For the past two years EAP has been supporting the Institute of Engineers Rwanda (IER) on the ‘Bridging the Gap’ internship programme, which is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s (RAEng) Africa Catalyst. The original phase of the project was designed around a core justification: that for most Rwandan graduate engineers there is a debilitating gap between the theoretical knowledge they were taught at university and the practical skills that future employers need and expect. Whilst graduates possess strong theoretical grounding in engineering, limited opportunities and exposure results in low-skill development. This lack of practical experience can become a hefty barrier to employment. To address this gap, IER chose to focus on raising the practical skill level of graduates.
In the first instalment of our Spotlight on Africa Catalyst interview series, we sit down with Sandrine Musabyimana, a previous IER intern who now works as a civil engineer in Rwanda. We talk to Sandrine about the journey she took to becoming an intern, her motivations for becoming an engineer and how she plans to use her skills in the future.
Can you describe yourself and your background?
I come from the northern province of Rwanda, a district of Gicumbi. Not many people studied engineering where I grew up, but I graduated in engineering from the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. I never planned to go to Dar Es Salaam, but at the end of secondary school I got the highest marks in the national exams and applied for a scholarship, which I won. After graduating I stayed in Dar Es Salaam for another year doing internships, before moving back to Rwanda.
What drew you to engineering?
Not many people study engineering where I am from, and originally I didn’t plan to study it either, I wanted to study medicine. But my sister studied engineering and she encouraged me to do the same. She showed me how important engineering is as a profession and gave me the guidance I needed to apply. I enjoy engineering: you are involved in constructing infrastructure for citizens and people look to you for help and advice. You are a problem solver. Helping others is one of my strengths, so I love this side of the industry.
Can you describe a mentor?
When I was in secondary school, I was inspired by my mathematics and physics teachers, who were committed and passionate about what they did. The worked well past their hours. I said that if I had the chance to go to university I would work as hard as they did, because they were good role models and I wanted to make them proud. They like me when I was at school because I asked so many questions. I haven’t stopped!
What challenges have you faced?
When I arrived in Tanzania, I was completely alone, and the system of studying was very different to Rwanda. Students in Tanzania were familiar with studying at university level, because in secondary school they study very hard and without lots of support. But for me this was a new way of studying, so I found it difficult. The language was new as well as I had to study in Swahili. Because I had to learn all these new skills, I would get tired before the others on my course. But I liked it – there were many group assignments, and they have more practical work than theory.
What were the key highlights from the internship with IER?
When you leave university, you find that the world is different to the lecture room. The practice is different to the theory, and the standards are new and different. The internship came with challenges, but these were part of the experience. They were professional challenges: how to correct mistakes, how to solve issues between contractors and clients, how manage time according to schedule. For instance, I learnt how important it is to stick to schedule because if I delay something, the whole project is delayed. It taught me to think about the impact on my project, and the whole programme, if something goes wrong. I used to be told how important it is to think like this in class, but I didn’t understand it until now. After just one month of the internship, I was given real responsibility. This was a huge challenge, but I managed it well and because of this I was given a permanent job after university. Getting a job is difficult for most people, but I didn’t even have to apply – they came to me and asked me to work for them. I was so flattered – I was very happy. It was important to learn beyond theory in school. Things are very different, yet somehow related. You need to experience both to understand how they are related.
What has been the impact of the internship on you and your career?
I have a job because of the internship – that is the biggest impact for me. If I didn’t have this training, I would be sat at home but now I am employed. My family have also benefited from it because now I can help them financially. Now I no longer need to ask them for help and I can help my siblings. Relations between Chinese and Rwandans are not good, and the Chinese do not trust the Rwandans. But they trust me because I do not take favours or bribes, so I have many contacts at the site. Subcontractors have also asked me to come and work with them. This training has created a huge network for me. For instance, I told them I was looking for a scholarship for a master’s degree and that if they saw something they should tell me – and now everyone is sending me information. I am the only Rwandan in the company. Even if they offer you a job, they might not give you a contract because then they can’t fire you. But I am the first person they offered a contract to. The pay isn’t very good, but in terms of experience I am rich. Now I actually understand everything I am dealing with. I have a much better knowledge, not just going through the motions. They are so experienced, and I have learned much from them.
What is it like working with a Chinese company?
You have to work very hard. You need to be on time all the time and you cannot not be there unless you are sick. The company gave me good training, and because they gave me responsibility I want to work very hard to prove them right. I do my best to meet the challenges I face, and I can rely on my mentor if I need to ask questions or tackle problems. Working with the Chinese widened my mind.
What are your plans for the future?
I can’t stay at the company I’m at because the pay is too low, even though the experience I’m gaining is very good. Now I am applying for jobs in public employment, but my dream is to get a master’s degree. Ultimately I want to study geo-technical engineering, in Seoul, like my mentor.
Keep an eye out for the next instalment in our Spotlight on Africa Catalyst series, in which we talk to interns from programmes which are part of RAEng’s Africa Catalyst.