Director, JUM Exclusive, Uganda
Joy Gahigana has owned and operated JUM Exclusive, a retail clothing shop for men, women and children since 2006 as well as offers tailoring services. Her hopes are to expand into the assembly of clothes, which would allow the employment of local manpower - to be trained by government programs such as Vision 2020.
Born in a refugee camp in Southwest Uganda, she later moved to Kenya where her elementary and high school education were completed. She attended Kenyatta University to obtain a Bachelors of Education in Home Economics, graduating in 1992. Immediately following graduation, Joy received a sponsorship to study at the University of Manitoba, Canada via a program designed to help refugee students continue their college education. She completed her Bachelors degree in Human Ecology majoring in Clothing and Textiles. After graduation she worked for Western Gloves in Winnipeg, Manitoba which specialized in casual jeans wear. In 1998, she married and moved to Nashville, TN with her husband. They began a family and Joy became a stay-at-home mother until her children were old enough to begin school.
In 2005 Joy's family made the decision to move back to Rwanda where she would pursue her dream of owning and operating a clothing shop. Her vision is to pass along her talent, dreams and passion for the "art of clothing" to other Rwandans, empowering change within them by enabling them to find employment. By employing local manpower - enabling them to pay taxes, contribute to the economy and obtain vocational training she hopes to positively impact her community.
Source: The Academy of Leadership & Liberty. (2009). Joy U. Gahigana. The Academy of Leadership & Liberty, . Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.oc.edu/academy/hoa/Joy.aspx.
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