AIPI

iHuzo : definition

iHuzo is a network platform that connects businesses, organizations, and individuals that operate in the digital space in Rwanda. The iHuzo platform also serves as a one-stop-shop for MSEs and iworkers (Freelancers) to connect with relevant digital commerce stakeholders and leverage their platforms.

iHuzo promotes an enabling market system for digital commerce and spurring the growth of livelihood opportunities it generates. At the core of the project is the onboarding of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and iWorkers (people whose livelihoods are enabled by digital commerce platforms where they sell goods and services, in a broad variety of forms). Many, including gig workers, e-lancers, and e-commerce merchants are self-employed and connected via a smartphone) to digital platforms.

The iHuzo digital platform was developed as a linkage platform that will bring together key stakeholders in one place. MSEs and iWorkers can sign up, get matched to relevant digital platforms of their choice, and be seamlessly onboarded to begin selling online. They can also engage with other players such as digital financial services providers while at the same time receiving the information and training they need to succeed online.

The iHuzo platform was created by 15 young developers who are Tech Upskills alumni in the 2021 Tech Upskill first cohort. iHuzo has been developed by Tech Upskills participants who were trained by kLab in partnership with AIPI for them to apply their knowledge by developing this platform and also provide sustainable support to the youth in Rwanda by producing this platform for young freelancers, SMEs, MSMEs, and small companies that interchange businesses easily.

Tech Upskill project

Tech Upskill is a project initiated by The AIPI (Access International Partnership in IT) a project between Rwanda ICT Chamber and the German IT-based Association Bundesverband IT-Mittelstand e. V. (BITMi). The Tech Upskill project first cohort was aimed at identifying and supporting tech talents and tech innovators across Rwanda through capacity building and exposure to enable them to find jobs.

This project was directed by consortium 250STARTUPS, Fablab, and kLab companies that were selected to implement the Tech Upskill Project by AIPI under the initiative of the Rwanda ICT Chamber and BITMi. Through the Tech Upskill project 15 talents from that cohort were offered further support, training and as a result, they were able to develop the ihuzo platform.

The Ihuzo platform was developed by using MVC architecture, as the Model, View, and Controller, in the backend they used Laravel Framework and it was also developed by different front-end technologies but most of them are based on Javascript Libraries and MarkUp languages and UI frameworks. The platform has been developed by a team of 15 people, of which were working on the design, front end, and the backend.

Coming back to the background of Ihuzo platform development, for this platform to be achievable, we discovered that participants needed some extra skills to enhance their expertise and qualifications required for the platform to be accomplished. The training took place at three different centers; the centers were kLab, huye employment center, and Musanze employment center.

Some of the programs/ courses these talents were trained in were: Personal and professional profiling, CMS, API Integration. They are talents who chose to do both training: CMS and API Integrations:

CMS: Using CMS, the participants received content management and design skills that do not require further coding processes so as to lay a foundation of web development by knowing how to do it without coding.
Payment API Integration: The participants were also trained on the Payment API Integration system skills, which allow them to create payment systems for already created websites, using already created API payment systems.
Personal and Professional Profiling.: are the curriculum for training participants on how to create eye-catching CVs and create the best profiles on freelancing platforms. We also help them register on Upwork and give them tips on how to start making some money on Upwork. All participants both those doing CMS and those doing API Integration have done Personal and professional profiling.

Also kLab has offered some extended training all necessary skills that equip them to develop the platform and create appropriate content. After the capacity-building enhancement, the platform started in breakdown and development.

Going forward , this project was not only for the benefits of the society and businesses but also the 15 trainees / talents profited from this experiment, by using the skilled they got from this project( training and the courses/ program mentioned above), they are now able to create their profiles professionally, able to integrate the flutter wave payment gateway into any E-commerce Platform easily and most importantly they are able to create their own website in CMS.

Society Benefits

Through this Ihuzo platform, statistics show a big change in terms of onboarding companies and creating job opportunities for male and females. It shows how this project managed to help the Government, companies and individuals.

According to the data, we were able to onboarding onboarded 3,938 MSEs (2,424 male-owned and 1,514 female-owned) onto different digital commerce platforms which went beyond our target of onboarding 1,500 MSEs.

At the end of this project, again we were able to create jobs to 299 iWorkers ( 204 males, 95 females) who were connected to part-time jobs and have been paid monthly fees of up to FRW 70,000 or received commissions ranging from FRW 500 to FRW 5000 each time they onboard MSEs to digital platforms.

For more details and information about the Ihuzo project and its achievements. Here is the link to the website: http://ihuzo.rw