Meet Chez Kadaffi, a Mastercard Foundation Beneficiary

It is Wednesday morning, the day that kicked off like any other day but proved to be unique among them all.

It was my first day in Kigali, Rwanda, attending the Young Africa Works Summit courtesy of the Mastercard Foundation.

As one of the members of the Fourth Estate, we are taken around the city to tour some of the programs being supported by the Mastercard Foundation.

Our first stop was at a place called Nyakabanda where we meet one Chez Kadaffi, a businessman and a graduate of Akazi Kanoze program that is supported by the Foundation.

Kadaffi runs a small cake baking shop as well as an eatery which has expanded with time as he continues to get more and more clients.

“On some day, I get more than 100 clients. Am even planning to increase the number of my staff,” he tells us, with a wide smile spread across his visage.

His real name is Habimana Eliabu but his customers call him Kadaffi. On the wall, there were a number of certificates that his business has won in various functions.

“I love inspiring young people and most of the time, am always called upon to guide and inspire them,” he says.

The man started off alone but as the business progressed, he managed to bring four people on board and has trained others on how to bake cakes and doing outside catering.

“Am grateful for those behind the Akazi Akone and the Mastercard Foundation for the support I have received to this level,” he adds.

In the race to success, it doesn’t matter how fast one crosses the finishing line but how many people one helps cross the finishing line. Kadaffi is such a man on the right path to success had helped most of his peers in setting up businesses of their own.

His biggest challenge is that he is unable to sustain the growing number of clients but he believes that through helping others to set up similar businesses, everything will be okay.

He is now thinking of expanding his production capacity as well as his staff, machinery, and space.