Growing up in a small village in Botswana to become a military captain, Female Pilot Kgomotso Phatsima achieved her dream of flying an aircraft and made history as one of the country’s first female military pilots in the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).
“When I was admitted to South Africa to study piloting, my family did not support my dream. They say it was too risky, way too out of the norm for a girl child from very humble beginnings to fly aeroplanes.” – Kgomotso Phatsima narrates.
The Lady Pilot now empowers youths in Aviation and the ‘STEAME’ fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Entrepreneurship. Through her social enterprise – Dare to Dream, she is stirring up the next generation of African scientists, engineers, and leaders to fall in love with STEAME fields.
Founding Dare to Dream
Ledumadumane, a small village in Botswana, was where the young girl began to dream of flying aeroplanes. The sight of it soaring above her community planted a seed in her heart, and although few women in Botswana attempted to fly planes, she knew that she was made for the skies.
“I used to walk barefoot to school and see aeroplanes passing over my mother’s house, and from an early young age, I knew I was born to fly!” – The Lady Pilot said.
Although the process was arduous, Captain Kgomotso Phatsima successfully achieved her goal of becoming a pilot.
“Whenever I was tired, when I didn’t feel like doing it anymore, when I was too exhausted and drained walking 120 km. If I saw a plane flying above the sky, if I were running, I would run faster. If I was shooting, I would shoot with more precision, enthusiasm and passion. It motivated me because I knew that ultimately I will achieve my dream.”- she said.
Now living her childhood dreams, she saw the gap in opportunities for young people, especially girls, to explore careers in aviation and STEAME fields. To fix this, she created a platform that would empower the next generation to pursue their dreams, regardless of gender or background. This was the inspiration behind Dare to Dream. Drawing from her experiences as one of Botswana’s first female military pilots, Phatsima now addresses the lack of representation and opportunities in these areas through this initiative.
Founded in 2019, DARE TO DREAM is a social enterprise based at Botswana Innovation Hub Science and Technology Park. It is dedicated to advancing youth, women, and girls in STEAME, aviation, and Aerospace. The organisation uses workshops, seminars, and interactive programs to provide mentorship, hands-on learning experiences, and exposure to various career paths in aviation and STEAME.
Phatsima empowers Women in STEAME
Phatsima’s work through Dare to Dream has launched several projects and mentorship initiatives to empower young women. Some of these initiatives include:
- Aviation Programmes: These include Fly for STEAME, Southern Africa Initiative Airport Tour, Airbus A380 Program, and Pink Paper Challenge.
- Science & Technology – These include Jwaneng Mine Maranyane Bokamoso Programme, Hello Tech Girls Program, Technovation For Girls Program and the Aviation & School Outreach Program.
- Robotics Programs –These include the FIRST LEGO League Program and Airbus A380 Online Discovery Program.
- Youth Empowerment and leadership training workshops
Kgomotso Phatsima is the Ambassador of Youth in Aviation and Aerospace in Botswana and the Goodwill Ambassador for Aviation and Aerospace for the Southern African Region.
She won the 2017 Botswana Youth Awards Best Female of the Year Award and received the 80th British High Commission Commonwealth Point of Light Award. Captain Phatsima is also the 2018 Obama Foundation Africa Leadership Program Fellow and International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) USA Leadership Tour of the States 2018 Alumina.
Today, she uses her story to encourage young girls, especially those from rural areas, to pursue careers in STEAME and aviation, proving that dreams are achievable with hard work and courage.
