GITEGA June 13th (ABP) – Young entrepreneur Wilson Niyonzima from Rutegama village in Gitega commune and province continues to make innovations. For the moment, he has already set up a slipper factory called Wilson Manufacture Shoes, including raising chickens, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
The entrepreneur Niyonzima reported that the products of his factory have been on the market since early June and that the production capacity is estimated at 1,000 pairs of slippers per day but that until then the raw material is imported from abroad.
He indicated that he is satisfied with the step already taken and that he still wishes to satisfy the local market and promote the industrial sector in Burundi, “Made in Burundi”, which, according to him, will change the reputation of the country to the stranger.
Despite his dream, he reported that he has a challenge of lack of specific materials for his work and skilled labor in the field. “I still need the equipment worth about 1 billion Burundi francs to properly implement my vision,” he added.
Mr. Niyonzima asks all the people of Burundi to consume locally manufactured products unlike foreign products to promote Burundian investors. He indicates that this will allow other investors to build large factories taking into account that the government of Burundi continues to encourage the people of Burundi in general and young people in particular to create their own jobs. This will also allow the increase of taxes in this area, he added.
The young entrepreneur pleads with the government of Burundi to continue to support young entrepreneurs and to set up funds that can accompany them because, according to him, the banks demand too much from them when they are at the start of the project.
He has indicated that he wants to hire 30 employees in addition to five employees who are currently working as well as 15 others who will be responsible for marketing his products at the national level.
Note that Mr. Niyonzima was crowned by the Governor of Gitega in 2022 for his leadership in youth entrepreneurship.