MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

IMUHIRA ECOTOURISM RWANDA

One-line solution summary:

We provide accommodation in self contained cottages and in tents on the shores of Lake Kivu and we sell community based tourism activities.

Pitch your solution.

Solution to tourists:

q International tourists can preview Rwandan tourism far from sole gorillas tourism; a lot more is undiscovered adventure in the area.

q Backpackers and mid range budget tourists can now affront and afford the Kivu Belt Destination because of our presence;

q Big hotels at our surrounding access community based tourism activities from us beyond their services

q We are an option for domestic tourism for local adventures who have now a spot where to discover Lake Kivu beauty during their free time and on their special days.

Solution to unemployed youth&vulnerable females:

q Full time jobs for qualified and yet unemployed youth (mainly females) and entrepreneurship chance by organizing technical and vocational training.

q Work with the members of the community through arts & crafts and other tourism activities for a commercial climax.

q Preservation and respect of individuals beliefs, cultural heritage, ecologically safe. .

Film your elevator pitch.

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What specific problem are you solving?

v We work to meet the tourism demand (high) in an extremely attractive location by improving social economic welfare of youth and vulnerable females:

v According to Rwanda Poverty Profile report of 2018, Nyamasheke district has a very high level of poverty close to 70%. One of reason being the living conditions of the community who only depend on un subsistence agriculture.

v Interestingly, Kivu Belt Destination Area is on high demand in tourism and it was recommended by National Strategy for Transformation 1 (2017-2024) to have a lot of tourism potentialities (unsold);

v Unfortunately there are no company readily set and qualified to serve this market by meeting it demand. We have come for this!

What is your solution?

We are a professional and specialized destination manager “IMUHIRA ECOTOURISM RWANDA” based in the South West of Rwanda and especially operating in Nyamasheke District, right in between Nyungwe National Park and shores of Lake Kivu, providing community and culture friendly campsite and different Community based tourism activities.

The name''Imuhira'' reflects the dream to offer a vacation experience''Made At Home Tourism Products" by local people, using local materials and natural opportunities in ecological sensitive conditions.

This is an exciting opportunity for tourists along the Kivu belt with an affordable and safe Base Camp at Nyamasheke Centre.

Cultural heritage and modern technology are the best tools that entirely facilitate IMUHIRA ECOTOURISM RWANDA operations from products conceptions, clients attractions, customers and staff relations and services delivery.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Tourists from different areas of the country and abroad that are traveling to western province particularly to Nyamasheke and Nyungwe Forest.

They face challenges that limit them to stay long and spend their money.

We are there to provide a midrange quality camping accommodation across Kivu belt trail for backpackers or adventurers to experience within Nyamasheke district, to avail handcraft shop, to offer open experience for tourists-community and to arrange water experience,..

We are equipped with technology functionality to make our operations excellent.

Again, We are responsive to the problem of unemployment and poverty by creating jobs and by socioeconomically mobilizing the community; We are located in between shores of Kivu and the vicinity of Nyungwe forest on one bank of the Kivu Belt trail. This is a tourism adventurous location with financially poor community. We are there to respond to tourism demand by creating a source of earning to the community.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Other

Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge and your selected dimension.

Our name "IMUHIRA" means at "Home" with belief to offer a "Made At Home" vacation and experience by local people, using local and natural resource; all our activities are ecological and environment sensitive.

In our work main dimensions are put together :The community vulnerability, tourism demand and tourism potentialities availability in our area. Considering political good will in Rwanda, the area is a vibrating destination and there is quite no destination manager set to link those dimensions. We invest our skills and expertise to attract tourists and serve them by ensuring awareness and inclusion of our culturally rich community.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Kagano, Nyamasheke, Western Province, Rwanda

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth

Who is the primary delegate for your solution?

Esther KAKUZE

More About Your Solution

If your solution has a website, provide a link here:

https://imuhiraecotourismrwanda.com/

If you have additional video content that explains your solution, provide a YouTube or Vimeo link here:

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Which of the following categories best describes your solution?

A new business model or process

Describe what makes your solution innovative.

Our solution is mainly unique in its location, its business ethics and philosophy:

qThis is a new tourism product along the Kivu belt trail (From Rubavu up to Rusizi) as there is no any other similar project in this destination.

qThe project site is so strategic and not yet exploited by any competitors (The choice of the business area for ecological accommodation and tourism itself is innovative). t is environment and climate sensitive.

This company owns a community green gardening adventure (for vegetables) this is a unique and innovative initiative for tourists and a livestock from the community. I

qThe company derives its motivation from its being owned and run by youth.

qTechnology plays a more critical role in tourism marketing, distribution, promotion and co-ordination of entirely our activities: It is possible through a quick identification of consumer needs and reaching potential clients with comprehensive, personalized and up-to-date information.

Describe the core technology that powers your solution.

Technology plays a more crucial role in tourism marketing, distribution, promotion and co-ordination of entirely our activities: This is possible through a quick identification of consumer needs and reaching potential clients with comprehensive, personalized and up-to-date information. We highly use ITs to ensure that clients are aware about our products by social media network, Media coverage and email marketing (Pull marketing) -Booking, confirmation,.. during delivery, IT is fully integrated (Push marketing strategy):

-Payment

-Customer experience,..

Provide evidence that this technology works.

We are accessible:

q website:www.imuhiraecotourismrwanda.com

q Telephone:+250789320826

q facebook:imuhiraecotourism.rwanda

q Twitter:@ImuhiraT

q you tube :Imuhira Base Camp Rwanda Nyamasheke-Kivu

Find us on Google map, Booking.com, Expedia and Tripadvisor

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Ancestral Technology & Practices
Internet of Things
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality

What is your theory of change?

We are called to satisfy a mix of individual clients and tourists groups, international and domestic such as students, organization, and other people with aim of celebrating special moments /events, looking for a place for new experience, refreshment, retreat and stay over for a night or three. We focus on both backpackers for our accommodations and our related services and other guests from bigger hotels for our community based tourism. Additionally, in our business area, there are approximately 4 periodical events that mobilize around 2000 people each to our destination: Tour du Rwanda, Kivu Belt Festival, Nyungwe Marathon, Private Sector Federation Exhibitions.

Select the key characteristics of your target population.

Women & Girls
Rural
Poor
Low-Income

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-Being
5. Gender Equality
13. Climate Action

In which countries do you currently operate?

Rwanda

How many people does your solution currently serve? How many will it serve in one year? In five years?

We work with 100 members of the community, we provided full time employment for 7 young girls and boys. We intend to work with 2500 members of the community in the western province of Rwanda and we shall full time employ 100 youth in at least three years to come. We plan to attract and serve 10,000 tourists in three years.

What are your goals within the next year and within the next five years?

Vision

Providing a variety of affordable ecotourism products that enhance improvement of local communities livelihood. "Community and Culture Friendly Tourism!"

Mission

IMUHIRA ECO TOURISM RWANDA works to boost employment opportunities for youth, vulnerable females and the communities of Kivu Belt through environment and nature sensitive tourism activities.

Objectives

Doing business by poverty reduction initiating people to other income generating activities beyond subsistence agriculture;
Valuing ecosystem based opportunities that Kivu and adjacent Nyungwe Forest can provide;
Promoting community based tourism product from connection of Nyungwe National Park and Congo Nile trail in general to lake Kivu; Providing educational opportunities to students in day to day activities of affordable ecological accommodation

What barriers currently exist for you to accomplish your goals in the next year and in the next five years?

By consideration of the length of our terms sheet and the impact that our start-up essentially has on the community, we still have a long journey to go. This would require at least 60,000,000 Rwandan francs as the cost of more land, of building two cottages, of starting our training center to fully develop & market our products. With this, we would inevitably deepen our networking, collaboration and partnerships to supply the real depth of the present demand and to implement our business idea in its fullness.

WE need both financial support and technical assistance. Technical assistance is needed in the areas of project management networking and conservation and sustainable tourism.

We need financial support

 as we need to finalize the products/services and bring them to the level that meet customers demand, as well, we need to keep up with marketing

 to increase the team and their experience to achieve the targeted goals.

 to ensure accessibility to our camp as the path that leads there, needs rehabilitation.

 to bring together 15 mothers who had early pregnancies from Kagano, Bushekeri and Nyabitekeli sectors for basic, life and tourism employability skills development ;

 develop and maintain proper collaboration with partner, and keep up quality delivery & marketing.

How do you plan to overcome these barriers?

We are working hard by investing in collaboration and partnership and we are hopeful.

We successfully participated in a" Call for Proposal for Innovative Business Ideas along the Kivu Belt Destination in 2018", organized by GIZ/ECO-Emploi in collaboration with different partners in Tourism and hospitality. Again, our business idea won National TVET Youth Challenge 2019.

Furthermore, We attended First Aid Training by Red Cross Rwanda and we participated in different regional and national incubation programs. As a result, we were able to raise 18,000,000 Rwandan francs, plus enough package of technical skills in tourism and hospitality business.

With this we are assured to overcome the challenge of a limited capital that we currently face.

About Your Team

Your Business Model & Funding

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities