"Being a pilot really was my childhood dream, I don't think anything was going to stop it. It started when I travelled with my family and we would get the free things for kids, like the backpacks. I really liked that and I just liked to travel. The whole intrigue of this big bird in the sky, I was amazed. That and the free backpacks planted the seed."
Meet Esther Mababazi, the young lady pilot who has become a pioneer in a male dominant industry in Rwanda and yet she knows she is constantly being watched because of her gender.
Esther refuses to let her critics win and is determined to continue being a role model for others. She hopes that her achievement can provide inspiration to other women who might not think they can attain their dream jobs. Times have changed, women are out there working - technology has changed and everyone has the brains to do something. As you will see, it’s not about how much bicep or how much energy you have, it is all about commitment!
"Things are changing in Rwanda," says Mbabazi. "Before you wouldn't find women driving taxis here, and now you see it. There are men who cook now in Rwanda, when, in an African culture, women have to cook. So I think eventually things change. If you really work hard and you prove that you can do something well, I don't think there's a question of you being a woman, it doesn't come into the equation.
Esther Mbabazi: The Lady Flying Rwanda to the Stars!