by Martine Irakoze
Are lionesses born or made? This article will not take a stand on this point, but rather offers another perspective: “if made, who makes them?”. To answer that question, I interviewed an extraordinary woman who is passionate about creating a network of lionesses in Burundi. Belyse Inamahoro Bushombo is Burundian, a Wellesley College Alumni, and founder of Sisters in Success.
What is Sisters in Success (SIS)?
Sisters in Success is a program that aims to make a generation of women who will build our country up. Through workshops, retreats, talks and boot camps, we expose young girls to different career options, teach them basic technical skills, and connect them to a network of successful women.
Walk us through the starting of SIS journey
I started about thinking of a program to educate my fellow Burundian women after my freshman year. At Wellesley, a women's liberal arts college, I realised that the energy at our school was different because women were allowed to be themselves. After winning a grant, the project finally took off. I had envisioned SIS to be a one-time summer camp. The more I kept thinking about the project, I knew that I had to push further. It wasn’t enough. That’s how SIS, as an organisation, was born.
What challenges do young Burundian women face in their initiatives?
The first problem concerns obtaining financial support to translate dreams into realities. There is a misconception that the opportunities, such as scholarships, grants, or fellowships, come from the government. However, there are plenty of funding opportunities outside the country where can compete worldwide or on the continent level. Faced with this situation, most Burundian women are intimidated. Also, we are not taught grit when we hit “no”. I would advise them to try their chances and continue applying to as many opportunities.
What observations have you made during your experience with SIS?
One of the observations is the way cultural constraints affect women according to age. Teenage girls tend to be optimistic, bold, and daring. Burirotera sha uracari muto, they are told. (Keep dreaming, you are still young.) From 21, women start to doubt their capacities and begin to think of marriage as their sole success. The fact that the media only portrays successful male figures consolidates low self-esteem in Burundian women. Our culture tells women, not kwirata (show off) or achieves more than the man, or they will threaten the man. For this reason, at SIS, we aim to harness the power of the youth because they are more ambitious and willing to change their mindset. We want to empower them so that they can protect their dreams before they get to the age when the societal expectations start to weigh on them.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
SIS is a hub for inspiration, and we love to see that our students grow and achieve what they pledged in the program. Most of them realise their dreams in two years right after finishing the program. Some of our students became award-winning singers, artists, entrepreneurs, to name a few.
Do you have any entrepreneurial advice to share?
Trust your intuition. Don’t look at “there are these obstacles and I shouldn’t do this at this time. There is no right time.” If your intuition tells you to start at that moment, start it. If your project fails, you will learn something from it. Intuition is real.
The interview with Belyse re-energised me and taught me three main things that can be helpful for my fellow lionesses. Firstly, if you can’t see her, you can’t be her. Secondly, sit with winners, the conversations will be different. Thirdly, open up to opportunities where you will learn and fail.
Find out more about Belyse’s organisation, here are the details:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL sistersinsuccessbdi@gmail.com
Photo credits: @atsacreative
Martine Irakoze is a Burundian student at the University of Edinburgh in International Relations & International Law. She is a serial entrepreneur, passionate about African youth empowerment. One of her favourite activities in Burundi is to walk around the streets of the slums, where it is common to see young people sitting inactive and unemployed. This sight fuels her drive to break this cycle of wasted youth potential. She envisions an Africa where every young person has the opportunity to fulfil their full potential. She believes that, by investing in young people and involving them in the development of their communities, we are not only rising nations but a whole continent. At university, Martine co-founded Linda, which is a student-led social enterprise aiming to spark conversations around sexual health related issues affecting young people in Kenya and Africa. She was also awarded the Resolution Fellowship and the MasterCard Scholarship at the University of Edinburgh.
More articles by Martine
