In most parts of the world, the motorcycle taxi industry is male-dominated.
However, in Kigali, 200
women, including university students, are defying the stereotype and
expectations by acquiring training in the Moto Taxi Business before
forming a cooperative.
The programme is offered on
evenings and weekends, allowing the women to attend class during the
day and work when they wish and some have completed the courses.
In an interview with
Business Times, the women said that the business will help them earn a
living, while they are pursuing their scholastic goals.
Belithe Iradukunda is a 23-year-old student studying Business Information technology at the University of Kigali.
A group of female students are eager to run moto taxi business. Michel Nkurunziza.
She spoke about high levels
of unemployment in the country as one of the reasons that lead her to
seek to join the growing Motorcycle Taxi business in hope of making a
sustainable venture out of it.
“I am confident in operating
a Moto Taxi as a viable career. The business skills I acquired at
University will enhance and inform my work. This business is a great
source of income for a university student” she said.
Esperance Dushime, a
25-year-old student at Rwanda College of Economics and Business said she
enrolled in the programme in July earlier this year.
“We began by studying
traffic rules so that we get our driving permits. We also learn skills
related to Mechanics, English, and business opportunities in Tourism. We
are taught how to use the meter, as well as the benefits of cashless
payments. As I am preparing to graduate next month, I am also preparing
and saving money for my future,” explained Dushime.
They were facilitated by
Yego Innovision Ltd in partnership with Germany Cooperation Agency (GIZ)
to become Rwanda’s first all-women motorcyle taxi cooperative.
Armella Manirambona,
Project Manager at Yego, added that the women are also being trained on
ICT, Self-defense, Customer Care, Motorcycle Maintenance, Navigation,
and First Aid.
“So far, in the transport
sector, women have been in the shadows. By training them to become Moto
Taxi drives, they will earn a decent living. We will help the women
form one cooperative this year and will partner with other motorcycle
companies, so women can access vehicles via loans.”
The initiative will eventually scale up to include women in rural areas.
The Labour Force Survey
Trends August 2019 (Q3) shows that the labour force participation rate
had decreased to 52.3 in August 2019 (Q3) compared to 53.8 percent in
May 2019(Q2) showing that Labour force participation rate was still
higher for male population than the female population over time.
No comments:
Post a Comment