Akilah Celebrates International Women’s Day With Inspiring Female Role Models
Akilah celebrated International Women’s Day with a speaker series featuring inspirational women.
At Akilah, International Women’s Day, March 8, is one of our favorite days of the year. While we make sure to celebrate women’s accomplishments all year long, on IWD students and staff make a point to come together to celebrate the power, potential, and ambition of women — at Akilah, in Rwanda, and globally.
This year, our students took the lead in organizing activities on campus to commemorate the big day. Four accomplished and ambitious women visited Akilah to share their experiences with students and staff. The guests spoke to students about everything from starting their own successful businesses and growing their careers to balancing motherhood and professional aspirations.
Check out the highlights from Akilah’s IWD guests.
Teta Isibo, Founder of Inzuki Designs
Teta founded Inzuki Designs six years ago. Inzuki sells accessories and home décor with a Rwandan touch and a global appeal —their products are created by women’s cooperatives in Rwanda. Today, Teta sells her designs in Rwanda and abroad and is a strong advocate for young female entrepreneurs.
Teta Isibo, left, founded Inzuki Designs to create accessories and home décor with a Rwandan touch and global appeal.
“Being a young woman in Rwanda today is a blessing. Rwanda is ranked the best place in Africa to be a woman. There are so many ways for Rwandan women to benefit from this. There are no barriers to starting a business when you’re a woman. In other African countries, women — still today — can be asked for their husband’s signature before starting. It’s not like that here. Entrepreneurship is encouraged and prioritized — especially among women. This is an opportunity that we should all grab.”
Makeda Mahadeo, DJ and Storyteller
The Jamaican/Rwandan Makeda Mahadeo has built a strong personal brand since moving to Rwanda five years ago. As a trailblazer for video production, DJing, emceeing, and vlogging (video blogging), Makeda is challenging perceptions of the careers paths for young women and using her platform to encourage others to do the same.
“If you want to be an entrepreneur, remember that it takes a lot of passion, dedication, and hard work,” says Makeda Mahadeo, a well-known DJ in Rwanda.
“If you want to be an entrepreneur, remember that it takes a lot of passion, dedication, and hard work. When I first got started, I was asking myself a lot of questions: What am I hoping to do? Where do I want to go? What is my passion? And I followed those things to start my career. My best advice is to go towards what you love to do. You are always free to change route. If you want to be satisfied in what you do, enjoy it and have pride in it. I met a lot of obstacles getting started — people were telling me that being a DJ is not a proper job for a woman. But because I love what I do, I pushed through it. If you know what your passion is, don’t be deterred by what people might tell you. Take your dream and run with it. If it doesn’t work, keep going until it does.”
Joan Mazimhaka, CEO of Illume Creative Studios
Joan Mazimhaka is one of the five founding members of Rwanda’s leading creative studio, Illume. As Illume’s CEO, Joan is among the country’s top businesswomen — she’s also a mother to a young son and an inspiration to young women in Rwanda.
“Everything that lets you down isn’t a failure. It could just mean it wasn’t the right time,” says Joan Mazimhaka.
“Being an entrepreneur is very exciting, but it also comes with a lot of challenges. If you have an idea that you think fills a gap in the market and you have a bit of startup capital, you can kick it off. But I would advise you to get some work experience first. Find a job where you can get industry experience while working on your business on the side.
Be clear about your strengths and don’t be afraid to collaborate with people who have other strengths than you. Build up your resilience. You’ll have a lot of ups and downs in business. Know that it’s not the absolute end when you fall, you can find a way around it. Everything that lets you down isn’t a failure. It could just mean it wasn’t the right time. Make sure to build your network of other women who can support you in your ups and downs. We as women can build each other up.”
Marie Aimee Umuhoza, Akilah Alumna ’16 and Assistant IT Manager at Kigali Park Inn Hotel
Marie Aimee Umuhoza graduated from Akilah’s first Information Systems class in 2016. Immediately after graduating, she started her career at Kigali’s Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Centre as an IT Support Specialist and has since been promoted to Assistant Manager at Radisson’s Park Inn Hotel in Kigali. Marie Aimee is an active advocate for girls and women in technology and continues to be a role model for our students.
“Once you get out there in the real world, everything changes. Seize the opportunities out there, and push yourself to keep going higher, says Marie Aimee Umuhoza.
“When you’re here studying at Akilah, don’t just say, ‘This is what I want to do, nothing else.’ Once you get out there in the real world, everything changes. Seize the opportunities out there, and push yourself to keep going higher. I got an opportunity with Radisson and I went for it. I think they hired me because of my passion. I didn’t know anything about Hospitality IT or the different systems they use. But I had a passion — they hired that fire within me. I knew that if I worked hard, I could learn it. I see a lot of doors opening for me, and I still have so many aspirations for my career. I make sure to do something every week that brings me closer to my goals.”