Africa-Press – Rwanda. A team of four students from the Rwanda Coding Academy has won the 2025 JA Africa in Rwanda Company of the Year competition with an inventive soil-free farming project designed to tackle food insecurity and land scarcity.
Their project, Agro Haven, offers a sustainable method of growing crops without soil, an idea born out of growing concerns over rapid urbanization, limited farmland, and rising air pollution. The system also reuses organic waste, helping to reduce food loss while promoting environmental sustainability.
Held on November 5, this year’s national competition ran under the theme “ACT! Action for Climate Transformation.” The event brought together high school innovators from across the country to present projects addressing climate and sustainability challenges.
The winning team will represent Rwanda at the Junior Achievement Africa regional finals in Abuja, Nigeria, where they will compete with other top student entrepreneurs from across the continent for the chance to represent Africa at the De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Prize.
Emery Rubagenga, Chairperson of the Junior Achievement Rwanda Board, speaks during the JA Africa Company of the Year competition held in Kigali on November 5. Photos by Kellya Keza.
Emery Rubagenga, Chairperson of the Junior Achievement Rwanda Board, commended the students for their creativity and courage, noting that the competition was about much more than winning.
“Learning doesn’t end here; it’s a lifelong process,” he said. “To the winning team, I urge you to represent Rwanda with excellence at the continental finals. Keep being innovative, creative, and committed to learning.”
Rubagenga also praised Junior Achievement Africa and its partners for helping expand the program’s reach to more schools nationwide, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation among youth.
Delivering the keynote address, Diogene Kagango from the Rwanda TVET Board applauded the initiative for equipping students with practical skills and a forward-looking mindset.
“What we see here today is more than a competition—it’s a platform where students turn ideas into real solutions for their communities,” Kagango said. “Programs like JA Company of the Year are vital in promoting entrepreneurship and technical education that prepare young people for the future of work.”
He encouraged the students to continue applying their creativity toward sustainable and inclusive development.
One of the students who won the competition, Emma Response Hirwa, explained that the idea behind Agro Haven came from realizing how population growth is putting pressure on available farmland, adding that as cities expand and space for agriculture shrinks, new methods are needed to ensure food security.
“We wanted to create a system that could produce enough crops even when land is limited, and now we are looking for ways to improve indoor air quality and reduce food waste. Our goal was to design something practical that can help both people and the environment,” she said.
One of the team members, Kevine Niyikora Ihimbazwe, described the win as an unexpected but unforgettable moment, saying the experience of competing against other talented students was both exciting and humbling.
“There were so many great ideas, and at some point, we didn’t think we would win. It feels like everything just happened so fast—it’s such a miracle we can’t even explain,” she said.
The team received a cash prize of $500 and a ticket to represent Rwanda at the continental finals in Abuja this December, Ihimbazwe said she looks forward to sharing the news with her family and thanked Junior Achievement Africa in Rwanda for giving students the chance to showcase their creativity and contribute to the country’s development.
“This opportunity reminded us that young people really can build solutions for Africa,” she added.
A team of four students from Rwanda Coding Academy won the 2025 JA Africa Company of the Year competition in Rwanda.
First runner-up students pose with their award during the JA Africa Company of the Year competition held in Kigali on November 5.
The competition brought together high school innovators from across the country to showcase projects addressing climate and sustainability challenges.
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