Every rider has heard it at some point: it is too hard, it is too late, it is not for you. Nali heard it in Paje, Zanzibar. “People were saying I could not do it. It is not easy, it is not for women, it is not our tradition.” Government jobs were rare and she struggled to find work, then the manager of a kite school invited her to join, because the school had no female instructor. “It seemed like a big dream,” says Nali, “but joining the project gave me the opportunity, support, and confidence to believe in myself.”
Today, all five are certified IKO Instructors.
They joined Rise With The Wind, a social impact mission that empowers women in coastal communities. It trains them as IKO instructors, so they can build careers and financial independence in the local tourism economy. Sponsored by the IKO Giving Back Program and hosted at Coconuts Kite, the program lasts one year and covers kiteboarding, English, business, marketing and job-search skills. One year, one new skill after another, and a whole new career at the end.
The group came from very different backgrounds and did not know each other. “The first day of the program, what we call the entrance ceremony, brought tears to my eyes. The group bonded incredibly quickly, because so little exists for women, and this became a space where they could support each other in front of a male dominated industry,” says the Rise With The Wind team.
Kiteboarding asks you to fall in public, again and again, in front of your whole village. There is no hiding a bad fall, and no way to learn without making a few of them. For these women, the whole village was watching, and the fear of being seen was part of the training. “Within weeks, they stopped being afraid to kite in front of the village, and instead of feeling ashamed, they became proud of themselves,” says the Rise With The Wind team.
Everyone had a different challenge:
Then came the local race. “What pride, seeing them participating as the first local female kiters ever!” says the Rise With The Wind team. “They made a huge impression on the village.” After that, they gave their first lessons to real students. “The most rewarding part was completing the training, earning my certifications, and seeing how much I had grown,” says Lucy. For Nali, the best moment was the day she earned her IKO Instructor certification, and her village noticed: “When they saw I did it, everyone wanted to give it a try.”
Maula worked for two years as a nanny for a kite instructor’s child. She heard about the project and asked to join, and becoming an IKO Instructor was her most rewarding moment. Now she looks ahead. “I want to change their negative mindset into a positive one. I want to make them believe in themselves, and I want to make myself proud,” says Maula. Her message for anyone judged for their past: “What truly matters is not your past. It is who you choose to become.”
Have you heard “not for you” too many times? What if this time you did not listen?
Thamrat: “Never listen to other people’s words. Take it as a challenge and change it into an opportunity.”
Fatuma: “Don’t be afraid to start. You don’t need to know everything on your first day.”
Nali: “Kiteboarding is for everyone.”
Listen to them.
Discover more about the IKO Giving Back Program.
