Virginie’s Story
Our goal through the Kula Fellowship is not only to see Fellows experience an empowering increase in income for themselves and their families, but also to equip them with the knowledge and skills that enable them to make informed and effective decisions regarding their finances, giving them the power to create a future filled with opportunity, vision, and hope. As an integral part of the Fellowship, Financial Literacy training focuses on topics like budgeting, record keeping, savings, and loans in order to strengthen Fellows’ approach to their coffee businesses and create a foundation of financial understanding from which to start new businesses.
Virginie Iyamuremye, a 2023 graduate of the Fellowship, noted that one of the most pivotal points in her journey through the program was receiving financial literacy training. She and her husband, Jean Bosco, joined the Fellowship in an effort to learn how to take care of their newly planted coffee farm in order to better support their three children. Before the program, they were not in the practice of using a household budget or keeping financial records, but soon after receiving the training, she used her newfound knowledge to lay the groundwork for creating a more informed and secure financial future.
As they progressed through the Fellowship, Virginie and Jean Bosco began investing more into the cultivation of their coffee farm, and Virginie simultaneously worked with her Kula Business Coach to turn her passion for weaving into a profitable business. With her newly crafted business plan and the seed capital provided through the program, Virginie purchased a new weaving machine, allowing her to produce more woven goods at a faster rate and at a higher quality. She is now operating her business, selling woven items in her local market, telling us that “moving forward, [she is] looking forward to buying another advanced machine” by reinvesting her profits to expand.
This success has allowed Virginie and Jean Bosco to work toward their shared household vision of using their growing income to build a safer and more secure home for their children, relocating in an area that is less prone to landslides, as this is a common challenge in the region. They also plan on using profits from both businesses to purchase and plant additional coffee seedlings in order to expand the production capacity of their coffee farm.
We believe big growth starts with implementing small changes – Virginie is proof of that.
