Born in Gatsiro Cell, Gihundwe Sector, Emmanuel is the youngest of four children.
When he was just six months old, his family relocated to Burunga Cell in search of better opportunities. Raised by a single mother, life was often defined by making the most of limited resources.
Like many young people in rural communities, Emmanuel hoped education would open doors.
But after reaching Senior Two at General School Presbytérien, financial constraints forced him to leave school.
Suddenly, his plans were on hold.
To support his family, Emmanuel began making and selling potato samosas in his neighbourhood.
Each day, he sold around 180 samosas at RWF 50 each, generating approximately RWF 9,000 (around CHF 5) in daily sales.
For a young man trying to support his mother, it was a meaningful source of income.
But after about a year, local authorities halted the business because the operation lacked the necessary food safety and certification requirements from the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).
Once again, Emmanuel found himself searching for a path forward.
He later took on casual jobs at construction sites, carrying materials and performing basic manual labour. The work introduced him to the construction industry, but without formal skills, opportunities remained limited.
Still, something about construction stayed with him.
That opportunity arrived through local leaders.
Knowing Emmanuel was unemployed and interested in construction, local security leaders connected him to the Dual+ for Rural project.
Implemented by Swisscontact in collaboration with local authorities, enterprises, training providers, and the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB), the project helps vulnerable rural youth access market-relevant skills through workplace-based learning delivered directly within local businesses and enterprises.
For Emmanuel, that meant learning construction not in a classroom, but on an active building site.
The apprenticeship placed him alongside experienced professionals working on a residential housing project in Rusizi.
There, theory quickly became practice.
He learnt foundation works, setting out construction plans, steel fixing, wall plastering, elevation works, and finishing techniques.
Every day brought a new lesson.
Every task contributed to a growing confidence.
Today, Emmanuel is five months into the six-month programme.
The difference is already visible.
As an apprentice, he currently earns RWF 5,000 per day (approximately CHF 3). Once he completes the programme and progresses into skilled masonry work, he expects to earn between RWF 7,000 and RWF 10,000 per day (approximately CHF 4–6). In Kigali, where construction demand is even higher, skilled builders can earn above RWF 10,000 per day (more than CHF 6).
For Emmanuel, those numbers represent more than income.
They represent independence.
They represent stability.
They represent options.
His performance has not gone unnoticed.
Recently, he was recognised on site for being one of the strongest performers among the apprentices.
For Akimana Eric, Emmanuel's master trainer, success goes beyond construction techniques.
He credits the project's partnership approach, particularly the collaboration between government institutions, training providers, and enterprises, as one of the reasons apprentices are progressing so quickly.
He also highlights the pedagogical training provided to trainers, helping them better mentor young people directly within workplace environments.
For Engineer Laurien Iraguha, who oversees the construction site where Emmanuel is currently placed, the value is equally clear.
For employers, the model provides access to apprentices who are trained according to workplace standards and can quickly adapt to professional environments.
For the apprentices themselves, it builds qualities that go beyond technical competence.
Discipline.
Adaptability.
Professionalism.
Emmanuel already knows what comes next.
In two years, he hopes to be recognised as a professional mason.
If money were not a constraint, he would like to start producing and selling construction blocks while continuing to work on building sites to sharpen his skills.
For now, he is focused on something simpler.
Learning.
Working.
Building networks.
And finding opportunities to put his new skills into practice.
Because every wall he helps construct today is helping build something else too.
A future that once felt uncertain.
One foundation at a time.
The Dual+ for Rural project aims to improve skills development and entrepreneurship opportunities for vulnerable rural youth in Rwanda through market-relevant training, workplace-based learning, and stronger collaboration between local enterprises, training providers, local authorities, and the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB).
The Dual+ for Rural project is implemented by Swisscontact as part of the Swisscontact Development Programme and financed by Fondation Audemars Piguet for Common Good.