Gisele Umwizerwa is no ordinary woman. At 24, she is a respected female driving instructor. She says that her desire to improve her livelihood drove her into the trade, and has risen through the ranks from being just another secretary to a senior driving instructor in a male dominated field.

Born in 1991 in Nyanza District, Umwizerwa is married and has one child. Although she did not proceed with formal education after A-Level, today she is the only qualified female driving instructor in Kigali working with APAFORME Co-operative.

How I made it

Umwizerwa says she joined the trade about five years ago after ditching her secretarial job with one of the companies in Kigali. She had earlier passed with flying colours to obtain her driving license and instructors badge at Nyamirambo Driving School.

Umwizerwa attributes her breakthrough to her go-getter spirit and believing in herself.

"I was earning Rwf50,000 per month as a secretary, but I knew I deserved better. So, since I love cars and working with people I resigned to become a driving instructor. I felt it was the most ideal venture,” she says.

On average, Umwizerwa now earns Rwf300,000 per month. She says that most of the people are always surprised when they realise that they will be taught how to drive by a woman, but they always leave satisfied and many have recommended her to their friends.

Umwizerwa handles a combination of motor vehicle categories, including heavy trucks, semi-trailers, caterpillars and small cars.

"Presently, I own two cars that I use, but my target is to buy more vehicles and open a formal driving school in Kigali,” she says.

Inspiration

Umwizerwa says she was inspired by her mother, a teacher in Nyanza District. She started teaching when she was 18 years old and is still teaching at 50.

"I was inspired by my mother who used to tell me to always think big and be flexible when doing any job; that keeps me going and focused on my aspirations knowing that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to,” she points out.

Challenges

Umwizerwa says like other drivers, competition is the biggest challenge she faces daily. "We are many instructors ‘chasing’ after few trainees. I try to provide excellent customer care and bonus training time to beat the competition,” she says.

Achievements

Umwizerwa says that with earnings from her job she has so far managed to build her own house worth Rwf15million.

Also being able to penetrate a male dominated domain and managing to beat them at ‘their game’ has also been rewarding.

Advice

She urges women who aspire to be instructors not to fear or be shy.

"If a man can to do it, women can do it too. So, women should not fear to do certain things thinking they are meant for men,” she counsels.

She advises the youth, especially aspiring entrepreneurs and those that are still unemployed, not look at money as the most important aspect when starting a business. "One does not require a lot of capital, but a business idea and plan to execute the idea,” she says.

Future plans

"I want to open up my own driving school because I feel it’s my responsibility to produce the next crop of professional drivers to make our roads safe,” Umwizerwa says. She also says she wants to inspire young girls to believe in themselves, aspire for anything and fully exploit their potential.

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What other people say about Umwizerwa

Ivan Gusenga, who taught Umwizerwa how to drive

Umwizerwa is a hard working woman. Since I am the one who taught her how to drive, it makes me proud to see that she is doing well. This also means that we are doing a good job as driving instructors.

Alex Mbarushimana

Umwizerwa has a golden heart. Also, she may look young but when it comes to doing her job she is very professional and exhibits a lot of skills.

Lillian Uzayisenga, one of her students 

Umwizerwa has inspired and shaped me into a better person. She handles trainees professionally. I have learnt a lot from her and I am now able to stand on my own because I have my driving permit; hopefully I will soon get a job as a driver in one of the big companies in town.