Continuing our series of articles from our Annual Report 2025/26, we outline here our work on our Youth Entrepreneurship Support Project (YESP).

YESP is a one-year follow on project to our to ensure that specifically those young people which have completed entrepreneurship training can continue to access assistance from the project team to successfully start-up their businesses, which runs from July 2024 to June 2025.

In 2021, Clifford Chance and Survivors Fund launched the Youth Economic Empowerment Project (YEEP) to support the National Survivor’s Association of Graduates (GAERG) in assisting their peer survivors in Kigali City, Eastern Province, and Southern Province. The project targeted university graduates, secondary school graduates, and young people who had dropped out of school and lacked income for themselves and their families.

The YEEP project participants are survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Many of these survivors grew up in orphanages or were cared for by different people. This background often hindered their ability to study well and achieve good grades, making it difficult for them to pursue higher education or secure jobs after university. YEEP was developed to support this specific group, enabling them to develop livelihoods, raise their living standards, and improve their well-being and that of their families.

The project initially focused on three regions of Rwanda. In its first year, YEEP was implemented in the three districts of Kigali City: Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge. In the second year, the project expanded to the Eastern Province, targeting districts with a significant number of beneficiaries, including Kayonza, Rwamagana, and Bugesera. In its third year, YEEP focused on the Southern Province, specifically in the districts of Huye, Nyanza, Kamonyi, and Muhanga.

YESP (Youth Entrepreneurship Support Project) has ensured that specifically those young people which completed entrepreneurship training during YEEP have been able to continue to access assistance from the project team to successfully start-up their businesses, and receive support to apply for and repay loans, for a further year from July 2024 through to June 2025. Those supported through this phase of the project reside and work across all three geographies: Kigali City, Eastern and Southern Provinces.

You can view just some of the success stories of the project here:

The support of Clifford Chance has enabled GAERG to assist even more beneficiaries in starting new businesses through loans provided by our microfinance partner, Goshen Finance. The project extension allowed our staff to help additional beneficiaries develop strong business proposals and to conduct follow-up visits, offering guidance and advice to those already using loans to grow and stabilise their businesses.

Entrepreneurship training has empowered young genocide survivors to launch small income-generating activities, enabling them to support their families and build more secure, independent futures.

As a result, the extension has enabled the following impactful activities over the past four years:

• At least 7,239 young genocide survivors (4,248 females and 2,991 males) benefited from different various components of the programme over the past four years of YEEP and YESP.
• In total, 4,116 young survivors have received entrepreneurship training since the start of the project. Following the training, beneficiaries have formed into a total of 51 savings groups in their communities through which they have begun saving before applying for loans from Goshen Finance.
• Over the past year of YESP, consequently, 923 participants have saved 16,709,000 Rwf (c. £8,500), and the total amount of savings accrued over the total project reached to 83,201,306 Rwf (c.£42,500). 
• YESP enabled young genocide survivors to increase their income through job creation, with 133 participants starting new small businesses using loans from both Goshen Finance and their own savings. In total, over 1,000 new small businesses have been set up through the duration of the project. 
• The total loans disbursed to beneficiaries since the start of the project has amounted to 171,853,266 Rwf (c.£88,000) which is increasing year-on-year as loans are recycled to support more new businesses.
• An internship program, designed at the beginning of the project, saw 112 young people participate to gain new skills across various domains in the past year. In total we have helped 307 project participants secure internships since the project commenced.
• Out of 448 loan applications submitted to Goshen for evaluation and disbursement, 133 businesses were awarded loans. Loan officers and project staff continue to assist more young people in accessing additional loans. And more loans are becoming available as they are repaid, and the capital is then loaned out again.
• GAERG has redeveloped their website and updated it with new content, attracting 150,000 visits from people seeking information related to jobs and soft skills.
• The project trained 190 young survivors in the work readiness program, helping them to write more compelling CVs and application letters. This addressed a common issue among genocide survivors, who often struggled with application writing. As a result, 83 young survivors secured internships in both private and public institutions, and 35 of them obtained employment, enabling them to financially support their families.

Cyriaque *

Cyriaque is a 32-year-old single young genocide survivor who has benefited from entrepreneurship training through YEEP and accessed a loan through Goshen Finance during YESP.

Before joining the programme, Cyriaque already had a small business, but it lacked direction. His product range was very limited, and the location where he operated did not attract reliable customers. Recognising these challenges, he chose to attend the entrepreneurship training to gain the skills needed to improve his business, although he did not expect much beyond that.

“I attended the training to learn how to run my business – nothing else. During the training, a loan officer came and explained to us how Goshen provides loans. That discussion convinced me to take out a loan, expand my business, and move to a better location where I could attract more customers. Before, rent was a big worry because it was so expensive. I applied for a loan of 1,500,000 RWF (c. £790), which allowed me to buy new materials and pay for a better shop space. In training, we learned that business positioning is critical. Today, I’m very happy with my progress. My business now has clear direction. I can pay my rent on time, cover personal expenses, and even managed to buy a piece of land outside Kigali worth 4,000,000 RWF (c. £2,100). My business today is valued at over 10,000,000 RWF (c. £5,200).”

Cyriaque is deeply grateful for the impact YEEP has had on his life. The training and loan access transformed how he thinks about and plans for his business’s future.

YEEP and YESP has enabled GAERG’s beneficiaries to create small businesses that provide sustainable sources of income, helping them break the cycle of poverty and dependency on aid.

This economic empowerment allows young genocide survivors to rebuild their lives with purpose and self-worth, counteracting trauma and feelings of hopelessness. Taking charge of their livelihoods gives them a sense of control over their future—an essential part of healing from the psychological impacts of genocide.

Josee *

Josee is 32 years old and married. She lives in Gasabo District, Kigali City. She is one of the beneficiaries who participated in the entrepreneurship training and received a loan during YESP from Goshen Finance of 1,400,000 RWF (c. £735) to start her own business.

Josee identified a strong local need for a boutique selling everyday essential items, especially cooking supplies, because most people in her community had to travel long distances to buy these goods.

After graduating from university, Josee’s life became very difficult. Without start-up capital or employment opportunities, she lost hope for the future, especially as her husband was also unemployed.

“I really thank God for the life I have today. I had reached the point of thinking about attempting suicide because of the poverty in my family. I tried many ways to get support but failed. When YEEP began, I was selected to attend the entrepreneurship training. Honestly, I joined without any hope of getting something to help me start my business. I thought it would just be a way to waste time instead of staying at home all day. Fortunately, after the training we were able to get loans and start small businesses generating income. I had always wanted to run a boutique, and I implemented my plan. Today, my life has changed completely – from worse to good. I can now manage all the personal expenses that require money, feed my family, and pay school fees for my children. My husband supports me in the business, and we believe that in the near future we will expand even further. Today, the value of my business is over 5,000,000 RWF (c. £2,600).”

During the training, Josee began seriously planning how to launch her boutique business, despite not having any capital. She even asked a friend for help, hoping she would eventually secure a loan and ensure no one else in the area would start the same business first. She began with just 5 litres of milk (without a fridge) and a few essential items – determined to put into practice what she learned in training.

After receiving the loan, she expanded her boutique significantly. She purchased a new fridge, enabling her to sell 30 litres of milk per day, and increased her stock of essential items. Today, her boutique is a successful, growing business that not only sustains her family but also meets a vital need in her community.