Meet Habimana Augustin, one of GROW program graduates and a passionate barber in Mwendo sector, Ruhango district, Southern province. He received GROW trainings through Conseil Consultatif des Femmes (COCOF), one of Huguka Dukore Akazi Kanoze Implementing Partners. Augustin has been a barber for 3 years and he has agreed to share with us his journey as a GROW graduate.
Augustin finished his trainings in September 2019 and he started practicing what he had learned which has helped him in his business as he testifies. “The trainings were helpful on so many levels, I learned to set goals; small and big ones for my business, I learned how to take good care of my customers and how to separate my revenues. I now have two bank accounts, personal and business accounts” he said.
Most youth are amazed by how much they get to save and how much they spend responsibly when they learn to separate their revenues. It makes a difference not only for their business but also for their personal growth.
“I have learned this job by watching my big brother some years back and now I can say that one of my biggest achievements is to have trained three apprentices who have now opened their own barbershops” said Augustin. Besides training apprentices, Augustin has a bigger market of cutting hair to students of Groupe Scolaire de Mwendo because of his professionalism and his respect for safety and health measures. “Myself and my other three employees go to the school two times per month to cut hair for more than a hundred students. They trusted me for the job and I can proudly say it is because of all the skills I acquired through GROW trainings” he added.
Augustin is part of 3 saving groups, they save up to 21,000 rwf per week. His saving understanding has increased and has contributed to many more of his achievements. “I was able to buy a land and build my own house both have a value of 300,000 rwf because of my savings and being confident to ask a loan in a bank which I have already finished paying, all this because I have learned the importance of working with financial institutions” Augustin said.
Although his job is progressing in the best way possible, Augustin has a new goal. “My ultimate goal is to start a spare parts business. In this area people who need spare parts have to do kilometers to Ruhango city, I saw a big opportunity here and I am working hard to achieve my goal”
Augustin doing what he does best in his barbershop