Notes from the Field: A Competitor by Any Other Name

A major focus for the Indego Africa team here in Rwanda is our Hand Up training program in financial management and business planning. The program involves weekly sessions on topics ranging from market research to governance to inventory control. Usually our Orphans of Rwanda (ORI) student interns, who are studying business themselves, conduct the participatory trainings with curriculum support from Indego Africa staff. This past week, however, due to the pressure of university exam period (some things don’t change no matter where you are!), we were on our own to conduct the training.

This week’s topic was competitor analysis. Jadot and I began the training by asking for a definition of a competitor. This is where I discovered, to much laughter from the women, that there is no exact translation for "competitor" in Kinyarwanda. Instead, a term is used that is more akin to a rival—as in the jealousy that exists between a wife and her husband’s lover. After it was clarified that we were referring to those who sell similar products in the same market, we moved on to discuss the challenges and benefits of marketing products in the local and international market.

The women stressed quality and innovation to strengthen their market position. Our current volunteer, Sarah Dungian, then gave a presentation on local market competition complete with a slide show of available products and designs that we had photographed at curios in Kigali. This led to a great discussion of what patterns and colors the women could use to make their products stand out. Design is a tricky subject when it comes to baskets, as some customers want "traditional" patterns, while others desire a more modern feel.

Everything came full circle when, at the conclusion of the class, Sarah asked the women how they chose patterns that were not ordered by Indego. "Well," responded Daphrose Mukamugema, Covanya’s lively secretary (right), "we first go around to other basket cooperatives and examine their designs." She then smiled wide and exclaimed: "competitor analysis!" We all laughed at the simplicity of the situation. The women were already using the skills we were teaching, they just hadn’t realized that’s what it was. Access to information and training builds into existing savvy and confidence.

- Amity