Jean Claude Uwitonze
Written By Admin Published on April 6, 2020

Jean Claude UWITONZE is a passionate man in the area of coordination of project’s implementation and capacity development with extensive experience in financial services, entrepreneurship, proposal/grant writing, coaching and Dual Apprenticeship System. He has more than ten years working with various institutions (Local and International) with a mission to empower people and communities in different areas of capacity building and poverty reduction. He is currently working as Programs Manager and capacity development expert in Rwanda Institute of Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Microfinance (RICEM).

His academic background is in business studies. He holds A2 in Business Information Technology and Management, bachelor’s degree in Accounting and MBA – Accounting and Finance. Concerning certificates awarded to him in the area of capacity development include training of coaches for Dual Apprenticeship System, certified in competence based training methodologies and assessment, certified in trainer development skills for senior trainers, certified professional trainer in Entrepreneurship from Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII)- India, certified by DOT-Rwanda on various entrepreneurship approaches as covered in the Reach Up ! and Start Up ! Program. Concerning the certificates awarded to him in the area of project include certificate in proposal writing and resource mobilization, certificate in proposal writing and fundraising, certificate in managing donor funded projects and certificate in Monitoring & Evaluation project logical framework. In the area of Microfinance, he is an international certified expert from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management – Germany and he is also certified by School of African Microfinance – Kenya. In the same line with Microfinance/Banking sector, he is also a certified trainer of International Finance Corporation (IFC)/World Bank.
He worked for a development organization named” Savings Banks Foundation for International Cooperation (SBFIC) currently named German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK)” for 5 years whereby he occupied 2 major positions namely (1) Responsible Finance and Performance Monitoring officer and (2) Capacity Development Expert.

During his time at SBFIC/DSIK and RICEM, he has worked as a consultant in SUISSCONTACT whereby he facilitated product development to Micro-leasing project in Rwanda. He also worked on various assignments like two projects namely (1) Financial Education to 135 SACCOs located in rural areas - World Bank and (2) Dual Apprenticeship System – SBFIC/DSIK. With UMUTANGUHA Finance Company PLC, he conducted training and coaching to its clients mainly Youth and SMEs so as to unlock their potentials in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and bankable business plans. With USAID related assignments, he worked as a consultant on (1) HINGA WEZE project/USAID funded project through AMIR and (2) Palladium Rwanda Limited (USAID Rwanda Integrated Health Systems Activity-RIHSA) through RICEM. With Enabel through RICEM, he conducted a training for farmers through Farmers Business Simulation to 30 Farmer Field School facilitators from the livestock (poultry and pig farming) groups. The ultimate goal of this training was to give the farmers the means to increase the productivity of their farms and the quality of life for their families. With GIZ project “Skills Development for Economic Transformation (SD4T)” through RICEM partnership, he is currently working as a Project team leader on a one-year assignment “Consultancy services to support the implementation of the governance and management model for Integrated Crafts Production Centres (ICPCs)” being executed in 10 districts. Concurrently, He is also working on another 2 years ENABEL project as a Project team leader through consortium of DSIK and RICEM. The assignment is being executed in Rusizi whereby project intends to (1) Develop and deliver business development support services to youth and women start-ups and (2) Develop and deliver business development support services to existing Micro and small enterprises (MSMEs).
He worked in Vision Finance Company currently known as Vision Fund whereby he worked as a special project coordinator (KIVA and World Vision Micro). With those 2 projects, he was coordinating both projects related activities of helping high-poverty communities living in rural areas of Rwanda to create opportunity for themselves and their communities.