MEET RUMAANAH KHAN, AN IT CONSULTANT WHO'S DEFYING CHALLENGES AND BREAKING BARRIERS IN TECH

By: Zakiyah Ebrahim

Science Stars talks to Rumaanah Khan, 22, about her chosen career, living with a chronic pain condition, and her experience with Huawei's skills development learnership programme.

The tech world has always been very male-dominated, but this did not stop Rumaanah Khan from foraying into the profession – and she's enthusiastic about seeing more women in the field. "If you apply yourself and put in the hours it takes, you can achieve anything in any field," she tells Science Stars. "Sometimes we feel intimidated by the people surrounding us, which is extremely normal, but as women, we need to assert our dominance because we are only as powerful as we choose to be."

Rumaanah's path to the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) was anything but conventional. The 22-year-old from Mayfair, Johannesburg, initially pursued a teaching degree in 2019 but realised mid-way through her studies that her heart yearned for something different. "I had no idea that STEM existed," she says. When she left teaching to start a BCOM at North-West University in 2020, she contracted Covid-19 and had to end her studies and move back home.

Fortunately, Rumaanah discovered a life-changing opportunity in 2022 – Huawei's skills development learnership programme for people with disabilities. The programme has been running successfully for six years. "I was having a very hard time deciding what it is that I wanted to do. I sat at home for a while and didn’t know where I was heading in life," she says. That's when she was contacted for a learnership on LV3 End User Computing – which teaches basic computer operating skills and the different types of software training, such as MS Office training – and decided to take it.

The programme proved to be a turning point, providing her with the necessary training and support to excel in technology. "It was extremely motivating. They really provided us with all that we needed to become the best versions of ourselves," says Rumaanah, adding: "They placed us in environments they knew if we put in the right amount of work, we could excel." Rumaanah is currently working on her IT certifications related to networking and cyber security via Torque IT, a computer training school in Cape Town.

Now, as an IT consultant at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Rumaanah's role involves providing IT technical support to users. "If they have any issues with their devices, I am to troubleshoot and perform first-line assistance in trying to resolve the matter. If the matter cannot be resolved by me, a ticket is logged for escalation to my seniors or the standby technicians," she explains.

Living with a chronic condition

Life dealt Rumaanah a challenging hand when she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2020, a chronic health condition affecting around 1 in 20 people globally. The condition causes intense pain all over the body and makes it difficult to perform daily activities. "Living with Fibromyalgia … takes a very hectic toll on my body in terms of my nerves, joints, and muscles," says Rumaanah. "When I get the occasional flare-ups … I often cannot move for hours at a time." Her motor skills are also more diminished than the regular person, making her more susceptible to viral infections.

Still, Rumaanah refuses to let this setback define her. Despite the physical limitations, she continues to persevere. "I take it day by day. I tend to listen to my body and do what it allows me to," she says.

On bridging the gender gap

Despite the growing movement encouraging more women to pursue technology careers, they remain underrepresented. Studies show that women in the industry make up only 28% of professionals worldwide and just 30% in Sub-Saharan Africa.

But Rumaanah is optimistic: "The gender gap is quite large … but I see it growing every single day," she says. "I hope to bridge that gap by representing the fact that even if you are a woman, that does not determine whether you can be in STEM-related jobs or not."

Feeling intimidated by the people that surround you completely normal, she adds, "but as women, [we] need to assert our dominance because we are only as powerful as we choose to be."

Growing into her role

When Rumaanah was in the cyber environment last year, she was intimidated and unsure about her belonging. But, as she started to learn and achieve small tasks that led to big outcomes, she realised that she wanted to be in IT. "My goal is to become more than adequate in my role. I want to get the best knowledge in this field and grow into it since I love it so much," she says.

The IT guru says she's surrounded by some of the most intelligent people she has ever met and acknowledges they didn't get there overnight. "I know that it is going to take a lot of time and work as well."

Rumaanah believes in effective time management, avoiding procrastination, and prioritising what is important to her to achieve her goals. "I do have a hard time doing all these things and I am working on it. But nothing is picture perfect; to get where you want to be, you need to roll in the mud a little bit."

Rumaanah on the 4IR

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a period of rapid technological change and a convergence of new technologies (such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and 3D printing), is still in its early stages but is already significantly impacting our lives.

"The 4IR is something we need to achieve in ourselves first by means of education. We need to be able to adequately educate ourselves, so once our country has the opportunity, we build IT professionals that can facilitate and innovate with the 4IR," says Rumaanah. "It is an administrative decision within us to become the future."

"The key takeaway is that no matter what opportunity you are given, no matter how big or small – work your hardest to excel in it … You need to put in the work, not for anybody else but yourself," she adds. "I would encourage young students to take learnership opportunities. Even if you have a disability, that does not mean you're incapable."

Rumaanah Khan on the power of small steps

• If you have yet to decide what to study, it's not the end of the world. You will figure it out. It's always better to be sure of what you want to do and what you want to achieve than being stuck in something you are not happy with.

• Never let people make you believe you are less than enough. Assert your dominance respectfully, and do not let people take advantage of you.

• Always show up for the task, no matter how small. I used to pack toilet paper and coffee for the executives of a company and process all their administrative work – but every day, I showed up in formal attire and made sure I did the best I possibly could in each of those tasks. Perseverance and hard work are a mindset before a lifestyle.