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Construction work puts food on my table

Saturday September 19 2020
Divine

Divine Nyiranziza, laying bricks inside a residential house under construction in Kicukiro District on Sept 09,2020. Photo | Cyril NDEGEYA

By ELIZABETH MUTESI

Nyiranziza Divine, a single mother of two and a resident of Kicukiro, is eking out a living from construction work.

Nyiranziza that once worked as a house help in Kigali came to realise that she wasn’t earning anything much from the job. So she started job hunting, and that is when she learnt of opportunities in construction sector.

As Nyiranziza was on her way home one day, she saw some women that were constructing a building.

This motivated her that she could do it too. “I didn’t know that women were construction workers, or that women could actually be in these fields where there mostly men,” the 34 –year –old says.

“After seeing the possibility of being able to join construction, and what I could add up to my family financially, I decided to learn more about construction,” said Ms Nyiranziza.

I quit being a house help and started learning more about construction, where I learnt everything from how to accurately read a measuring tape to how to lift heavy materials without getting hurt for six years now, she added.

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“After preparing a meal for my children and cleaning the house early in the morning, I head to wake up six in the morning, and get home by six in the evening," said Nyiranziza.

But during these hard times of Covid-19, I get home earlier than that so as not to contract the virus.

In a month, I could earn Rwf150,000 of which am able to pay for my rent, and also take good care of my children with my earnings.

The challenges I face in this job. First, am a mother, of which men would want to take advantage thinking I cannot manage, but I always show them that am stronger than they think and show them that what they can do, I can do better,” said Ms Nyiranziza.

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