How female workers at Zipline are building a legacy for next generation of women in Rwanda

On women’s day, the President Paul Kagame said via Twitter: “Equality is a right, not a favour. We must challenge ourselves to do even more and better to ensure that the next generations of our daughters and granddaughters inherit a nation where their aspirations have no limits.”

The Women of Zipline are working, have been breaking biases about gender roles and have made it clear that whatever a girl dreams of, she can make it come true, and they are building a legacy for the next generation of women in Rwanda. They have shared some valuable nuggets of wisdom to inspire fellow women.

When one closes eyes to imagine a flight operator, chances are they would see a man. But when you meet the tenacious Pascaline Ingabire, one of the flight operators at Zipline breaking the bias and continuously proving the point women can do it; you will finally realize that including them is not a favour. She is the girl that would do what people consider impossible for girls. She studied mechanical engineering when all said it would be difficult and would not make it because she was a woman but Ingabire defied odds that she is operating drones and saving lives. Her day-to-day duties include launching and recovering drones in a strict and timely manner, making sure products get to their destination in a safe and timely manner.

Women can do whatever they want; hence they do not need a favour because they already have what it takes. Society has to acknowledge it and give them a fair seat. Melissa Rusanganwa, once a little girl in Kigali, recalls her childhood surrounded by superwomen that worked on the clock to make sure all facets of life were balanced and that both work and family were flat. Every time a new opportunity presents itself to her, that recollection has always been a constant reminder. It has helped her climb the corporate ladder, and she is now listed among females in leadership.

Melissa is now the Head of the Africa Regulatory Team for Zipline. As a young lady in her position, it is not common to find women, and it is predominantly men older than her. She says initially awkward to be standing in front of way more senior men.

The drone industry is still relatively new, and it aided her confidence that in as much as the male counterparts have been in the aviation space for a while, the drones space is new, and they can learn and grow together.

{{See what you want, go for it, and do not stop until you get it}}

Ingabire was visiting a hospital and saw a drone delivering in Gicumbi and was blown away. She felt like she had to be part of the company. She had an aha moment – such a company would need a mechanical engineer. She started doing her research about the company and prepped herself enough. When there was a job opening, she went for it and applied. Now she is a Flight Operator and excelling at it, something she was told back in university that she would regret taking the programme because it was difficult for women.

Instead of folding hands and saying I cannot do it, TRY and know for sure if you can or cannot. Life is more challenging when you live with regret. “I could have done it if only I tried.” In her career in HR, Diane says she has learnt that men apply for jobs even when they qualify 60%, and women tend to shy away even they are a match 80%. She encourages women to try and go for whatever their want to venture into and not let fear of fear cripple them. Instead, take failure as a lesson and let help them prepare for the next opportunity.

Diane Kalinda works for Zipline as People Partner. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and a Masters in International Studies in the United States. When Kalinda finished her grad school, she decided to come back and put all she learned to benefit her country. Kalinda joined the organisation as Recruitment Partner and has now moved levels to People Partner. She says her secret was that she was humble enough to ask for help from those in the industry before her.

Growing up, when Melissa looked at women’s leadership, she only had Condoleeza Rice in mind and felt like there were not much in terms of women’s representation in leadership roles. Now she feels like there are many women to look up to. Even better, Africa has a sizeable picture, like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the World Trade Organization Director-General, and other women taking leadership roles. Ingabire alludes to this and encourages women to stand and face their fears. It is doable, and we all can do it if other women have done it. Block the noise that tells you, you can’t and focus on the positive because, honestly, you can do it. A little girl looks up to you, bringing hope into her life and adding your name to the female changemakers list.