JANET NKUBANA (RWANDA)
Janet Nkubana is a role model for Rwanda’s underprivileged. A renowned businesswoman, she was awarded the 2008 Africa Prize for her in work uplifting the lot of her compatriots. She grew up in a refugee camp and returned to Rwanda after the genocide to work as a hotelier. Often women would beg for food at the hotel, using baskets as barter. She started to buy them and sold them in the hotel. As demand grew, she encouraged the women to weave in groups and form a co-operative, Gahaya Links soon came into being. Tutsis and Hutus soon wove together, forgetting their historical antagonism. The movement is now a major producer and exporter of baskets and jewellery, empowering the women both economically and socially. Gahaya employs close to 4,000 people.