The cosmetics company, Dusabane who we visited in Eastern Rwanda has an unusual and inspiring tale of enterprising spirit in difficult circumstances.

The co-operative’s President fled to Uganda during the 1994 genocide. Whilst living as a refugee, a friend taught him how to use aloe vera plants to make soap and moisturising cream, using only very basic home-made hand-powered machines.

On his return to Rwanda in 2002 the government had introduced a scheme which supported the formation of new businesses.  He registered Dusabane and began attending trade shows to market his products, within a few years the business had grown significantly.

When we visited the organisation, they were very keen to tell us about the progress they have made since receiving training from Steven Taifa, one of the Rwandan Producer Support Project Business Advisors. They have found the marketing training particularly useful and changed the way they think about attracting new customers. For example, they still go to trade shows but now provide product samples. They make a point of contacting customers who have expressed an interest in their products and are far more pro-active in their approach.

Shared Interest Foundation training has helped them improve their business plan. Their range of products has expanded to include liquid soap sold in larger bottles and they have succeeded in tapping into a new market, the hospitality industry, with a subsequent increase in sales and income.

George, the Chairman, said, “When you are a baby first you crawl, then you walk. Shared Interest training has helped us to walk without falling over.”

The members of Dusabane are dedicated to making their business work and optimistic about the future, but they are also a little deflated at present as their largest machine has broken down and they cannot fulfill demand for their products. This is a significant barrier for Dusabane as they cannot take out another bank loan until the one they received to buy the machine itself is paid off. They insist they have not quite “fallen over” but they are struggling. Unfortunately, as they sell only to the local market and not fair trade, Shared Interest Society is not able to provide them with a credit facility. As a result Shared Interest Foundation is looking into ways to try to help the co-operative recover from this set-back.

The co-operative has created jobs for 13 people and will continue to become stronger with support from Steven and the Producer Support Project. If you would like to help the members of Dusabane or people like them to make their businesses more sustainable and earn a better income, please go to our online donation page by clicking here or send a cheque to Shared Interest Foundation, Freepost NT1883, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 1BR. We are grateful for any support you can give.

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade. Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation