Transformation Through Textiles
Chinese garment factory is helping raise local incomes and develop the local industry in Rwanda
With his pen neatly clipped in the pocket of his blue work suit, Fabrice Tuyishime gazes at the factory floor, where scores of women are sewing garments, stamping logos, and pressing out wrinkles from various apparel destined for both local and international markets. After a hard day’s work at Rwanda’s renowned garment factory, Tuyishime is in good spirits.
“From the day I got employed here, I worked hard to attain my financial goals and carried out my duties exceptionally, and my hard work paid off recently. I was first employed as a general worker and rose to first a supervisor, and then a year later, a production manager,” Tuyishime told Chinafrica.
The production manager is among thousands of local Rwandan employees who have benefited a lot since the establishment of the Chinese apparel manufacturing company that has lifted them out of poverty.
It is a known fact that many textile industries in developing countries have died a natural death after years of downturn. But in Rwanda, the Chinese garment factory is transforming the lives of local people through job creation and improved household income.
As China intensifies its technology and skills transfer and creates more jobs amid Africa’s quest to boost its development, experiences on the continent point to a bright outlook.
A source of livelihood
In Gasabo District on the outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, just 4 km from the Kigali International Airport, stands the Kigali Special Economic Zone phase 1, which houses one of the most modern garment factories in East Africa - Pink Mango C&D Products Rwanda, a leading manufacturer and exporter of bags, garments, home textiles and packaging for a wide range of internationally recognizable brands.