It's not a "boy's job"
Ayisha’s husband, mother and father-in-law didn’t understand why she would want to do “a boy’s job.” Friends attempted to dissuade her, saying it would destroy her beauty and spoil her skin. But Ayisha persevered and learned quickly. “When I started it, I got to know that it’s not anything harsh. I can also do it,” she says. “I lost a lot of friends because of this work, but it bever brings me down. Now I am a master, and I am proud of my work.”
Ayisha now runs her own business, Dinveilla Construction Works, employing some of the people who once made jokes about her choice to work in construction. Even the dynamics of her marriage have shifted: Her husband is proud and more respectful, marvelling at all of the people she finds work for – himself included.
Having formally registered her construction business, a move supported by PASEWAY who have also helped 500 other graduates from the project register their businesses, Ayisha’s company now has more credibility as well as better access to government and private contracts.
Beyond providing casual employment, Ayisha has taught six young women (and three young men) how to lay tiles through her company. Having never seen a woman tiler before, Ayisha says that passing on her skills and employing other young women is the most rewarding part of her job.
