In the days of yore, women were regarded as the weaker sex. Only fit for the kitchen, light household duties and procreation. This has gradually been demystified. Women have challenged such a mentality. They are the forefront of this struggle against stereotypes.

It’s not a physical war, but an intellectual one through creating more job opportunities for themselves, determination to engage in all sorts of employment whenever opportunity avails itself. They are actually creating the opportunities in many instances. Today you will meet Claudine Mukantazinda.

She is a bus driver. She does her thing with ONATRACOM, a government transport company. She is not scared and bothered with the time she spends driving all day long. Her routes range from Kigali to Nyagatare, Kigali to Ngororero and Kibungo. Not simple. Eh!

"I was born with the interest of driving. Right from my childhood, my favourite game was playing ‘driver’. I used to pretend like I am driving and other children would act like passengers behind me,” she recalls. She says driving giant trucks is not a problem and that she is now used to it.

"It’s hard for me to drive small cars as the experience I have is for the giant ones,” she said.

She is happy and contented with her job. She says that solving her troubles or desires does not call for external efforts.

As a social responsibility to her family, she supports some of her family members. She also pays school fees for her young sister.

Mukantazinda’s goal among others is to build herself a permanent house. Still single, but says that marriage is not a priority. Planning for the future before taking up such a decision, highly counts for her.

"I can not say that I will never get married. But I will not to rash in to it either. I have to build my house first; men these days are not dependable.”

She said that when ladies get married when they have totally nothing, they are exploited by their husbands. She advises that it is essential to join marriage life when you have something valuable to show your husband. Something you can fall back onto.

"He will respect you as a responsible lady and fear to lose you.”

She also advised the ladies to utilise any job opportunity that comes their way. That that way, they are sure of increasing their chances for success. She also rules out the assumption that some jobs are only meant for men. She hopes to start her own company some day.

email: mugoyag@yahoo.com