2015, was an exciting year for me. I worked hard together with my team to make microStart Antwerp a success story. We have shown again that those considered unbankable and not creditworthy are bankable. We also proved that they are able to set up long term businesses.

microStart, microfinance and coaching; helping people battle poverty through entrepreneurship is my career but it is also my passion. My career is going in the exact direction as planned. Next to the professional experiences at microStart in 2015, I came in contact with the organisation Exchangevzw through BNP Paribas Fortis Benevolab whom send me on a mission to consult a tea union and microfinance agency in Rwanda. Looking back on 2015, I realised again that I personally grew a lot and gained a lot of new professional experiences in Belgium and internationally. After my Exchagnevzw, BNP Paribas Fortis Benevolab mission in Rwanda, I decided to be a Country Coordinator Uganda for Exchangevzw as I would like to continue supporting an organisation that helps develop SME’s in developing countries.

I love professional missions that allow you to gain, exchange new experiences and at the same time you get to visit other countries. In 2015, I travelled for fun to Dubai - UAE, Mumbai - India, Provence - France and Antalya - Turkey. I feel that when I stay too long inside one country I become stupid. It is when I travel my creativity gets tickled! So when in doubt - Travel.

The first mont of 2016, I wil be in Morocco working on a project called AFEM (Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprise du Maroc), business association of female moroccan entrepreneurs. AFEM specialises in female entrepreneurship and leadership. AFEM provides trainings on entrepreneurship and serves as a business incubator in Casablanca, Tanger and Tétouan. Through entrepreneurship these Moroccan women can battle poverty. The program is supported by APEFE (Association pour la promotion de l’Education et de la formation à l’étranger), a Belgian Walloon educational center for the promotion of female entrepreneurship. APEFE also supports MIN AJLIKI, which organised Casablanca startup, AL MANA microfinance, DFP (Département de la Formation Professionelle) the professional coaching department of the Kingdom of Morocco and the ANAPEC (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l’Emploie et des Compétences), the National Labour and Competencies Agency. All of the above again supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation.

I will be giving trainings & coaching to large groups of women interested in setting up new businesses. The trainings will vary from 1) how to develop a business plan, 2) how to develop a financial plan, 3) sales: how to find customers (commercial skills/ marketing) 4) administrative capabilities 5) digital skills and a workshop on finance. I will be travelling to Casablanca, Tangier and Tétouan. 2016 - it is! Lets do this ! My professional coaching experience at microStart will be of great use.

Second day at work: Visiting Coopthega.

After a 1,5 hour drive (with taxi bus ;) we arrive in Nyabhu. Coopthega is another tea cooperative that is part of the union. Numerien introduces me to the agronomist and accountant. I am free to ask whatever I want and so the list begins. It took me about 2 hours to ask everything and I am starting to understand more and more the problems facing the union and why they brought me here. More and more ideas are rising to my head in order to help the union. It’s actually not a strategic plan they want but someone who thinks outside the box and can help them to become a reputable union.

Coopthega is part of the brand Rwandan Mountain Tea supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation.

After the immersion I get the opportunity to climb into the mountains and try to cut some tea leaves myself. Goodbye sedentary life this is going to be a lot of climbing and walking today. My physical therapist is Belgium must have a ball when she reads this because ‘Francine’ never walks.

It was worth the climb, these tea cutters conduct amazing work and an incredible speed. The average tea cutting is 50 kg a day. There is a story of a girl who could hand cut tea leaves 90 kg a day. She was sent to India to teach others how to manually cut so fast. Handcut leaves have superior quality. Machine cutting destroys the quality. In the tea factory boiling room section it smells like amazing tea. I still haven’t tasted the Rwandan premium quality tea!