From Fear to Bold Growth in Rwanda’s Seed Sector — Kamashazi Norah shares her story at the AGRA@20 Seed Roundtable

Norah’s journey did not begin in agribusiness. She was trained as a teacher and later worked in banking environments, where access to finance and entrepreneurship felt distant and intimidating. In 2018, she made a decisive shift and founded Bold Seeds—starting her business journey while still grappling with fear of financial risk and uncertainty.

A turning point came when she engaged with AGRA. Through AGRA’s grant support and capacity-building programs, she received not only financial resources but also practical business training, mentorship, and continuous encouragement to take calculated risks.

Reflecting on that moment, Norah said:

“AGRA supported me with capacity building and funding. They helped me start flying without fear.”

She added that mentorship played a critical role in her transformation:

“The advice I received made me strong. I was told, ‘Don’t fear. You can do it.’ That changed everything for me.”

With this support, Bold Seeds gradually evolved from a small startup into a structured seed enterprise integrated into Rwanda’s formal seed value chain. Today, Norah has successfully accessed commercial bank financing, manages a seed warehouse, and owns a transport system that connects production areas to processing and industry.

She noted how access to infrastructure and finance reshaped her confidence:

“Now I can go to the bank and ask for a loan of over 150 million Rwandan francs—and they trust my business.”

Exposure visits supported through AGRA further strengthened her vision, allowing her to learn from seed systems in countries such as Kenya and Zambia, and to draw inspiration from other successful women entrepreneurs scaling agro-based businesses.

Norah also emphasized diversification and resilience in agriculture, explaining that she continues to expand beyond seeds into complementary agribusiness activities to ensure year-round income stability.

Closing her reflection, she left participants with a strong message for young entrepreneurs—especially women in agribusiness:

“Don’t waste time in fear. Start. Learn. Grow. You can build something strong if you keep moving.”Her story stood out at the AGRA@20 Seed Roundtable as a powerful example of how investment in seed systems—through finance, mentorship, and capacity building—can unlock not only enterprise growth, but also confidence, leadership, and long-term transformation in Africa’s agricultural economy.