“Women” and “fishing” are two words that would not have been used together in the same sentence a few years ago in Rwanda. It has been a long-held belief in Rwanda that fishing is not for women – it is a man’s occupation. Women have mostly embraced this thinking as well, but a few brave women from Nkombo, an island on Lake Kivu in the Rusizi District, are determined to prove that what a man can do, a woman can do too.
One of these women is Valeria Maniraguha, a 38-year-old mother of four children who started fishing in 2010. Prior to launching her career as a fisherwoman, she used to sell fish, a set of skills that still proves useful on the days when she participates in selling what she catches.
Valeria was born on the island of Nkombo and had to drop out of school early on to support her mother on the farm. She describes her first time fishing as a fun learning experience.
“I was motivated to fish because I saw fishermen making more money than I was. One day I decided to try out the net,” says Valeria. “People were supportive. They would help me pull in the fishing gear along with the fish, but sometimes I would ask them not to help because I wanted to learn to do it by myself.”
Her husband, who works at the district pharmacy as a night watchman, is supportive of his wife’s interest in fishing.
“My husband doesn’t mind at all. He was actually once a fisherman himself, so when I explained to him about my newfound passion, he was not bothered,” Valeria continues.
