Donata Uwimana, a national of the Democratic Republic of Congo, moved to Uganda in 2019 with her three children due to the insecurity in her hometown.
Upon arrival in Uganda, she had to find a means of survival, and after exploring various trades, she discovered her passion for bicycle repair, which she believes is her destiny.
In her own words, she says: “I tried female-dominated trades, such as salon services, tailoring, and catering, but none gave me the sense of fulfillment. On my way to the trading centre, I used to pass by a bicycle repair shop”.
One day, I gathered the courage to ask the owner to teach me how to repair bicycles.
The owner was happy to train me, which, I suspected, was because it was uncommon for a lady to be interested in such a trade.
After six months of observing and experimenting with different techniques, Donata felt self-assured enough to launch her bicycle repair enterprise. Despite lacking a physical store or workspace, people trusted her with their bikes after seeing her work at the repair shop.
Her reputation grew, which got her a substantial number of clients, and when asked about the reason for the success, she says: “People sought my services not because of my gender or their doubts about my abilities but because they had witnessed my work previously.
Those who came to me for the first time were pleasantly surprised that I performed better than most male bicycle repairers.”
Donata realized that having practical experience was not enough for her bicycle repair business. Therefore, she quickly embraced it when she learned about an apprenticeship program that The Education Local Expertise Centre Uganda (ELECU) is implementing in partnership with Mastercard Foundation in the settlement where she lived.
She was placed under the guidance of a professional bicycle repairer near her home.
The apprenticeship sessions gave her a basic understanding of bicycle maintenance, adjustments, and techniques to fix the most common problems.
The topics covered included technical and mechanical skill development, tool selection and use, drive-train systems, wheel and hub systems, brake systems, suspensions, handlebars, and stem assemblies.
She has been participating in the apprenticeship program for three months and feels that the knowledge she has gained, coupled with previous experience, is sufficient to give her more mileage in her work. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, she will receive an industrial training certificate.
Donata is aware of the difficulties that come with her passion for bicycle repair, which includes the risk of physical harm while performing repairs. However, this has not discouraged her from pursuing her love for this work.
Donata’s gender has led to both opportunities and challenges in this field. Some people doubt her abilities due to her gender, but she takes it as a chance to prove herself. She believes this attitude has helped her, resulting in doubting customers becoming loyal customers.
She earns an average of UGX 50,000 per week through this trade, which she uses to cover household expenses. This has helped her avoid seeking handouts.
Donata aspires to own a bicycle spare parts shop where she can provide complete repair jobs, which will make life comfortable because it will give her a steady and increased income.
