Changing the Trajectory

We meet a camp manager and safari guide, with successful careers in a male-dominated industry, showing that with energy, talent, and determination it is possible to change the traditional trajectory for women in Tanzania.

Roslyn Assey

Roslyn Assey - Camp Manager at Oliver’s Camp, Tanzania

Roslyn Assey (pictured above) is from a loving family of two parents, five brothers, and five sisters. Being the youngest in her family, everyone looked after her as she grew up in the Kilimanjaro region in northern Tanzania. She was raised to respect her elders and value her parents' hard work. Roslyn recounts her journey after she became determined to work in tourism …

“After seeing my brothers taking tourists up and down Mount Kilimanjaro, I started dreaming of working in tourism myself. This soon became my burning desire, and I shared my passion with my siblings. However, to them my hopes were just a fairy tale because they didn’t see women working in tourism.

I finished at high school and wanted to join a university that offered Tourism and Wildlife Management training. Unfortunately, my parents couldn’t afford to pay the fee. Instead, I did other government programmes. Several years later, when I was teaching children, a friend of mine who knew about my ambitions, showed me an advert from a tourist company for a receptionist job. I applied and managed to get the work. After six months of working in the bush, the company recognised my hard work and passion so promoted me to management level. I stayed with them for four years but then felt I wanted to grow my skills further, so I joined Asilia. I’ve been with the company for three years now.

My family have come to realise that something that seemed impossible, is possible. They support me 100 percent with their love and prayers and are always wishing the best for me. I am now able to support them back because as they are older, they cannot do so much for themselves now. I am able to send them money for food and to help with home bills.

Over the years I have noticed that many females have low self-esteem. This develops into a feeling that they can’t do something because they don’t have the ability as women. However, it’s important that we find our identity and value within society. I believe that education brings opportunity, and this is how we empower more women to find their place in the working environment. Women have a lot of energy, ability, and talent, and we must all realise that what a man can do, we can do as well.

Lailatu Kivuyo, Asilia

Lailatu Kivuyo - Safari Guide at Dunia Camp, Tanzania

Lailatu Kivuyo (picturedabove) grew up Sambwa Village in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. One of four children, her early years were typical of a child growing up in rural East Africa. A chance encounter while fetching water saw her become the first recipient of the Asilia Africa Scholarship Fund changing the trajectory of her life. Here is Lailatu’s story…

“It’s fair to say my early years were representative of a lot of children growing up in this part of Africa. My mother was a farmer, although left our village to seek work, leaving us with our grandmother. We’d help tend the crops, fetch water and collect firewood to cook over. Now, when I see the fire lit in camps, it makes me smile as we gather round it to tell stories, because for many years it was a critical part of our life and we had to be so fuel efficient when burning wood.

I attended school but it wasn’t all about learning in the classroom. We’d help cultivate the school farm, collect wood and clean the classrooms. I remember being so thankful that we had food at school through donations, even if we did have to take time out of the school day to fetch water in order to prepare it.

I moved away from the village for secondary school and live with my father. I completed my O Levels and thought about different career options, but they all seemed very hard to get into. He wouldn’t support me going to college, so I returned to the village where I grew up to live with my mother. Together we started a small restaurant which only served black tea and chapatis. It didn’t generate much money, and when my mother got sick, I couldn’t run it by myself.

During this time, I went to fetch water one day and met a friend there. She told me there was a tourism company looking for people to work in the bush. She didn’t know who they were or what the job was but knew how much I loved nature so she thought I might be interested.

Intrigued by the opportunity, I rushed back to the village to talk to the Chairperson’s office (village leader) who had the information. He wasn’t there, because he was out tending his cattle, so I sat and waited for hours. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. After a long wait, during which I sat dreaming of what might lie ahead, he finally returned and said yes, there was an opportunity for five people and they were leaving for Arusha in a few hours’ time. As they only had four people there was a space and it was mine if I wanted it. I was so excited. I rushed home to pack a bag and at 3am we left for an overnight journey to the city. I still wasn’t actually sure what the opportunity was, but it was potential work in nature, so I was very excited.

Our group arrived and were told it was an interview. There were five of us, four men and one female, and one of us would get a scholarship to train to work in the tourism industry. The interview seemed to go well, and we all returned back to the village to await the news as to who was successful. My grandmother saw how important this was to me and performed a blessing, spitting into her palms before taking my hands to wish me good fortune. The next morning, I found out I was the successful candidate.

I can’t explain the feeling I had. I knew it was life-changing. Without this opportunity I would just be somebody’s wife, probably with three or four children, spending my days cultivating the land. When I return to my home village, I see my friends in the fields and think, that would have been me.

I headed back to Arusha to start my training and was placed in paid accommodation where my fees were covered, and I even had a little pocket money as I began my training. Once trained, I headed to my first camp, Sayari Camp in the north of Serengeti National Park, to take up a role as a waitress. I remember being so nervous when I first met guests, but I gradually relaxed and really enjoyed my work.

When an opportunity came up to work at Dunia Camp, I was excited. It is run entirely by women, and I was able to secure a role working in the kitchen, where I learned a whole new set of skills. It was here that guiding came to my attention.

I’d always thought that only men could be guides but at Dunia, I was inspired by the females taking on this role and realised it was possible for a woman to have this job too. I spent all my spare time exploring around the camp, learning the names of the trees, plants, and animals around us.

Asilia offered everyone access to an online training programme for the hospitality and tourism industry and I spent a lot of time using this to upskill. On my days off, I learned to drive the safari vehicles. When there was an in-house advertisement for guide training, I jumped at it.

After the interview process, I was selected and sent for a month’s training. On completion of this, I was placed with a senior guide for a full year to train, learning in the bush. This was an incredible experience and later I was so proud to return to Dunia Camp as a guide myself.

My career with Asilia really has been life-changing in more ways that one. One of the company benefits is healthcare for you and your family. My mother became very sick and that healthcare saved her life. As you can imagine she is very proud of my work and has become a big advocate for protecting the natural resources we have that attract visitors.

I’ve recently changed role and stopped guiding, switching over to doing customer services for new arrivals at the airport as I’d love to start a family. Asilia have been very supportive and it shows that females can have it all; you can have a good career and a family too. I think it’s important for young girls to realise this.

I’d say to any young girls wanting any career in a male-dominated industry, trust your instinct and you can achieve your dreams. It’s important to go to school and complete your education, because without it, life will be difficult, and your options will be limited. Work hard and you really can do anything.

For my birthday each year I celebrate by going into schools to donate some books and inspire a new generation of girls. I want them to know what can be achieved.