Yvette Ishimwe is a prominent Rwandan social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of IRIBA Water Group Ltd, a social enterprise dedicated to providing innovative drinking water solutions in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Her organization provides innovative drinking water solutions, including water treatment systems, solar water pumps, and “Tap & Drink” ATMs, to improve access to clean water in Rwanda and neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.
She has been recognized for her efforts with several awards, including the Queen’s Young Leaders Award in 2017 and being named one of the Top 10 outstanding African entrepreneurs by the Jack Ma Foundation’s Africa’s Business Heroes competition.
She has also been featured in the Forbes Africa Under 30 list.
This is her profile as told by WOA:
Education
Yvette Ishimwe has a solid educational background that supports her role as a social entrepreneur.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Southern New Hampshire University.
She also participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship, where she studied Leadership in Business at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Yvette also completed a 14-week World-class Entrepreneurial Action-Learning Program certified by Regent University, which further honed her business acumen and leadership skills.
Success Journey
Yvette Ishimwe was born in 1995. Her father was a doctor, and her mother worked for a non-governmental organization (NGO), specifically as a project coordinator focused on supporting orphans and children from disadvantaged families.
Yvette’s journey began when she faced water scarcity in her childhood.
Her family had to hire a truck to bring water from a nearby lake, which was not safe for drinking.
At just 19 years old, she started experimenting with an ultraviolet water purifier at home, initially to help her family access clean water.
This simple project quickly gained attention from her community, who sought her solution for their own water needs.
Yvette’s mother gave her $400 to buy a water purification kit, which they installed on their water tank. Soon, neighbors started coming to their home to fetch clean water.
This experience inspired Yvette to find a solution for her community. She presented her idea at a business competition and received $10,000 to implement it on a larger scale.
This funding helped build a solar-powered water plant in her village
In 2017, inspired by the impact of her initial efforts, Yvette founded IRIBA Water Group, a social enterprise dedicated to providing affordable and safe drinking water in Rwanda and beyond.
The company’s mission is to tackle drinking water scarcity by offering innovative solutions like the Tap & Drink systems, which purify municipal tap water and make it accessible through a card-based system.
Under Yvette’s leadership, IRIBA has made significant strides:
- The company has installed over 119 Tap & Drink systems, serving more than 300,000 people in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- It has created over 96 jobs, empowering local youth and women through a franchise model that allows them to operate the water distribution systems.
Yvette’s work has garnered numerous accolades. For instance, in 2021, she was a Top 10 finalist in the Africa Business Heroes competition.
In 2023, she was featured in the Forbes Africa 30 list for her impactful work in the water sector.
Family
Yvette Ishimwe has an interesting sister named Sibo Yvette Ishimwe.
Sibo is a licensed pharmacist, certified scrum master, self-taught data analyst, and an adrenaline junkie.
She has hiked several volcanoes in Rwanda, including Bisoke, Kalisimbi, and Muhabura. Sibo is also an author, known for her book “Dropping Out or Opting Out?”
