And the Top Three Teams Are … (Youth Spaces Pitch Pictorial)

Before we proceed: congratulations to Rwanda on its Liberation Day! 30 years ago, the Rwandan Patriotic Front ended the genocide against the Tutsi, and thanks to this revolution we can now proudly take you to the town of Musanze in the north of the country, right under the Virunga volcanoes …

… where the last GHE Youth Spaces session was a challenging one! We had to pick three budding businesses to present to OMG MENA when they visit in August. This selection would not be the end for the rest of the youngsters — learning and sharing will continue in September — but what took place on 30 June 2024 was still a big deal …

Our judges at Virunga Valley Academy and their online colleagues brought a wealth of experience: entrepreneurship coach Diane Irankunda, climate activist Stephanie Brancaforte, business development expert Dr. Patrice Habinshuti, ecotourism executives Ronald Mitali and Jean d’Amour Maniragaba and the 2023 Youth Spaces coordinator Francis Misigaro.

The photos below will show you the 11 teams who bravely took the stage. Two were secondary school students from Ecole des Sciences, while others were from INES university and independent submissions. The winners:

1. Eco-Fortify: healthy soil, healthy cookies, healthy life! (Angelo Mugisha Iraguha, Theophile Niyitanga, Joseph Twizerimana)
2. Rwivanga Eco Pavers: recycling plastics into pavement (Nicolas Rwivanga, Henriette Uwiduhaye, Sandra Imbabazi Ndahiro)
3. Beet-Nourish Creation: beetroot paste, jam and juice (Brigitte Ishimwe, Justine Mukandayisenga)

Interestingly, the team most appreciated by the judges wasn’t even among the initially invited ones! Some originally chosen candidates couldn’t commit to the regular weekend sessions, so more eager participants were brought in.

And Eco-Fortify put on quite a show! There was a grand entry with the products, singing for everyone in the room, and sweet samples for all. The panel actually commented that it felt more like a marketing stunt than a pitch! Eco-Fortify will need to balance their presentation better by the time our sponsors arrive. None of the teams should rest on their laurels; there’s room for improvement and a unique opportunity to impress the visitors from Dubai!

photos by Miha Logar