In 2018, Plante Josue set out to change the narrative for rural artisans. Growing up in the suburbs of Kigali, he watched his mother—a master tailor—earn pennies for her perfect craft. He saw firsthand that immense talent was being trapped by a lack of market access, capital, and trend information. Driven to break these barriers, he founded AFLIMBA: a mission to connect raw rural talent with global opportunity.
In 2022, our team stepped up to tackle a critical issue: harmful textile waste. Globally, 92 million tonnes of fabric end up in landfills every year, yet only 1% is recycled. Our research led us to denim—one of the world’s most popular yet least eco-friendly fabrics. Because humanity’s love for jeans isn’t fading, AFLIMBA stepped in at the final stage of the denim lifecycle. We collect discarded jeans and upcycle them into valuable resources. The result is our “KINTSUGI LIMBAGS”—a collection of meticulously handcrafted, highly functional bags that breathe new, beautiful life into textile waste.
We offer a structured, six-month sewing training program for young school dropouts and single or teenage mothers in rural communities. After graduation, they are guaranteed a path forward. Some join our full-time production team. For those who choose a different path, we provide official certification and mentorship to help them secure jobs in the manufacturing industry or launch their own independent tailoring businesses.
Our team fully embodies these three core values.
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people”
~Steve Jobs
Customer Service Manager
Production Manager Assistant
Sewing Training Program Facilitator
Digital Marketing Manager
Production Manager
Managing Director
