Congolese welder forges a formidable path

Portrait of a woman wearing a welding hood

Mariam Suleiman became a welder at just 18 years, now she is looking to train more women to become professionals in welding as a way to sustain themselves and their livelihoods. ©UNHCR/Charity Nzomo

Ambitious, assertive, confident, inspirational and tenacious; these are the qualities that define Mariam Suleiman’s personality.

“There is no work designed for only women or men. Everyone deserves an opportunity to prove themselves,” says the 23-year-old Congolese welder.

When Miriam lost her mum five years ago, staying home was not an option for her. Being the second-born child in a family of six, she had to take care of her siblings.

“I needed to find a way to make money, even if it was just two hundred (Kenyan) shillings in a day,” she says.

At just 18, she had no idea how challenging finding a job could be. Her mother ran a salon before she passed away; a business that had never piqued her interest. So, when she set out on a job hunt, she never thought she would eventually find herself at a welding workshop to seek employment, let alone understand the nuts and bolts of welding.

Where it all began

“I never imagined I could do welding,” she says, laughing. “When I got to the workshop and asked for a job, the owner asked if I could weld. I told him I had no experience in welding.”

He then asked her if she could paint and she thought to herself, “how tough can it be?”

That is how Mariam’s life changed and her love story with welding began.

In just three days, she could put together a door frame – something that took her by surprise.

Mariam decided to chart a different path than most women would. She is now a well known welder and welding instructor in Kakuma refugee camp.

Mariam at her welding station where she works when she is not training at the institute ©UNHCR/Charity Nzomo

Mariam poses for a photo with her welding hood ©UNHCR/Charity Nzomo

“I used to be afraid of fire but now, I love it. I love seeing the results of the heat after it hits the metal,” she explains.

She adds that welding is the least likely place to find a woman, or at least that’s what she thought. Now, she finds that welding is a place that took her in when there was nowhere else to go.

“Welding is the place that fed me and my family and now, I want to train other young men and women to harness its power to make a better life for themselves,” she adds.

She exceled in her training and got a scholarship to pursue a diploma in welding. She passed her exams, got her certification and was offered a job as a trainer with ILO, the International Labour Organization.

Her journey has not been without challenges. Being a traditionally male-dominated industry, Mariam has had to work harder than her counterparts to prove herself.

“Whenever I would show up for a roof welding job, people would be scared to hire me because I am a girl. But I would always prove them wrong. I would go up the roof and show them that I can do it,” she smiles.

As she walks around the camp, Mariam oozes confidence and is amiable with everyone. There is a sense of pride from the community towards her and she has become a household name, especially at Clinic 4, a dispensary in Kakuma refugee camp which boasts of a strong steel gate that she made.

“This is my most inspiring piece of work,” she beams.

She admits that being a woman and a welder is not easy, but she takes pride in the fact that she is forging a formidable path for others to follow.

Big dreams for the future

Mariam aspires to further her education in South Africa where she can learn underwater welding and open a production company that doubles as a training institute.

“The beauty of acquiring a skill is that no one can take it away from you, and you can always use it to earn a living. You can never go hungry when you have a skill.”

She believes more women can join her in welding, among other male-dominated professions.

“Women are powerful. Women have skills. Women can do any work that men can do.”

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