The KATAZA Project is a multi-year consortium initiative led by the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and key implementing partners. The project aims to improve livelihoods, particularly for young people, by expanding access to finance, strengthening skills development, and creating sustainable employment opportunities in agriculture and tourism sectors. It also promotes market access and leverages digital technology to advance both financial and digital inclusion.

The word “Kataza” means to awaken and accelerate transformation. In this context, the project is designed to support young people and women to move from informal, low-productivity economic activity into structured, finance-enabled, and growth-oriented enterprises.

Kataza is implemented over a three-year period as a pilot program across selected districts in Rwanda, combining financial inclusion, capacity building, and digital infrastructure to create long-term impact.

Consortium Partners and Roles

The strength of the Kataza Project lies in its consortium approach, where each partner contributes a specific capability to ensure holistic support for beneficiaries.

• The Mastercard Foundation provides overall funding and strategic direction, focusing on long-term inclusive transformation for youth and women.
• The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) leads the program implementation and ensures that financing reaches targeted beneficiaries effectively and responsibly.
• I&M Bank supports access to larger-scale financing, particularly for SMEs in agriculture, tourism, and hospitality sectors.
• The African Management Institute (AMI) provides practical entrepreneurship training and one-on-one business advisory support to strengthen enterprise capacity.
• MVend through its platform Gwiza, digitizes Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) enabling them to build a financial track record and access loans from SACCOs, MFIs, and I&M Bank.
• The Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR) works with SACCOs and microfinance institutions to expand the reach of Kataza financing nationwide.
• RWAMREC focuses on promoting gender equality and behavioral change, engaging communities to challenge norms that limit women’s and youth’s access to finance and economic opportunities.

Project Coverage (15 Districts)

• Eastern Province: Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Ngoma, Kirehe
• Southern Province: Nyanza, Huye, Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe
• Western Province: Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Nyabihu, Rubavu
• Northern Province: Musanze, Burera, Gakenke

Refugee Camps Coverage

• Nyabiheke Refugees Camp
• Mahama Refugees Camp
• Kigeme Refugees Camp
• Mugombwa Refugees Camp

MVend in Kataza

Within the consortium, MVend is responsible for digitizing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and enabling access to structured financial services through its digital platform, Gwiza.

Gwiza allows savings groups to: 

• Manage their contributions, 
• Track financial activity in real time, and 
• Access financial services such as loans in a simple and transparent way. 

Through this system, informal savings groups are transformed into digitally enabled financial units capable of building financial histories and accessing formal credit pathways built in Kataza.

In this way, MVend acts as the bridge between community-based savings systems and the formal financial ecosystem, ensuring that financial inclusion is not only accessible but also traceable, scalable, and credit-enabling.

Our Human Element-Village Agents

Village Agents (VAs) are MVend-trained representatives who help savings groups (VSLAs) move from manual systems to the Gwiza digital platform. They support onboarding, register groups and members with accurate KYC data, and train users on how to save, borrow, and transact digitally.

They also assist groups in using Gwiza correctly, provide basic support, and report issues to MVend, helping improve transparency and financial discipline within communities.

Village Agents must never handle customer money or request money to onboard a group or carry out transactions. VAs must never request, suggest, or use user PINs, perform transactions on behalf of users, or store sensitive personal data. Their role is strictly to facilitate access and support—users always remain in control of their accounts

Testimonials