Adeline Creates the Future She Envisions
Flipping through the pages of a newspaper one morning, Adeline, a Rwandan secondary student, came across a story which instantly captivated her. The article profiled Esther Mbabazi, the first woman in Rwanda to be certified as a commercial airline pilot. Deeply inspired by Esther’s journey, Adeline soon set her sights on flight school. “Why can’t I be the second?” she wondered.
Why can’t I be
the second?
For Adeline, the sky’s the limit. Born near Lake Kivu at the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 17 year-old Adeline is an ambitious high school student participating in the Educate!-reformed Entrepreneurship subject and Student Business Club. She represents the next generation of empowered young women in Rwanda, who – equipped with the right skills, a quality education, and training – have the potential to unlock tremendous opportunity and economic progress for their families, communities, and country.
Adeline being interviewed by a local TV station at the this year’s National Student Business Club Competitions
As one of eight children and a young woman with an ambitious dream, Adeline knows that the path to achieving her goals won’t be easy. So today she’s focused on building the foundation she needs to get a head start. At school, Adeline studies hard, strategically focusing on STEM subjects like mathematics, physics, and geography – courses which she believes will help her excel in the male-dominated field of aviation. She’s also looked for ways to challenge herself and has earned the role of Vice President in her school’s Student Business Club. Through the club, Adeline is working to develop key 21st century skills, while gaining firsthand experience building a business. She uses the safe space the club provides to put the important soft and transferable skills she’s learning into practice – leading a team, speaking in public, and advocating for herself and her ideas. After exchanging knowledge and skills with her peers in the club, she’s also broadened her goals and has recently become interested in commercial farming. She hopes to someday build an enterprise exporting crops to other countries, utilizing her pilot’s license, of course.
Although she has big plans for herself and her future, Adeline hasn’t lost sight of those around her and is mindful of serving as a role model for her younger siblings: “I am working hard in the club and in class so I can help pay [my siblings’] school fees.” She has seen how hard her parents have worked to keep her in school and is determined to contribute to her siblings’ schooling, so she can provide them with the same opportunities that she’s had. Long term, she intends to start her own business, employ her family members, and provide economic opportunities for others in her community, especially youth.
For Adeline, participating in the Educate! Student Business Club has given her confidence and has supported her in creating the future she envisions for herself. With practical skills and hands-on experience under her belt, she hopes to obtain a scholarship to attend university and someday flight school. Today she stands confidently, challenging the status quo and breaking down gender barriers, while leveraging her knowledge and skills to drive towards her goals.