Rwanda’s Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, has urged young people not to despise available job opportunities simply because they do not match their academic qualifications or long-term career ambitions, saying such opportunities can serve as stepping stones to greater achievements.
She delivered the message on Thursday, October 8, while addressing young people attending the GEN-Z Comedy Show’s Iseka Rusange event.
Mukazayire encouraged young people to recognise the opportunities available to them in Rwanda, particularly in education, employment and personal development, and make the most of them despite the challenges they may face.
She also drew on her own career experience, explaining that the first job she secured after graduating with a degree in economics was as a deputy manager at Strabag, a road construction company.
Although some of her former classmates questioned why she had taken a job that did not appear to match her academic qualifications, she saw it as an opportunity to begin working towards her ambitions.
“That was the first job I had found, and I wanted to work because I had other goals that required me to do something,” she said.
She explained that her immediate goal was to build financial independence and develop the capacity to achieve her ambitions without continually relying on her parents for support.
Within six months, she said, her performance earned her a promotion to deputy regional director at the company.
She worked at Strabag for nearly two years, gaining experience and building her capabilities before seeking employment more closely aligned with her academic background.
Mukazayire cautioned young people against dismissing jobs because they consider them below their qualifications or social standing, saying the important thing is to understand what they want to achieve from each opportunity.
“Sometimes young people see opportunities but hesitate, saying, ‘This is not my level.’ That happens when you have not thought about what you want to achieve in that position,” she said.
She urged young people to use available opportunities to gain experience, develop skills and prepare themselves for better prospects.
“Make use of the opportunity you get and build on it to reach other opportunities,” she said.
Her message comes as employment remains an important concern for young people in Rwanda, including graduates who may struggle to find jobs directly related to their fields of study.
Mukazayire said the first step in a career did not necessarily have to be the position someone ultimately wanted to occupy. Rather, young people needed a clear direction and an understanding of what they hoped to gain from the opportunities available to them.
