Page 33 - WATER SECTOR MAGAZINE VOLUME 3

PROFILE
Engineer Jacqueline Dias

Breaking barriers in men’s dominated field...

Born Jacqueline Kamchikwe, Engineer
Dias who is the current Southern Region
Water Board (CRWB) Planning Engineer
is one woman, who despite all the
stereotyping about being female and the
juggling of responsibilities from being
a wife, a mother and a career woman,
has shown that with dedication, self-
confidence and hard work it is possible
to break the barriers and excel in a male
dominated field like engineering. Water
Sector MAGAZINE recently caught up
with Engineer Dias who took us through
her illustrious career in the water sector:

Kindly tell us about your personal
background and family life?

I was born Jacqueline Kamchikwe in a
family of eleven; seven boys and four girls.
We are all living except my mum and elder
sister who are late-may their souls, rest in
eternal peace. I am married to Paul Dias
where I inherited the name Dias. Many
people before seeing me, they think I am
white. Indeed I am because of my husband
whose grandparents were originally from
Portugal. We have three children, two
boys and one girl.
Please tell us about your educational
background to your last most recent
studies?
Engineer Dias making a presentation at the Women in Water-Malawi Chapter workshop
I went to Mtendere Full Primary School in
Malirana, Dedza where I did standard one to secondary hence I had to repeat at that was in 1991. Then, engineering was a male
to eight. Then my dad was a teacher at St. Linga Primary School in Nkhotakota dominated field. We were a third group of ladies to
Kizito Seminary. I along my siblings used where I was selected to go to Ludzi Girls be selected. We were eleven ladies in our class in first
to walk about 6 kilometers every day to get Secondary School in Mchinji which year but the three of us, one in Electrical, and two
to school. It was tough especially during happens to be my home district. One of in Civil Engineering managed to graduate. In 2007,
cold season as we were to leave home the national girls schools in Malawi. I was selected to study Master of Science Degree
around 6.00 in the morning in order to be in Integrated Water Resources Management at the
in class by 7.30. It used to be snowy and After four years, I passed well and was University of Zimbabwe. This was a scholarship
dark in the forest. In the first year of my selected to go to the University of Malawi, offered by WaterNet.
standard eight attempt I was not selected The Polytechnic to study Engineering
Share with us your work history

I joined Southern Region Water Board in 1999
as a Civil Engineer. I served in several positions
including Planning Engineer, Zone Manager and
Project Coordinator. I am a registered Engineer
with Malawi Board of Engineers, the first female to
be registered with the Board. I have served as a vice
president at Malawi Institution of Engineers (MIE).
Currently I am a Board Member in the interim
committee of Malawi Board of Engineers (MBE)
as we are waiting for the amalgamation of MIE
and MBE into one body of Malawi Engineering
Institution. I have just been elected Treasurer for
the Women in Water-Malawi Chapter. Who said
that Engineers cannot be Accountants?
Engineer Dias (right) captured with colleagues at the Women in Water-Malawi Chapter
workshop held in Lilongwe TO PAGE 34

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