Alphonsine and Thomas’ Story

Alphonsine and Thomas joined the Kula Fellowship last July as coffee farmers cultivating a small number of trees. Soon after starting the program, their minds were opened to a new way of thinking. Hearing about the possibilities of small business development alongside coffee farming, Alphonsine found herself remembering the markets of her childhood, seeing sambaza (small fish) being sold by people in her community, and thought: “maybe I could do that too”.

From there, with consistent coaching support, Alphonsine and Thomas have developed a path forward — turning that small idea into a growing enterprise. Together, they began setting aside a portion of their income each month, eventually saving enough to purchase fishing materials and lay the groundwork for a new revenue stream. With those materials, Thomas started heading down to Lake Kivu in the evenings to fish, bringing his catch home to Alphonsine who would then prepare the fish for market, slowly but surely building up a base of clients. Prior to receiving seed capital through their Kula VSLA in March, they had already built a market stretching from Nyamasheke to Kigali. Now, with a formalized business plan and a VSLA loan, they're ready to take the next step: increasing their stock, attracting more customers, and expanding their reach.

And their sambaza business isn't the only venture that’s growing. They've also planted 400 new coffee trees, expanding their farm across two plots of land now being cultivated with regenerative practices.

What started as a childhood memory has become two growing businesses — with employees, expanding markets, and a clear path for growth — all in service of their ultimate vision to support their family of six to live and grow with opportunity and hope.