Diane Sayinzoga's journey as a 2016 MIF Fellow at ITC

In 2016, I had the great opportunity to be a Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellow at the International Trade Center (ITC). This program prepares the next generation of outstanding African leaders by providing them with unique work opportunities at the most senior level of prominent institutions whose mandate is to improve the economic and social prospects of Africa. Undertaking this fellowship programme has been a truly life-changing experience for me. As a fellow, I joined the team of ITC’s Advisors in the Office of Executive Director (OED).

Before joining the ITC, I worked for the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) as Division Manager in charge of trade development and then as Manager in charge of service sector development. I was also a board member of the University Teaching Hospital in Rwanda. I started my career at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) in 2007 as Strategic Planner and Business Analyst and I have a Master’s degree in Economics.

During my time at the ITC, I was interacting and working with experts in trade related matters and participated in high-level discussion forums. My day-to-day activities included the preparation of working documents, briefing notes for the Executive Director and I also contributed to some of the ITC’s projects. I had the opportunity to work on subjects such as protectionism in trade, inclusive business, Trade in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), small and medium-sized enterprise related matters, women’s economic empowerment (SheTrades), e-commerce, and impact investment among other things.

In addition, working closely with the former ITC Executive Director and her team gave me a combination of leadership skills such as the ability to motivate and to inspire others as well as creative thinking. The team at the ITC shared their wisdom, knowledge, and experience and they helped me to perform better - they were very supportive and inspiring. My key outcomes from the Fellowship included:

• Valuable trade related skills: I have acquired wide knowledge on the integration of the business sector of developing countries into the global economy. My experience with the ITC absolutely helped me to perform my duties specifically in export promotion.
• Enhanced professional skills: What and how I discussed with colleagues from different countries and cultures in my daily activities contributed a lot to improving my communication skills and increased my confidence in professional environments.
• International exposure: I had the opportunity to navigate international institutions located in Geneva and participated in different conferences, meetings and forums such as World Trade Promotion Organization conference, the 2016 World Trade Organization public forum and e-commerce week among others.
• Learnt more about myself: the Fellowship not only encouraged my professional development, but also a greater understanding of myself. To know yourself is to know your professional goals and how to best achieve them. 
• Developed my professional network: The Fellowship gave me more opportunities to build connections with professionals that are and will continue to be very beneficial for my current and future career.