Joyce Kiza, Entrepreneur And Cultural Dancer
You may not have heard of Joyce Kiza, but she's a remarkable woman with an inspiring story. Joyce is a Nakivale refugee settlement entrepreneur, activist, and cultural and contemporary dancer. In 2017, she participated in the Opportunigee accelerator program and learned about entrepreneurship. Since then, she's founded The Root to unite and preserve culture. In 2018, she joined the Promise Hub local impact team as a business mentor, and she now mentors business start-ups. After two years of working with the Promise Hub Collective, Joyce is now learning how to build websites.
What separates Joyce from other entrepreneurs is her passionate dedication to her community. She listens and talks to her community members to learn about their needs and desires. That's why The Root is such a success; it's a platform for people to share their culture and connect with others in and around Nakivale. We're lucky to have Joyce as an advocate for refugees and entrepreneurs.
Joyce Kiza's Background
“Well, when I founded The Root, I was inspired by my own background as a Congolese who was raised sharing two different cultures and traditions from my dad and mom, who came from different tribes.”
“I come from a long line of dancers, and I realized that traditional dance is a powerful way to connect people from different backgrounds.”
Joyce Kiza was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived through some pretty intense stuff before making her way to Uganda, Nakivale refugee settlement.
But that's not all. Joyce is also an entrepreneur, activist, and cultural and contemporary dancer. She's been involved in dance since she was a little girl, and she's been performing professionally for over 10 years.
It was in Uganda that Joyce was introduced to Opportunigee, a program that taught her the basics of entrepreneurship. And she took to it like a duck to water. In fact, she was so successful that she founded her own business, The Root. The Root is dedicated to uniting and preserving culture.
In 2018, Joyce Kiza was chosen as a business mentor for Nakivale's Promise Hub local impact team. Through her mentorship, she helps business start-ups grow and develop their businesses. And after two years of being involved with the Promise Hub Collective, our online marketplace, Joyce has joined the team as a website builder. 2018 has been a big year for Joyce!
When Joyce Kiza arrived in the Nakivale refugee settlement, she was looking for a way to make a difference in her community. She found that opportunity in Opportunigee, a business training, and mentorship program that helped her learn the basics of entrepreneurship.
After one year of mentorship and training with Opportunigee, Joyce founded The Root, a company that aims to unite and preserve cultural heritage through dance and other traditional arts.
The Root
The Root performance at Uhuru Land is one of the great public events where people from various cultures can come together and share a common interest, happiness. It is a significant gathering in Nakivale where joy and peace are present.
You might be wondering what The Root is all about. Joyce founded it with the goal of uniting and preserving cultural heritage.
When we asked Joyce why she created The Root, she replied:
“Well, when I founded The Root, I was inspired by my own background as a Congolese who was raised sharing two different cultures and traditions from my dad and mom, who came from different tribes.”
“I come from a long line of dancers, and I realized that traditional dance is a powerful way to connect people from different backgrounds.”
She does this in two ways. First, she hosts annual cultural events that attract people from different backgrounds around Nakivale, including the Gambela community, Sudanese, Rwandese, Congolese, Ethiopians, Somali, and many other tribes and cultures around the settlement. And second, she hosts a monthly cultural gathering where people talk and share their traditions with others.
These events give people a chance to come together and share their culture. They also provide a space for people to learn more about Joyce's culture and the cultures of others.
Well, The Roots has so far hosted two annual events that attract over 2,000 attendees. The first is a cultural gathering that takes place every month and attracts about 50 people. The second is a larger event that happens once a year and celebrates African culture. This event is attended by more than 2,000 people from all over the settlement.
Nakivale's Promise Hub Local Impact Team
Joyce Kiza is facilitating a business session at Promise Hub using the internet, computer, and other modern devices.
As a business mentor for Nakivale's Promise Hub local impact team, she helps them assess their businesses and develop achievable goals.
In this role, Joyce helps business start-ups by providing support, advice, and resources. This includes listening to their ideas and helping them to develop a business plan, as well as connecting them with other resources in the community.
Clearly, Joyce is a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. She's also a woman of her word, and she's passionate about helping others achieve their dreams. We're proud to have her as part of the Promise Hub collective, and we know that she'll continue to make a positive impact on the lives of entrepreneurs in the Nakivale refugee settlement.
But that's not all Joyce does. She also joined the Promise Hub Collective department, and she is now learning how to build websites and help to manage our online marketplace. So you see, she is really a woman of many talents!
Conclusion
Joyce Kiza is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story. After being forced to flee her home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and living as a refugee in Uganda, Joyce found herself driven to keep her culture and traditions alive. She founded The Root to unite and preserve culture, and now she is a mentor and learning how to build a website in Promise Hub.
Joyce is an entrepreneur, activist, and cultural dancer par excellence and is an inspiration to us all.
Joyce is an example of how Promise Hub can help refugees tap into their entrepreneurial spirit and create positive change in their communities.