BUJUMBURA, January 14th (ABP) – Youth empowerment and support for private businesses are known as essential factors for achieving the vision of Burundi as an emerging country by 2040 and developed country in 2060. A young 32-year-old entrepreneur by the name of Patience Munezero, founder of the company MUNEPA, illustrates this dynamic and the challenges that accompany it, a check by ABP revealed.
Munezero began his entrepreneurial journey by handcrafting various objects, such as handbags and backpacks, sandals, accessories for musical instruments, namely the sticks used to play drums in church, pouches, tripods and drum skins.
The idea of entrepreneurship came to him when he was still in secondary school, where he made and sold baguettes to support himself.
Despite the development of his business, Munezero highlights several persistent difficulties. The perceived sustainability of local products is a major obstacle. “It is difficult to convince Burundians of the quality and sustainability of products made in Burundi, which suffer from an unfavorable comparison with imported products,” he explains. This preference for imports, combined with the increase in the price of raw materials and imported machinery, is putting Burundian artists and artisans under strain.
Munezero appeals to young Burundians to believe in their potential and to undertake to contribute to the sustainable development of the country. He stresses that business creation is a crucial path for Burundi’s economic future.
To foster the growth of entrepreneurship and achieve national goals, Munezero calls on the government to strengthen its support for young entrepreneurs. He also raises the issue of the lack of exhibition spaces for artists, following the unusability of the Palais des Arts, a place that was once important for the promotion of local creation.