What if the greatest opportunity for change was hidden in what others throw away?

Across Africa, millions of young people possess the talent, creativity, and determination to succeed, yet many struggle to access the opportunities and practical skills needed to build sustainable livelihoods. In Rwanda, where more than three-quarters of the population is under the age of 30, youth unemployment remains a significant challenge. In response, Jesuit Urumuri Centre (JUC)—an AJAN Field Centre in Rwanda—has been equipping young people since 2019 through its Youth Empowerment for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship programme. By helping participants transform their talents into viable businesses, the programme is nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurs who are creating jobs, protecting the environment, and inspiring hope. Umutesi Celine’s journey is one of these remarkable stories.

For Umutesi Celine, a 28-year-old Rwandan entrepreneur, the answer was found in scraps of fabric, pieces of charcoal, and an unwavering determination to create despite having almost nothing.

Today, she is the founder of Cado House of Art, a growing creative enterprise that transforms textile waste into beautiful works of art while creating jobs and promoting environmental sustainability. But her journey began with a simple dream—and very limited resources.

Creating Without Limits

Long before she owned a paintbrush, Celine was already an artist. As a student, she loved decorating her classmates’ notebooks simply for the joy of creating. After completing secondary school in 2019, she became inspired by artists she followed on social media. She realized that art could be more than a passion it could become a profession.

There was only one problem: she could not afford paint. Instead of giving up, Celine improvised. She soaked children’s chalk in water, crushed it into pigment, separated the colors she could find, and used charcoal whenever she needed black. With these homemade materials, she continued producing artwork and sharing it online.

People repeatedly asked her, “Did you really make this?” That question became the beginning of a journey that would transform her life.

Seeing Value Where Others Saw Waste

While studying Forestry and Environmental Management at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College of Kitabi (IPRC Kitabi), Celine noticed piles of fabric offcuts discarded by local tailors. Many viewed the leftovers as useless waste. She saw possibility.

Inspired by her environmental studies, she began collecting the discarded fabric and incorporating it into her artwork, creating maps, birds, animals, and other decorative pieces. What started as an experiment soon evolved into Cado House of Art—a creative business built on the belief that protecting the environment and creating economic opportunity can go hand in hand.

Today, the enterprise produces fabric and painted artworks, customised uniforms for schools, cafés, and pharmacies, decorative flower pots, redesigned phone covers, and many other creative products made from recycled materials.

Starting Small, Dreaming Big

Celine’s first investment did not come from a bank or an investor. It came from discipline.

From her monthly student allowance of 40,000 Rwandan Francs (RWF), she saved 10,000 RWF to buy her first real paint supplies. She started by decorating phone covers for 500 RWF each. Every franc she earned was reinvested into the business. As her skills improved, so did customer demand and the value of her work.

Soon she was repainting shoes, producing framed artwork, and gradually building what would become a sustainable business. Yet success brought new lessons. “I was working hard, but without direction,” she reflects. Like many young entrepreneurs, she mixed business and personal finances, lacked a clear strategy, and waited for customers instead of actively seeking them.

Learning to Build a Business

Everything changed when Celine participated in the Youth Empowerment for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship training at JUC. The programme equipped her with practical entrepreneurial skills, including financial management, branding, customer engagement, time management, and business planning through the Business Model Canvas.

Perhaps most importantly, it helped her rethink her identity as an entrepreneur. She renamed her business Cado House of Art, inspired by the French word cadeau (“gift”), because she believes her artistic talent is a gift from God and that her business should become a gift to others.

“The training helped me organise my business, understand branding, and learn that customers do not simply come to you—you must actively seek them. Growth requires effort, consistency, and communication with clients.”

A Turning Point

One opportunity changed everything. Celine secured a contract worth 2 million RWF to produce medical head caps for healthcare professionals. Rather than spending the income, she reinvested it, purchasing industrial equipment worth 750,000 RWF and investing 1.2 million RWF in raw materials and labour. The project marked her transition from a talented individual artist to the leader of a structured and growing enterprise.

Creating Jobs and Inspiring Others

Today, Cado House of Art employs eight skilled workers, five women and three men, including carpenters, tailors, and designers who contribute according to project needs. The business serves tourists, cafés, pharmacies, schools, couples, and homeowners seeking unique artistic products.

Officially registered and tax compliant, Celine’s creations can now be found on public billboards and displayed in Rwanda’s vibrant public spaces. Her business, once started with only 20,000 RWF, is now valued at more than 6 million RWF, while generating an average monthly income of approximately 100,000 RWF.

Looking Ahead

Celine dreams of taking African creativity to an even wider audience by launching a website and mobile application that will allow tourists and customers to purchase her products from anywhere. Although challenges remain; including limited access to raw materials and expanding into larger markets, she continues moving forward with confidence and determination.

A Message to Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs

Celine’s journey reminds us that entrepreneurship does not always begin with capital. Sometimes, it begins with courage.

It begins with seeing opportunity where others see waste, choosing persistence over excuses, and believing that small beginnings can lead to extraordinary impact. Across Africa, countless young people possess talents waiting to be discovered. With creativity, the right skills, and opportunities to learn and grow, those talents can become enterprises that create jobs, protect the environment, and transform communities.

Because the future of Africa will not only be built by those who have resources, it will also be shaped by those who dare to create them.

Par, Équipe des communications,

Jesuit Urumuri Centre, Rwanda.