Janet Nkubana, Co-Founder and C.O.O

Janet Nkubana is a businesswoman, naturally talented speaker with a voice, heart and determination to empower the underprivileged women of Rwanda. Having grown up in a refugee camp, it was hard for Nkubana to imagine life beyond the refugee camp.  Janet managed to beat the odds against her by going to school and later securing a church scholarship which assured her  good education and a ticket out of the camp. She remembers on her first day of secondary school, borrowing her mother’s shoes before she got  her first pair of shoes.  These kinds of memories are what drive Janet today, to help the less privileged because without the help of somebody she would have never left the refugee camp.  That is why she always refers to her life, as one from humble beginnings. Nkubana completed her education in Uganda where she owned and operated several businesses.
After the Rwanda Genocide in 1994 against the Tutsi, the country’s infrastructure was in ruins, people had no food and lived in extreme poverty with no income.  Nkubana returned home to join hands with other Rwandans in rebuilding a nation her parents had left more than 3 decades ago.
Upon her return, life in the country was a stark reminder of her life in the refugee camp, no food, or water and people’s devastated with no hope for tomorrow.
Nkubana operated a hotel with her sister Joy where displaced women, children suffering with no dignity from emotional trauma of losing their loved ones often frequented to beg for food or any help from hotel residents. As time went on women started bringing their  handwoven baskets in exchange of food. As Janet recalls “ giving them money was a one day solution, buying their baskets was rewarding them for their hard work”. Janet  knew that she would not be able to give them food for a longtime; this was just an act of kindness. She later  came up with a solution of opening a little gift store, to sell their products.  The shop became a turning point in the weavers’ lives, it give them dignity, hope and brought smiles on their faces.  Looking at these women, able to afford the basics, would later make Janet think beyond the gift shop.  
 Janet joined hands with her sister Joy to form what is known today as Gahaya Links, she recalls the day when her and Joy visited a group of 20-30 women with a message to equip them with a skill that could earn them a sustainable income.  Today, they are a perfect combination, as Joy comes up with designs and Janet complements them from her art talent she acquired from school and also quick wit finds the market for the products.
Janet thrived to take baskets beyond Rwanda’s boarders, her marketing started from yard sales, flea markets and trade shows in United States of America. Janet has been able to close trade partnerships with reputable companies, such as Macy’s, Fair Winds Trading and Oprah Magazine, among many others.  Through her public relations, Gahaya Links has been able to attain recognition from global icons and high profile personalities. Janet was awarded the Hunger Project’s “Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable end of Hunger in 2008”. She founded the Gifted Hands Innovation Center where women go beyond training in weaving
and interact, share life experiences and make friends.  She is a well-known grass-root
mobilizer, single mother of five and in her spare time, she enjoys listening to gospel music, reading and sharing quality time with her extended family and friends.