Update on REDI Ltd – our African Innovation Prize (KIST) 2010 winners

Recently AIP caught up with REDI Ltd,  our 2010 grand prize seed funding winners.  Bertin Harerimana and Jean-Baptiste Dushimiyimana were the team members. We caught up with Bertin, who is Managing Director of REDI Ltd.

AIP: What have you and Jean-Baptiste been up to since you collected the seed funding to start your own enterprise  Rwandan Environmental Design and Implementation Ltd? (REDI Ltd)?

Bertin: Both JB and myself have been busy studying and finishing up our final year at KIST for our degrees. We have been working very hard and preparing for exams.  Finding time and money to talk to customers and do market research on our product idea for the decompostable toilet has been challenging.  But we have spent the AIP funds to build our first prototype and on a computer to help run our business. Please see photo attached below!

REDI toilet prototype

AIP: Have you been able to find mentors or support within the Kigali community for your entrepreneurial venture?

Bertin: I have been taking this entrepreneurship course from Business Development Rwanda (http://bdcrwanda.com/) and it has helped me a lot from understanding a business.

AIP: What are the next stages for your company? What does REDI plan to do?

Bertin: The next stage of our company is to educate the masses on the benefits of a sanitation system.  Instead of making concrete slab and sell them to the population, we are going to educate first. Demand will then follow.  We would like to look for a development partner in this space: such as the Global fund , UNICEF, Word vision, … to invest in it, as this concern is about sanitation overall. We would like some mentorship in this area!

AIP: What advice would you give KIST students preparing to enter Phase II of this year’s business plan competition?

Bertin: The advice that i can give students thinking about entering AIP this year with a new idea is that business is good. Have an idea, develop a business concept and run the business in a profitable way buy starting soon, simple and slim.

AIP: Will you be able to attend Rwanda Entrepreneurship Week at KIST this July to give new students advice and also share your experiences as a youth leader? as a start-up entrepreneur?

Bertin: Yes, we graduate from KIST March 2011, but we definitely will be able to speak to students at REW about our first year start-up experiences. Looking forward!