By Beverly Bizeki
In a world where technology is often seen as a male-dominated field, two young women from Masvingo are forging their path in that industry by not only taking the challenge of repairing phones but also challenging the status quo and showing that girls can do anything they set their minds to.
Growing up and attending school in Summerton, a peri-urban area in Masvingo, Ranal Gwandira (28) never imagined that she would one day be working in the tech industry. After leaving school with no source of income, Gwandira discovered she had a passion for fixing phones and a determination to succeed in the male-dominated field.
“After completing my O’ Level in 2012, I could not further my studies due to financial constraints and had to spend a lot of time at home doing nothing. I realized that I have a passion for repairing phones and servicing laptops when I was working with my uncle where learned from observing his work. After seeing my passion, he first taught me how to repair a charging system and from there, I can now fix any problem,” said Gwandira.
Gwandira who is employed at EngWorld, a tech company in Masvingo town said working in this field as a female has given her the upper hand over her male counterparts despite it being a male-dominated industry as people trust them with their gadgets.
“People tend to trust us women with their gadgets more than men and this has led us to attract more clients. They just have a general belief that women are honest which is true,” said Gwandira.
For Gwandira together with her colleague Jahmia Yasini, their line of work has earned them the financial freedom they have been looking for, and said she now desires to start her own company where she will employ other young girls out there.
“This hustle has opened doors of financial freedom I have been yearning for. I am now able to take care of my family and assist my parents with clean money.
“I desire to own a company of my own one day and provide employment for other girls as we try to get more women to join the tech world,” said Gwandira.
Yasini who grew up in Bulawayo, joined the tech world as a way to find income to finance her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.
“I have always wanted to be a nurse but the dream was halted after failing Ordinary Level Maths and faced financial challenges to retake the subject. I have since then tried other menial jobs such as working in a restaurant but the money was not enough to take care of my responsibilities.
“I once worked as a security guard while attending school during the day to get a nurse aide certificate. After completing the course I could not find a job and worked as a maid but the money was barely enough to cover my expenses let alone finance my dream as I needed to pay for Mathematics extra lessons.
“However, after joining the tech world, the money I am getting from repairing phones is enough to cover my expenses while going to school and taking care of my family,” said Yasini.
Their employer Munashe Mabasa said the two young women were performing quite well and urged other females with passion to consider joining the tech world.
“The two ladies we have here are performing well and can produce the same results as males. Girls can equally flourish in this industry as boys as long as they have the passion to learn. I urge other girls to break the ceiling and join this industry because there is room for them in the tech world, girls are often considered transparent which works to their advantage,” said Mabasa.
The two girls major in hardware repairs and intend to step up.
As the two ladies continue to grow and develop their skills in the tech world they are becoming an inspiration to other females who might be considering a career in technology and also showing that girls can get a decent profession.
