CELEB EDITION WITH MC APRIL
The Voice
Tell us more about Girls Fly Programme and Botswana’s response to it?
Basically the NGO has been set up for the advancement of girls and women in the aviation industry. We do this through educational programmes such as Girls in Aviation International Day hosted annually by Women in Aviation International as well as mentoring. We actively try to find members scholarships to advance this mission.
The programme includes the use of design thinking, technology and innovation to shape, empower, enable and support the next generation of women who are becoming problem solvers in the aviation and space industry in Africa.
So far, how many Batswana girls have you or the NGO helped to get into the aviation field?
We’ve helped over 500 in the last four years. Our primary concern is building interest and giving access to educational information around Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. Girls Fly Programme in Africa is based in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Cameroon. The idea is to grow into every African country.
Why a special interest in girls, what about the boy child?
Our activities do make provision for us to help the boy child. However, our primary focus is the girl child for two reasons: one, women make up less than 20 percent of the workforce in aviation globally and, secondly, less than two percent are from minority groups!
Therefore, as part of a global poverty eradication plan, we would like to attract more young women into the aviation field to pursue it as a career.
But tell me, over the years there has been a concerted effort to encourage girls and women to get into the cockpit, so why are female pilots still so rare?
The efforts are there but more women and girls need to be reached globally, especially those in remote areas. More information about accessibility within the sector must be shared with women and girls.
As a girl child yourself, what drove you into pursuing a career in aviation?
I have always had fascination for airplanes.
Is there any other career a you would have pursued if you did not make it to aviation class?
I would have become an actuary. However, I will be pursuing a degree that encompasses both aviation and finances.
You must be excellent at calculations, was mathematics your favourite subject at school?
You could say so, I enjoyed the subject!
What other subjects did you enjoy?
English, Economics and Accounting.
That must bring back some fond childhood memories. Regale us with a lasting memory from when you were growing up?
Okay, so after the holidays, a very good friend of mine, Leungo Pitse, said he had travelled to United Kingdom. He told a story of opening a window in flight and packing clouds in a plastic bag and they tasted like cotton candyfloss (laughing).
(Laughs) And did you believe him?
I was fascinated, I really felt I had to experience it for myself.
I can imagine. That must have encouraged you to want to fly even more! So how many different types of airplanes have you flown and how did you feel the very first time you took to the skies on your own?
Definitely. I have flown about five different types of planes. My first solo flight was incredibly liberating. I felt calm and at ease. At that point I was also very aware that I could do anything I set my mind to do.
What aircraft was that? It was a Cessna 172.
Has being a lady pilot changed your life in anyway?
It has. Aviation is a very strict discipline. It has helped me to be very systematic and strategic even in my daily life. It has also helped me become more kind and compassionate when I see how many young people would like to have the same opportunities I was given. This is why I volunteer.
Generally, what are common challenges faced by women in the aviation industry?
The greatest challenge is lack of representation. Traditionally, it has been a male-dominated industry. Again the training courses can be quite expensive so accessing financing for studies is also a challenge for women and girls.
Were you ever discouraged from pursuing your dream of becoming a pilot - if yes, what did you do to stand your ground?
Yes, I have been discouraged, especially by male instructors that judged my abilities on how I looked. I let my performance and professionalism speak for me.
My first solo flight was incredibly liberating. I felt calm and at ease. At that point I was also very aware that I could do anything I set my mind to do.
How did your parents feel when you told them you wanted to be a pilot?
My mum was initially against it because she felt it was dangerous but she eventually gave up and she has been nothing but supportive. I would not be where I am without my family’s loving support.
And are you a family woman yourself; married with children?
I am a family woman; I come from a line of strong independent women. I am not married yet, however, I do have two sons, aged four and three.
With so much on your hands, how do you balance between parenting, running a business, volunteering and leading NGOS?
It’s not easy, but I am fortunate because I have lots of help from my family and I rest when I need to.
What do you do for leisure?
I enjoy reading and writing. I also enjoy listening to different types of music.
Lastly, Thank God It’s Friday, what are you up to this weekend?
I will be cooking at a small family gathering this Sunday. We will be having tlhogo (cow head) and hooves with my cousins and aunts.
With her zest for life, bubbly nature and love for music wrapped up in a picture perfect exterior, Thato Carol April was surely born to be an M.C.
The sexy 29-year-old is the host of the United Social Club gig, which plays out on The Voice’s Facebook page every Saturday afternoon. A Business Information System graduate from Limkokwing, MC April has the brains to complement her good looks. Celeb Edition caught up with the bubbly M.C. for a chat after she hosted DJ N.S.I this week.
How would you describe yourself to those who don’t know you?
I am misunderstood, because I am outspoken and flamboyant. I am the life of the party and when I walk into a room, my presence is felt. I am an extrovert and, growing up, they would say, ‘ Ke a phapha’. I am always energetic but I am such a perfectionist that when I make a mistake I tend to dwell on it and take a long time to get over it.
How did your gig with The come about?
Voice
I am part of a social club called ‘United Artists Social Club’. They are not just a Sunday Soccer team but they also groom members in their areas of expertise and MCing was my talent. That’s how it all began.
Who, in your view, is the best female artist in Botswana?
The best would be Nicole Martinez. I love her energy on stage and she is passionate about her craft, I love that about her.
When was the last time you cried and why?
I cried last month when I went to check on my paternal grandmother and she was not well. The fact that she is getting old and can’t even walk on her own and just imagining life without her brought me to tear. I was devastated. I am who I am because of that woman.
Have you ever had your heart broken? Tell me about it?
Hahaha, of course. Who hasn’t? Well, it was my very first boyfriend, you know first love. I was in varsity. The pain was unbearable but I am glad I went through it, I am wiser now.
Would you go naked, for publicity?
No, I wouldn’t.
How many tattoos do you have?
Five!
Would you shave your head bald?
Never, I have an ugly head.
Five things people don’t know about you?
1. I am emotional 2. I love hard, be it relationship or friendship 3. I’m short-tempered 4. I am loud 5. I love dancing