Elias’ Story

Elias Uwingabiye, a coffee farmer and carpenter in Coko, is a testament to the transformative power of entrepreneurship. Upon graduating from the Kula Fellowship, Elias won a Kula Business Grant for his exemplary business plan to expand his carpentry business. 

Before winning this award, Elias had to travel to distant carpentry workshops in order to rent and use the machinery he needed to create his products. With his business grant, he was able to purchase the his own carpentry equipment, allowing him to expand his production and his team, employing two permanent workers and one part-time employee. Before the Fellowship, he could afford 20 wooden boards per month to use in order to create furniture. Now, he’s able to use an average of 100 wooden boards per month, demonstrating a drastic increase in productivity and the scale of his operations. Furthermore, Elias's business success has garnered him a strong reputation in the region. Clients from distant areas seek his services, recognizing the quality of his work and his dedication to carpentry.

Additionally, not only has his business improved, his life and the lives of his children have changed as well. Elias can now afford to pay his children's school fees, ensuring a future of increased opportunity for them. He also invested in a piece of land to cultivate mulching grass for his coffee farm and purchased two cows that provide both milk and manure, contributing to both his family's wellbeing and his coffee farm.

Through his carpentry business and thriving coffee farm, Elias and his family have sustainably and successfully moved out of extreme poverty. His journey serves as an inspiration for current and future entrepreneurs, showcasing how a combination of passion and hard work can change everything.