Nov. 13, 2020

At 8 years old, Naomi Nibobeza-Blank arrived in Sioux Falls as a refugee after fleeing genocide in Rwanda.

More than two decades later, she’s an educator who has just become a business owner.

“I would say I’ve definitely experienced a little bit more than your average person,” Nibobeza-Blank said. “But it has just made me stronger and a better person.”

The family was living in a refugee camp in Tanzania when it was thrust into a new culture and country. That change built resilience, a strong work ethic and a commitment to education in her and her eight siblings — attributes she credits for her success.

“My family lost a lot, they came here with nothing, and one thing they installed in us was education,” Nibobeza-Blank said. “We came to America for a better life; we wanted to get an education here.”

That passion for education led her to become an educator. She has taught English at several Sioux Falls schools in the past six years and  currently is at Anne Sullivan Elementary in northeast Sioux Falls.

“In those years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most vulnerable students in our community,” she said. “It has been incredibly rewarding being able to work with children that are in a similar situation as I was when I moved to Sioux Falls.”

At the same time, Nibobeza-Blank is also pursuing her master’s degree in education leadership at the University of Sioux Falls. 

“I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could because of the opportunities I was given,” she said.

“Although I have enjoyed being an elementary teacher, I believe I can make a greater impact as an administrator.”

But despite her already busy schedule, Nibobeza-Blank decided to turn her passion for shopping and clothing into a business.

She’s now the owner of Ubwiza Boutique, an online store that sells both traditional African clothing and more modern styles.

“You know, we came to America for a reason, and I’ve always loved shopping and boutique clothing,” Nibobeza-Blank said. “But I also see our community growing in the sense of diversity, and I wanted a boutique that really offered options for people from those African countries.”

Ubwiza opened three months ago, launched with the help of Nibobeza-Blank’s husband, Eric Blank, and her sister, Estel Niyotwizera. Production is based completely out of Nibobeza-Blank’s home, and while it is a lot of work, she said she has a large support system available to her when she needs it.

“It really is a family-run business,” Nibobeza-Blank said. “If I ever get too busy, my sisters are there to help me, and I’m really grateful for that.”

Although the boutique is entirely online for now, Nibobeza-Blank hopes to open a brick-and-mortar building sometime within the next year. She said she believes there is a niche to be filled within Sioux Falls regarding traditional cultural clothing.

Ubwiza means “beauty” in her native language.

“Because we are tied to two cultures that are beautiful in their own way, our goal is to provide an African-American fashion style to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area,” she said.

“The community, they want to learn about different cultures that are here, and they want to buy African skirts and African prints. I think there’s a real need here in Sioux Falls for this type of clothing.”

Nibobeza-Blank said she plans to focus on opening a Sioux Falls store within the year because of the demand she has seen in the area. 

“Within the year, I think we could maybe open an Ubwiza store. I think that would show a lot of the community that it is possible to do what we’re doing and be successful,” she said.

In addition to Ubwiza Boutique, Niyotwizera has started Inspire Ubwiza with the assistance of Blank. It’s a blog that she writes for regularly. Inspire Ubwiza aims to do just what the title says: inspire readers through Niyotwizera’s story and her thoughts on current issues. Her most recent post, “The Voice in Your Head is a Jerk,” focuses on Niyotwizera’s past struggles with self-esteem. 

“Ubwiza is more than a boutique, it’s more than a store. It’s like a community. We want to inspire people and give them hope,” Niyotwizera said.

Ubwiza will hold its first pop-up shop Saturday at Harrisburg High School in conjunction with the Champion’s Crown Cup cheer and dance competition. It runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

You can shop Ubwiza clothing and read the Inspire Ubwiza blog at ubwizaboutique.com.