Gisele Umulisa's journey epitomizes resilience and passion against all odds, defined by her determination to break the barriers of gender stereotypes in the construction industry. Through the support of the Mastercard Foundation, young women like Gisele are becoming role models for other female entrepreneurs, creating the building blocks of change in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Constructive Collaboration
Gisele is the founder and CEO of Selah Construction and Interiors, offering construction services, including interior design consultancy and project implementation in residential and commercial settings.
A year into her business, she was selected to participate in Tourism Inc., an incubator enabled by a partnership between the African consulting and investment firm, Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP), and the Foundation. The incubator is designed to nurture the next generation of innovators in the tourism and hospitality sectors by providing technical assistance and financing. This provides the building blocks for promising young entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses and create jobs.
The Tourism Inc. program has enabled Gisele to expand her business significantly. She now employs five young people on a full-time basis and has 15 parttime workers on most projects, comprising nine men and six women. This expansion in her business is a tangible reflection of both Gisele’s leadership and her commitment to gender diversity in the construction industry.
One of the contractors asked me if I could do this kind of work. I answered yes because I had seen how it was done.”
Building Dreams
The beginnings of Selah Construction and Interiors trace back to February 2022, but Gisele's construction and design dreams date back to her childhood. As she says, “It started long ago. I grew up wanting to be a builder.” At school, she studied Public Work, focusing mainly on water and roads, which exposed her to the world of construction.
This laid the groundwork for her pursuit of a formal education in civil engineering at university. But it wasn’t until an unexpected turn of events during the COVID-19 pandemic that Gisele’s aspirations began to cement and take shape. With schools closed and life at a standstill, Gisele visited a friend working at the aptly named Vision City, a prestigious residential development in Kigali, Rwanda.
Here, she had her first glimpse at the vision for her future. Gisele was amazed and inspired by the team’s ability to transform empty spaces into beautiful homes seemingly overnight. She describes the experience as life-changing. “I watched and loved it,” she recounts. After observing the process at length, a chance encounter led to a job offer, and Gisele saw a financial opportunity she had never imagined. “On the third day, as I was leaving, one of the contractors asked me if I could do this kind of work. I answered yes because I had seen how it was done. Right then, he offered me a job.”
Foundations For Future Success
Despite some initial challenges, Gisele's determination never wavered. Her first job was particularly tough. “It was like learning while working,” Gisele reflects. This experience highlighted the complexities of starting a company but cemented her resolve to succeed. “Starting your own business is not easy,” she says. Gisele views every girl who enters the profession as a hero. “It’s a job many people think is only for men. That’s why, when I see a girl working in the industry, I consider her a hero,” she asserts, referencing her experience in school where there were only about five girls among 50 boys. This disparity extends into the job market, where women are expected to prove their capabilities constantly in an industry dominated by men. “When I started, the major challenge was people doubting me. Proving yourself through your work is necessary, especially when you start without a track record. It’s also important to adapt to new teams and earn their trust,” she explains.
Concrete Advice
Gisele’s message to other young women aspiring to enter the construction field is concrete, empowering and encouraging. “Girls are capable; what remains is to have confidence, study diligently, and come and work because it is possible and fulfilling,” she emphasizes. She also calls on parents to support their children's choices, asserting that studying what you love doing makes it easier to excel in that field later.
Gisele Umulisa’s story is a testament to the power of determination, the importance of support systems, and the impact of organizations like the Mastercard Foundation and programs like Tourism Inc. in driving social change. By creating employment opportunities and supporting the hopes and dreams of young entrepreneurs, especially young women, the Foundation is breaking down barriers and empowering a new generation of leaders in sectors where they have been historically under-represented.
