FEMALE STUDENTS AT ULK POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE LAUNCH POWERHer CLUB

FEMALE STUDENTS AT ULK POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE LAUNCH POWERHer CLUB

On 2^nd June 2022, a delegation from POWERHer organization visited ULK Polytechnic Institute to expound more on the role of women engineers in development. The event had attracted all female students studying at ULK Polytechnic Institute.

As UMUTONI Apophia, the Vice President of POWERHer explained, this organization is a network of women working in the energy sector in Rwanda; and it counts 140 founding members. She added that the network is supported by the Women in Rwandan Energy (WIRE), an initiative implemented by USAID through Power Africa East Africa Energy Project. She also put it that POWERHer mission is to increase the number of women and their influence in a male dominated sector.

Speaking at the Club launch, Dr. SUMBIRI Djuma, the Principal of ULK Polytechnic Institute underscored that the initiative to launch a club having to do with energy is a move in the right direction as it will serve as a platform for female technicians to network with their fellows working in the sector of energy.

“This launch comes timely and we believe that it will enable you to explore the opportunities on the marketplace while collaborating with your fellows who are already serving the energy sector in Rwanda. You should therefore work closely with POWERHer to explore more”, he told the female technicians.

Towards the end of the event, a committee of seven students was elected by their peers to represent the Women in Energy Club at ULK Polytechnic Institute. These representatives are mandated with the dissemination of POWERHer initiatives among their peers with a view to boost the level of confidence among female technicians before joining the marketplace.

UMUTONI Apophia also clarified that the Club will have among other responsibilities, preparing female technicians for various competitions. She added that there will be debate competitions at school level whereby the best four contestants will be representing ULK Polytechnic Institute during study visits at various power plants across the country.

It is important to note that ULK Polytechnic Institute has a considerable number of female students who major in its both departments: Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Civil Engineering.