Cissé Aïssatou Sy Seye, CEO of the private transport company Pendis-CI, also president of the Makhete Cissé Foundation, works daily for the empowerment of women. In this interview with AI, she gives the reasons that prompted her to become entrepreneurs.
Tell us what motivated you to leave your job in a multinational company to get into entrepreneurship?
First, I had to work in order to take care of my children. I needed that to be independent as well. Because already at the age of 18, I wanted my independence. So I got into this area. But I would tell you that I did not start without experience. I was already working in this field, I had the necessary experience and knowledge in the field of Entrepreneurship. So I decided to get involved in order to continue my activities, because I had stopped since 2004 with a multinational to work with my husband who was in transport. So after his death, I had to take over the company by force of circumstances and turned it into an LLC of which I am the manager.
You subscribe to this vision of the government, that of the empowerment of women. What actions have you taken in this direction?
In terms of women’s empowerment, we have a platform that distributes school kits to children at the start of each school year. This platform allows women to be independent. We have literacy training to enable them to have knowledge of the language. The platform also allows women to know their responsibilities, to learn to be autonomous and to be. It also allows them to have some knowledge of working and professional life. Through this platform, we give advice to our sisters while helping them to carry out income-generating activities.
In August 2016, you were named the best female business leader. So how did you receive this award?
I want to tell you that I was very satisfied with this award and also very grateful to the President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara. It was a source of motivation for me. I am taking this opportunity you are giving me today to ask my younger sisters, my daughters to get into entrepreneurship, because there will be no point in sitting around doing nothing. I also ask them to go to training, because it will also be pointless to start an activity without any knowledge of the field. I still recommend that they seek to understand the foundations of their activities. I want to make my sisters understand that there is no point in having several activities at the same time. I also advise them to ask. It is necessary to ask in order to know, to have information. You have to ask for help when you need it in order to progress.
How many coaches does your fleet have to date and what is your workforce in terms of staff?
We currently have 50 coaches and more than half are air conditioned. We have a workforce of around sixty people, 30% of whom are women, all registered with the CNPS. Our staff is made up of qualified people, professionals in the field.
What are your perspectives ?
Our prospects as a woman of honor is to create a platform for discussion with all the women of the Ivory Coast. A platform where all women meet to get to know each other better, to see under what conditions we can evolve and improve our way of life in order to be independent.
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