women empowerment – rise International

Breaking out of a cage

April 20, 2021By RISE INT0 comment

“You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself, the height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery, the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others,” – Leonardo da Vinci. My name is Thato Nkikana, born and raised in Maputsoe, Lesotho. I am a Mosotho woman holding a Diploma in Architectural Technology from Lerotholi Polytechnic. As a fellow in rise’s in loco program, our 2020 cohort designed and constructed the Lesotho National Federation of Organizations of the Disabled headquarter offices at Ha Ts’osane Maseru, Lesotho. I was the Site Architect of this great project which we have successfully completed and now awaiting inauguration.

Thato preparing for placement of trusses

From my childhood, I was always fascinated by young and vibrant women who were classified as successful in their respective careers, this is where my aspiration to become a prominent career woman was birthed. With a great passion for architecture and construction, I decided that if I ever needed to, I would push and breakdown doors to bring about change and empower women in the built environment industry. I consider myself a supporter of well-being and employability for women in this sector and I firmly believe that entrepreneurship is the rightful path to our progression.

Educational institutions equip us with much needed theoretical knowledge, but in this field theory is only as good as the person practicing it. As a young graduate, I felt the need to join the in loco fellowship to gain practical experience in architectural design and construction. The “learning- by- doing” motto lured me into having interest in the program, and I am glad I gave it a chance because my life will never be the same again. Being a site architect in the project we just completed sharpened my eye on design correlating perfectly with actual construction work, it trained me on paying great attention to detail and making sure no stone is unturned when working in the field.

Thato operating transportation for bricklaying

The in loco fellowship improved my professional perspective and also contributed to my personal development. We create as a team, and this has shaped my soft skills. I can now communicate effectively and work well in a group of people, being a part of such a creative and forward thinking group challenged my abilities in a very positive way. Hence I am coming out more motivated and inspired to build a future for myself in the built environment industry. My creativity has reached beyond ordinary because I now take initiative and I am committed.

We were provided with business training sessions that refine well equipped entrepreneurs of the future; many skills which I did not have before the fellowship. I now have skills in market research, knowing how to grow my business through marketing, bookkeeping, and money management. I can draw a business plan from scratch and execute it meticulously, all credit to the objectives of the fellowship. The LNFOD project is one of its own kind in Lesotho. The building accommodates all Basotho with unique abilities by inclusive designs throughout the building. The project will benefit the community and LNFOD because they will generate income from renting out their boardroom to the community to secure economic sustainability of the building, it is truly heart- warming to have been part of creating such a life impacting structure in the country.

I am proud to have been part of rise international’s in loco fellowship, specifically the cohort of 2020. Through it, I have made bold moves. I established a start-up called Wom Designs & Construction, fully known as Women in Design and Construction. It provides architectural and construction services from project inception to completion. The mission of my company is to bridge the ever-expanding gender inequality gap in the built environment industry. I have become a woman who makes courageous moves to better myself, my community, and to do my part in solving the world’s problems of unemployment, gender inequality and exclusion of differently enabled people.

in loco program

Do your best and the rest will follow

February 22, 2021By RISE INT3 Comments

My name is ‘Mathebe Rampielo, AKA “Pepper”, “Thibi turner” or “Pepper at de ground”. I am a young charismatic and kind hearted Mosotho girl at the age of 24. I am a graduate from Lerotholi Polytechnic tertiary institution and I have an academic qualification in Carpentry and Joinery. I am currently a fellow in rise international’s in loco program. I learnt of this program on social media, but was lucky enough to learn more about rise as an organization through its collaboration with Kick4Life in developing the infrastructure of Kick4Life’s Campus, as I am a member of Kick4Life’s female football club.

I am a very hands-on, “do it yourself”, “if you can do it, I can do it better” kind of girl. This is why I am known for my bold choices, one prominent one being to study a very male dominated practice; carpentry and joinery, and also being a football player. Pursuing such male dominated fields, I believe I am a boundary breaker. On the contrary, I am daddy’s little girl and I think I had a lot of positive influence from my father. He is an excellent and very experienced carpenter, a construction worker and fanatic when it comes to football. I bet that by now you can attest to the fact that I am my father’s daughter right? So, I applied for the in loco fellowship 2020 because I wanted to improve my portfolio as a professional carpenter because I knew I would acquire business training skills and that would therefore broaden my mindset as an entrepreneur.

I am an entrepreneur at heart; I tried out so many business ventures from when I was a kid, something rare for a young girl living in Lesotho. However, I lacked a lot of business and entrepreneurial skills, from planning to budgeting, documenting, market research, all the way to efficient customer service. It is so exciting that I have gained all these skills since I joined the fellowship. My approach to my business really improved due to the intense training I receive from the fellowship.

One of my favorite things about being in the fellowship is that I am an active participant in the designing, managing of a project and the actual construction of a building. We are building the head quarter offices of the Lesotho National Federation of Organizations for the Disabled (LNFOD) in Naledi, Maseru. The building is due for completion at the end of March 2021. For the duration of this project I have taken the roles of being a plant and logistics manager, health and safety officer and finally a site manager which were all satisfying and challenging in their own different ways.

But my key takeaways from this project, which I did not know or have before, are the art of accurate bricklaying, plastering and compiling the Bill of Quantities. In addition to this I have learned the standards of building and standard names of construction techniques and practices that were never in my vocabulary. In a nutshell, being part of both the design and the practical part of construction has solidified the construction theory that I learnt in varsity. My aspiration is to have my own construction company that hires mostly females. My main aim is to empower women in the construction industry. And my experience with rise international has helped me get exposure and experience diversity in the working environment; working in different professions, allowing a peer-to-peer learning experience that one can only get in a fellowship. My motto is “do not hold back, be your best and the rest will follow”, and I live by it every day of my life.

in loco program

Learning to love the process

February 16, 2021By RISE INT2 Comments

I remember my eleven-year-old self coming across a drawing which I later learned was a floor plan. I began to wonder how a simple drawing like the one I had seen became a house. I was quiet curious and really loved to read a lot as a child. I then learned that for every structure to be constructed it had to be drawn first. However, a bigger question remained; how is construction carried out? I guess that’s why I ended up pursuing a Diploma in Civil Engineering.

I am Ikhetheleng Moshoeshoe, a 24-year old woman born and raised in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. I am a fellow with rise international’s in loco fellowship 2020 cohort. I have big hopes to make real changes in my community and the economy through entrepreneurship. As a fresh graduate from school with little on site experience, this fellowship seemed like a great opportunity to enhance my skills and to become more employable. So when I joined the rise family, I was looking to gain practical experience, not knowing there would be so much more to gain.

This fellowship has provided me with valuable skills which I can use to start my own enterprise in future. It also supports the fellows through resource and professional networking which is great for building a business entity. I read somewhere that in a man’s world, a woman has to use both her brains and beauty. The past 6 months that I have spent here has taught me to change the narrative to “use her brains and gets her hands dirty”. Through labor intensive work and working with different people from numerous disciplines of the construction industry, I have learned and still continue to learn the key activities involved in construction. Some of these include project preparation, bricklaying, carpentry, roofing, electrical and plumbing works. I also got to experience the challenges involved in construction first hand which according to me is one of the best ways to ever master anything.

Ikhetheleng constructing a roof truss structure

During the design stage of the project, I was part of the research team. This was where we went out to do research on different types of material and their availability while building a relationship with the suppliers. As a shy person, this task helped me work on my communication skills and it was a definite boost to my confidence. I have also been involved in purchasing materials playing the role of a buyer. This was a very challenging role since I also had to negotiate prices from our suppliers to ensure that we stick to the budget as per the Bill of Quantities. Since we work as a group, this fellowship has been a platform where I get to show my teamwork skills while also learning from other fellows.

Even though more women are progressively and proudly making their mark, the built environment is still a male dominated industry. My dream is to change that and through the entrepreneurship training that I get from rise, I am at a very big advantage. These sessions have changed my mindset from working towards being more employable to wanting to be an employer. I am confident that I have acquired enough tools to help me start my business. In addition, the in loco fellowship provides a mentorship program which propels me into professional networks and spaces, by learning from and interacting with my esteemed mentor.

One of the most inspiring aspects of rise as an organization is giving back to the community. We are currently constructing offices for LNFOD; the first of its kind in the country. This building will be user friendly to all people living with disability. With a cavity wall to ensure improved thermal efficiency throughout the building so as to reduce heating and air conditioning costs and a beautiful screen wall. Our main aim is to reduce costs and challenge construction methods while abiding by the SABS housing and environmental standards and not compromising lives and the durability of the building. This really requires an open mind. We also get to work with amazing architects from in and out of Lesotho. I am very grateful for this opportunity and excited to learn more in the remaining month.

2020

IN LOCO FELLOWS 2020 BLOG SERIES #2: KE NGOANANA OA MOSOTHO

September 15, 2020By RISE INT3 Comments

My name is Mosa Nkhabutlane, “kengoananaoamosotho”, (I am a Mosotho girl) who was born & bred in Lesotho. I studied Interior Architecture from the University of Pretoria and I am currently an in loco fellow at rise international. I applied for this program because I wanted to equip myself with an entrepreneurial career in the built environment and creative sphere in Lesotho.

Mosa Nkhabutlane standing inside the site office — Mosa helping to set up the site office

Being part of the 2020 cohort, we are currently designing LNFOD (Lesotho National Federation of Organizations of the Disabled) offices which are going to be located in Naleli. With these offices, we hope to create a precedent for inclusive design in the country. It’s been a real joy to be learning about inclusive design on a practical level so early in my career. So often, we can allow our egos as designers to get in the way of the buildings and objects we are designing and in doing so, we neglect the people for whom we are actually designing and creating. rise has been really instrumental in guiding us as to how we can design in an inclusive manner.

Mosa cutting metal sheets — Mosa constructing the guard house

Before we started designing the LNFOD Offices, we met with LNFOD Staff & the Naleli Community. We then hosted a Participatory Design Workshop with LNFOD, which allowed us to communicate with our client and to find out what they need. Instead of assuming their needs, we listened to them, we learnt about how they function as an organization and in doing so, our design has been informed by the needs of the user.

My experience at rise thus far, as an in loco fellow, has been one of growth and I hope it continues to be exactly that for the months that follow. We have just begun going to site and I believe that it is the “learning by doing” that is yet to mould us into holistic professionals.

In addition to architecture & design, I am also an entrepreneur at heart. I started a jewellery brand @madebymos in 2018. My brand has really allowed me to express myself, it is a baby of mine that allowed me to grow in a lot of different ways and to learn about the design business. It is through it that I learnt about creating campaigns, creative direction and the art of making. I have also learnt to respond to the needs of the customer and I am continuing to learn about managing the funds of a business. I believe that we need to equip ourselves as small businesses, in order to build sustainable businesses.

Mosa standing next to a concrete mixer — Mosa working on the LNFOD construction site

The business trainings that rise holds have been a great resource for me as an entrepreneur. We get to meet some of Lesotho’s greatest minds through these workshops and we are given the opportunity to learn from them. The opportunity to absorb knowledge from entrepreneurs who are making waves in this country is unmatched, especially because they are also born & bred in Lesotho. To be inspired by the people that look like us and have walked similar paths is a breath of fresh air. It feels like I am learning something new every day ever since I have been a part of the in loco fellowship. Some days are easy and mellow, some are challenging and new but most importantly, I continue to learn & to be equipped as a young, black female designer in the Mountain Kingdom.

in loco program

IN LOCO FELLOWS BLOG SERIES 2019 #1: I am because we are

September 18, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

My womanhood and age in a male dominated industry has always been a sharp piercing thorn in my side, for unlike most of my male counterparts who had pre-exposure to the built environment in their upbringing, for me it was the dawn of a new world.

In June I was scanning my Facebook newsfeed and I saw a poster about the fellowship. What struck me as odd was the call for recent graduates for too many times the prominence is on experience. After carefully nit-picking the poster, I decided to take a shot in the dark with marginal hope it would lead to a call for an interview on a random Wednesday afternoon.

Fast-forward a few weeks later, I’m accepted into the fellowship and I make a conscious decision for a radical mind-set shift. With this new conviction, I was and still am, open to learning new things, asking questions and never shying away from research. This rejuvenated outlook gave way for acquisition of immense knowledge in carpentry, researching, concrete mixing and social media marketing.

Moreover, it has translated into an understanding that the built environment is a boys’ club thus if I can’t beat them, I have to join them. And in amalgamation with them, what has shone through is the need to speak up and be assertive as a woman and school them and us (women in construction) into a culture that accepts and celebrates each other’s differences, promotes collaborative effort and championing for each other. In this regard, no gender will fall victim to having an inferiority complex.

The most phenomenal thing that rise has done is to provide a platform to learn, hone current skills and without fail, advocate for a teachable spirit which due to constant exposure to captains of industry is a must-have. Befittingly, this spirit is what enables one to learn from fellow fellows as we are a team that stems from diverse professions. And due to this, I am no longer just a water and environmental engineering graduate, but one with carpentry, social media marketing, communication, negotiation skills and so much more.