Sharon Akanyana has a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Rwanda. Founded in 2017, Ishyo is a food and dairy processing company that produces high quality fruit jams and fruit yoghurt.
The business started from humble origins in Sharon’s home kitchen where she drew inspiration from her love of cooking and high-quality local ingredients. For a long time, she had been trying to gain employment but with little success. However, this gave her ample time to explore her passion for cooking and when she made yoghurt and jam and shared this with friends and family, she was encouraged by how much they liked her products. So, the idea of turning her passion into a business was born. For Sharon, the conversion of beautifully fresh produce into long-shelf-life products, packaged in a jar or cup and transported thousands of kilometers, gives her chills. She is also concerned about the dependency of Rwandan families on over-priced imported foods, that many families cannot afford. Sharon realized that Ishyo Foods could contribute to tackling this problem by producing fruited jams and yoghurts that are not only high quality but also affordable.