Reflecting on her personal career journey, Salma Habib Nkusi, founder of Gate Consulting Group, recognizes the significant challenges she faced during the early stages of her career. She believes she made avoidable mistakes due to the lack of proper guidance or a mentor to speak into her life, offer strategic advice, and help her navigate the unique challenges of being a woman, a young mother, and a professional.

While her career appeared successful to many, Salma’s introspection revealed that with the right mentorship, she could have achieved even greater milestones and scaled her influence much earlier.

On the other hand, UNDP reported that despite remarkable progress in reducing Gender equality gaps in Rwanda, women’s participation in Rwanda’s labor market is only 48.2%, while men’s participation is 65.6%. Furthermore, women occupy only 32% of decision-making positions in the private sector, and they are underrepresented in technical fields that pay higher wages.

In response to these challenges, Gate Consulting Group launched a tailored mentorship program to empower young women to unlock their full potential, embrace their authentic selves, and develop the skills needed to thrive in life and at work.

The program focuses on three key groups:

1. Young Graduates seeking employability skills and pathways to job opportunities.
2. Aspiring Entrepreneurs aiming to build and grow their businesses.
3. Young Professionals looking to advance their careers and step into leadership roles.

Launched in March 2022, the LiftHerUp program has already made a significant impact, empowering 320 women across three cohorts.