African Management Institute and the Mastercard Foundation Launch Resilience Prize to Celebrate Entrepreneurs in Rwanda

• The AMI Resilience Prize will acknowledge the milestones of AMI graduate entrepreneurs and the impact of their businesses on the community.
• The AMI Resilience Prize is open to all entrepreneurs who have completed AMI business programmes.
• The top six entrepreneurs from across the four provinces of Rwanda and the City of Kigali will each receive a cash prize of Rwf 1,000,000 and business support services from AMI.

The African Management Institute (Rwanda), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has launched the AMI Resilience Prize to recognize and celebrate the resilience and impact of entrepreneurs who have completed AMI business programmes.

When the Covid-19 pandemic started, AMI worked hard to support entrepreneurs to stay resilient and quickly adapt to changes. Since then, the African Management Institute engaged with over 2000 entrepreneurs in Rwanda to equip them with skills, practical tools, and knowledge to grow their businesses, increase revenues, and create jobs.

Entrepreneurs who have completed AMI programmes, including the Business Survival Bootcamp, Survive to Thrive, Take Your Business Online or Grow Your Business, and made a remarkable impact within their businesses and communities, are eligible to apply for the AMI Resilience Prize. Five prizes will be awarded to entrepreneurs from the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western provinces and the City of Kigali. The sixth prize, a People’s Choice award, will be given to the entrepreneur who receives the most votes from the public.

“We are excited to celebrate the resilience and persistence of entrepreneurs through the AMI Resilience Prize. The prize will shine a spotlight on how companies have evolved after completing our programmes and the impact they have had. In addition to cash prizes, the top entrepreneurs will gain extended access to AMI’s business tools. I encourage entrepreneurs to apply and partners to join us in this campaign,” said Malik Shaffy, AMI Rwanda Country Manager.

AMI partners with the Mastercard Foundation to provide supervisors and aspiring supervisors with hands-on management and leadership skills training. AMI also supports entrepreneurs to drive growth in their businesses and create employment opportunities.

Eligible entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for the AMI Resilience Prize by 11:59 PM (Kigali time) on 20th April 2022 to stand the chance of being rewarded as the top performing entrepreneurs in their respective categories.

•     Learn more about the AMI Resilience Prize and apply at: africanmanagers.org/ResiliencePrize
•     For further information about the prize, or to enquire about how you can partner with the AMI Resilience Prize, please write to AMI at isabelle@africanmanage1.wpenginepowered.com or call our helpline at 1000. 

About African Management Institute

The African Management Institute (AMI) enables enthusiastic businesses across Africa to thrive through practical tools and training. We equip entrepreneurs with tools to build their businesses, help companies train their teams and run work readiness programmes for young people starting their careers. AMI’s programmes combine online and mobile tools with in-person workshops and on-the-job practice and support. During the Covid-19 period, AMI has delivered fully virtual programming across the continent.

AMI has worked with a range of businesses and organisations to support entrepreneurs and managers build and grow their businesses across Africa including Uber, Nestle, Radisson Blu, RwandAir, Mastercard Foundation, USAID, Shell Foundation and Equity Bank. AMI has directly trained more than 30,000 people in over 30 countries and has offices in Nairobi, Kigali and Johannesburg.

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.  It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management.