She says she grew up with an admiration for transporting people, and this is the reason she does what she does. Based in Burera District, Jeannine Uwamahoro, is one of the very few taxi-moto riders in Rwanda. In fact she says she knows only two women who do the same job - and all these are based in Kigali. The 30-year-old has been serving in the public transport sector since 2019, and says she is enjoying it, despite having had to endure some discouragement at the beginning. When I was starting out, some people discouraged me, asking me if I was really sure I could manage the job. Some said I would be making accidents every now and then, she says. But I encouraged myself. I told myself, I will ride this bike, I can do it, she adds. However, when she put her first passenger on the bike and rode, she says encouragement started to come and get away. People were amazed, and they cheered me on, she smilingly says. Since then, her work has been enjoyable and there havent been serious challenges. She told The New Times that she often wakes up as early as 5 in the morning, takes a shower, ignites the bike, and hits the road. Sometimes when I have a client who wants me to wake up earlier, say at around 4 am, I can do that too, she notes. She always finishes her work at about 8 pm, and on a good day, she can have about 10 or slightly more passengers. I often get a good number of passengers. They know that I am a good rider, because I am careful on the road, she says. But also, their support is due to their desire to see me develop as a woman. They encourage me. With such, there is a lot of positivity at the job, and if anything is to be made better, it is in regard to getting her own bike, since she currently rides for a certain business man. The motorcycle I ride currently belongs to someone else. When I make money, there is a particular portion that I have to give to the owner. If I can manage to get my own bike, it would make my work more profitable, she says. She believes women can achieve a lot if they are open-minded and determined. There is no work that a woman cannot do. For example, I often see them doing construction work, electrical installation, among other jobs, she says. There is no level at which women cannot work, if they open their eyes and see that all things are possible. Through her job, Uwamahoro is able to be useful to her family - particularly her elderly mother and a little niece, of whom she has to take good care. On an individual basis, I have money to deal with my needs. I always have some money to buy myself some clothes, among other things. Besides riding, Uwamahoro says has gained some knowledge and skills from her work. For example, when the motorcycles breaks are not functioning properly, I park on the side of the road and fix them, she says. She dreams of establishing a school where women can be trained to drive vehicles, in addition to being inspired to be bold enough to take-on such jobs like hers. If I get resources in the future, I think it would be great for me to try to inspire women, showing them the path that I have gone through, and giving them some skills. I feel I need more of my female counterparts doing such work, she says.
