“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” – Maya Angelou.
As part of one of our UDC (Unité de Développement Communautaire) projects, Rotary Club of Rose Belle shares Martine’s inspiring story of beating the odds to get her motor vehicle licence which will now enable her to make a living as a driver. The untold story of Martine’s success is about how women rebuild the community; it is about succeeding through the tough road to empowerment.
On a recent visit to this coastal village of Anse Jonchée in the South East of the island, we found a small group of women ready to learn a skill to get out of the poverty trap. With the support of some sponsors, Rotary Club of Rose Belle set up a program aimed at empowering underprivileged women to learn driving with the objective of eventually allowing them to earn a living. When the women received confirmation of their participation in this Rotary project, they were very excited and motivated. They promised to do their maximum to pass their driving test and to succeed in life. If you can learn, you can earn!
The program offers a free-of-cost driving training lesson for about 13 women, and it assists them to obtain the learner’s driving licence from the authorities. For these women, learning driving skills is quite critical as this may prove to be a game-changer from the employment point of view. Thus, the main motive behind this idea is to make women self-reliant and help them build confidence so that they don’t miss out on any opportunity due to the lack of driving skills.
During the implementation phase of the project, we visited the women of the region where we saw how the participants had progressed as they acquired driving skills. It was overwhelmingly moving to hear their personal stories of daily struggle and their hopes and dreams for the future. With their driving licence in hand, they are determined to approach life with a sense of confidence.
As a proud participant, Martine told us: “With only primary level education, learning driving skills was not easy at all but I was determined to succeed. I want to support my family and give my four children a good education by making driving my job. I thank Rotary Club of Rose Belle for my good fortune and advise other women to take advantage of this opportunity.” Not many women from her region are encouraged to learn driving. This project tries to break gender stereotypes about driving and thus, women passing their driving test needs to be celebrated. Certainly, holding the steering wheel in your hand gives a sense of empowerment and we admire women who succeed in life.
The thirteen women participating in this scheme are courageous, determined, hardworking persons of the region. We, at Rotary, believe that stronger women can build a stronger nation and that there is a greater need to support such initiatives that change communities, one woman at a time.
Determined to be the drivers of their lives, these women of Anse Jonchée are crossing a tough road to empowerment, to become professional drivers of cars and why not eventually heavy vehicles. Motivated by financial needs and looking for career opportunities, these women are rising above the gender barriers to ensure they drive the course of their lives.
We feel that it is important to value the achievement of Martine and raise awareness of women from these deprived regions. Every year the Club tries to initiate projects to improve the condition of the local community. We invite people to join us in empowering these women by providing them with the tools, resources, and skills they need to change their families’ lives for generations to come. Let’s come together as a community to show these women we appreciate their efforts and that no matter what the situation, we are all in it together.
