The Institute of Engineers Rwanda (IER) on March 3 joined the rest of the world to celebrate World Engineering Day under the theme “Engineering innovation for a more resilient world”. The day is observed annually on March 4 to recognise the contributions that engineers make to society and to encourage more people to pursue careers in engineering. As part of the celebration, IER members, and students from higher learning institutions and secondary schools had the opportunity to embark on field tours. ALSO READ: Engineers’ body receives 89 new members The tours included visits to the Amahoro Stadium, which is currently under construction, and the Mpazi Rehousing Site in Kimisagara implemented by the City of Kigali and supported by the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC). There, they had the chance to learn more about the work being done and the role engineers play in bringing these infrastructures to life. Following this, IER awarded high school students who had won an essay competition under the topic “Engineering innovation for a more resilient world”. This competition was organised in order to promote girls and encourage them to pursue careers in engineering. Cecille Uwimana, a member of the Institute of Engineers Rwanda (IER) and the Project Manager of Africa Catalyst, stated that the competition aimed to raise awareness about engineering in schools that specialise in STEM subjects. The competition selected the five best schools, with four winners chosen from each school as part of the Africa Catalyst Project. According to Uwimana, the project was initiated in 2017 to bridge the gap between industry and academia. In the first phase of the project, mentorship and internships were provided to young graduate engineers. ALSO READ: Engineers body mull extending graduate’s internship programme However, Uwimana noted, during the first three phases of the project, it was discovered that they did not have enough female engineers participating. She said that in the first part of phase 4, they decided to investigate the cause of the issue by understanding the challenges that women face in practical engineering, adding that her goal is to produce recommendations that will be shared with policy-makers. “Policies promoting gender diversity in engineering already exist, but they are not being enforced. The final part of the programme, which will be closed in April this year, will involve an orientation from policy-makers,” said Uwimana. She also encouraged girls to recognise that engineering is for everyone and not just men, emphasising the role IER is playing in providing role models to inspire them. Melina San Martin, Programme Manager at Africa Catalyst, Africa region explained that IER presented a proposal to increase the participation of women in the engineering sector. She said the project has two sides; one that focuses on working with secondary schools to cultivate interest in young girls, including awarding essay competition winners, and another that focuses on developing a women’s chapter to address the challenges faced by female engineers in the sector. The women’s chapter aims to co-develop solutions and find better ways to respond to challenges that benefit engineers and enhance their participation in the sector, ultimately allowing them to level up in their careers, San Martin said. Regarding World Engineering Day, she highlighted that it is a day for dialogue, celebrating achievements, and paving the way for a greener and more inclusive society. She emphasised the importance of building collaboration to address challenges faced by the sector in different disciplines and to encourage youth to address global and local problems. San Martin also noted that Africa will mostly be composed of youth by 2030, and the IER is already working with young girls to ignite their curiosity, encourage empathy, and fuel their interest in tackling the aforementioned challenges. ALSO READ: Engineers’ body urges govt to be stricter on building standards Nicolas El Hayek, Program Officer at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), highlighted that they have a memorandum of understanding with the IER to promote modern and green construction technology in the supply of affordable housing. As part of the agreement, he added, they provide Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training to engineers and offer them the opportunity to register on a newly launched website where they can advertise their skills and contribute to Rwanda’s development. El Hayek also emphasised that the mind-set of engineering problem-solving is not just limited to technical aspects but encompasses economic, social, and many more aspects. He encouraged Rwanda and Switzerland to continue training engineers together to drive development and break the misconception that engineering is solely for boys and men. Furthermore, he urged women to pursue careers in engineering and emphasised the importance of inclusivity in the sector. Students share their views Aline Niyigena, winner of the essay competition and a student at Ecole de Science de Byimana, shared that winning the award has motivated her and made her feel capable. She expressed her passion for healthcare and engineering, stating that she wants to pursue a career in biomedical engineering and hopes to establish her own hospital that helps the vulnerable and poor. Niyigena thanked IER and its partners for the award and urged them to continue supporting students and raising awareness about engineering among them. Nadia Umugwaneza, a civil engineering and construction student at the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology, shared that she pursued the faculty despite being told that engineering is ‘not for women’. She expressed her determination to succeed as a female engineer and inspire other girls to pursue careers in engineering. Umugwaneza also praised IER for providing them with guidance and encouragement to be bright and courageous and urged fellow girls to believe in themselves and their capabilities.
