Imanzi Imyenda is a Huye tailoring business and cooperative making school uniforms, workwear, and repaired clothing. It took the Hold the Door pledge because its founder remembers how difficult it was to learn pricing, sourcing, and customer communication without someone willing to share practical advice. Each quarter, the team will offer one first-time founder a short mentoring placement, including time with a cutter, a bookkeeper, and a customer-service lead. The first participant was a new maker who wanted to sell reusable fabric bags but had not calculated labor costs. Together they reviewed a sample batch and created a simple costing sheet before setting a price. The participant produced 40 bags for a local market and recorded material and labor expenses for each one. Imanzi Imyenda says the pledge is intentionally modest: it does not promise funding or guaranteed sales, but it offers a real introduction to the everyday decisions of running a small enterprise. The team plans to host its next founder in the coming quarter.
