills, particularly in the areas of financial management, marketing and customer care. Gervais has asked BPN for assistance in acquiring these skills.
Project ID
Country / City
Employees at the start
Employee potential
entrepreneur sponsorship
