How One Decision Changed Juvenal’s Future

One day, Juvenal stood on his parents' small piece of land and mentally divided it among his seven siblings.

The realization was sobering. There was simply not enough land to secure a future for any of them.

"That moment made reality clear," he recalls. "I understood that I had to rely on myself. I needed a skill."

That decision changed the course of his life.

Today, at just 27 years old, Juvenal is the owner of a growing soap and paint manufacturing business, a trainer who has equipped more than 480 people with practical production skills, and an entrepreneur determined to build generational wealth for his family. But his journey began with limited opportunities, hard manual labour, and a determination to create a different future.

Born into a family of seven children, Juvenal was forced to leave school after completing primary education because his family could no longer afford to keep him there. With few options, he turned to construction work and other casual jobs to survive. Some days there was work. Other days there was none.

An opportunity to learn soap making in his community became the turning point he had been waiting for. He mastered soap production and later expanded into paint making. Although people appreciated his products, the income was only enough to meet his family's basic needs.

Everything changed when World Vision, through the Tare Youth Engagement and Employment Project, introduced him to entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, savings groups, customer service, and business management. The training expanded his mindset, while access to cooperative savings enabled him to grow his business and establish a small factory.

"Today, I am not only a business owner but also a trainer," Juvenal says. "I have taught more than 480 people how to make soap and paint. One of my biggest transformations is moving from feeling uneducated to becoming someone who now educates others."

His registered company, ‘Dirty Cleaner’, now produces liquid soap, bar soap, shampoo, paint, and other cleaning products, while also providing vocational skills training. His innovation has earned recognition far beyond his community. At Youth Connect, he won a prize of RWF 1 million, which he reinvested into expanding his business. He has also shared his story on national television, inspiring countless young people to pursue entrepreneurship.

"I am grateful to World Vision because they did not just give me support," he says. "They taught me how to build for myself."

Today, Juvenal has acquired six farming plots, renovated his family home, and continues to support his relatives. Yet he believes his greatest achievements still lie ahead.

His vision is to establish a full-scale manufacturing factory, invest in real estate and other businesses, and build systems that generate wealth for generations to come.

"My greatest motivation is to change the trajectory of my family by building generational wealth that will benefit my children and their children," he says. "My children will be educated up to university level and have opportunities I never had."

Juvenal believes his journey is proof that extraordinary futures can begin with ordinary opportunities.

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." (Zechariah 4:10)

By Mary Umutoni, Donor Liaison Specialist