"The power of networks, networking, social media, and women in ICT"

On Monday May 14^th, Akilah was honored to welcome to our campus Beth Kanter, a leading pioneer in the communications and marketing industry for the nonprofit sector. Beth is a published author and blogger, named by Fast Company as one of the most influential women in technology in 2009 and one of Business Week’s “Voices of Innovation for Social Media”. In Kigali for a conference on women’s leadership and empowerment in East Africa, Beth was kind enough to lead a two-hour workshop for our Year 2 students on using social media to enact social change – a useful topic given Akilah’s focus on community service and Social Change Projects (See more photos from the workshop on our Facebook Page>>).

Providence and Nadine brainstorm on the values of networking

The workshop began with the simple question, “What is a network?”. From there, Beth launched into a discussion on the various forms of a network – your group of friends, a circle of business professionals, online platforms like Facebook – and the importance of networking. Students learned that networking is not just a social pastime, but also a professional imperative: it is a way to develop relationships with mentors, to know what is going on in your industry, and to recruit support for your business or initiative.

Nowadays there are countless social media platforms, but Beth decided to focus on one that is becoming increasingly prominent in the networking realm: Twitter. She explained the basics of Twitter, and it’s multiple uses: news curating, professional networking, and information sharing, amongst others. When opening a Twitter account, it’s important to know how to present yourself by crafting a relevant and intriguing profile. This topic segued into discussion on another important tool in one’s networking arsenal, the elevator speech.

Irene and Noella draft their elevator speeches

After crafting their elevator speeches, the students went outside to put them into practice. They took turns introducing themselves in quick succession, with Beth guiding the process: “What have you accomplished of note? What is your mission? What are you passionate about?”.

Students line up to practice their elevator speeches

The workshop wrapped up with a short explanation of various ways social media can be used to motivate others around one’s cause. One of our students, Gisele Bahati, has already implemented this idea by using Razoo to raise funds to attend the Global Youth Connect human rights conference in New York City this summer. She still has $2,300 left to raise; you can help her get to New York!

When asked what lesson or lessons they had learned as a result of the afternoon’s workshop, the students were emphatic in their responses.

“I learned that I can inspire people around the world using social media and it can be used in diverse ways,” replied Emmanuella.

“I learned about the importance of networking,” stated Peace.

Beth puts students in a big circle so they can watch each other practice

“I learned to not be afraid of doing something that can cause social change,” said Providence.

Actions followed their words: at the end of the school day, several students approached the staff, requesting their help in setting up their own Twitter accounts. Look out, social media world; Akilah students are about to make an entrance!

A huge thanks to Beth Kanter for taking the time to visit the Akilah and share her wealth of knowledge with our now social media-savvy students!

Read Beth’s blogpost about her experience at Akilah on her personal blog.

Thank you, Beth!

Marriott receives a warm welcome to the Akilah campus

On April 24, Marriott representatives traveled to the Akilah campus in Kigali, Rwanda to meet the 14 applicants and present on the history, morals, and culture of Marriott International. The presentation was no-nonsense and thorough, but when tested on their knowledge of Marriott facts, our students were well prepared:

“Can anyone tell me when Marriott was founded?”                                                                                                                                      “1927″, replied Allen Kazarwa without missing a beat.                                                           “And who knows how many properties Marriott International currently owns today?” “Over 3,700″, Solange Dukunde answered with confidence.

Allen, Grace, and Noella show off their business plans before going in for their interviews

But this was just the beginning of the test. After the presentation, Marriott took turns interviewing each Akilah student, pushing them on their knowledge of hospitality management, customer service, and hotel property operations. The students even brought in something a little extra to prove their financial and business prowess: the business plans developed in their Introduction to Entrepreneurship course. The interviewers were obviously impressed, as every one of our students who applied for this training/career program made the cut!

Students play close attention during the Marriott presentation

After their graduation on August 17th, these fourteen students will travel to begin their 10-month long training programs at Marriott hotels in two Middle East locations: Oman and the United Arab Emirates. They will be working in the Food & Beverage Department, the Finance & Human Resources Department, and the Front Office Department. After the ten month training, these Akilah graduates will return to Rwanda to open up Marriott’s very first hotel in Africa (besides South Africa) in downtown Kigali, projected to open its doors around June 2013. Additionally, two other Akilah students are currently applying for a position as a marketing intern in the Marriott Dubai. We are so proud of our students and excited for this next chapter in their lives, as they leave the Akilah campus to kickstart their careers in the Middle East with Marriott Hotels!

Akilah and Women for Women International welcome you to the graduation ceremony!

approached by Women for Women International (WfWI) with a proposal to jointly develop a Culinary Arts program to educate vulnerable women in essential cooking skills (Read our press release on the program here>>). Although Akilah’s focus is a 2-year Business Diploma in Hospitality Management (soon to be expanded with a Diploma in Entrepreneurship in September 2012), Akilah and WfWI share the same mission of helping women and bridging the gap between education and the business community. The partnership was ideal as Akilah provided the technical knowledge, curriculum development, and understanding of the Rwandan hospitality industry while WfWI lent financial support and selected the program participants. After six months of rigorous training, both academic and practical, fifty-three women received their Culinary Arts Certificates last Friday night, April 27^th, at a graduation event at Heaven Restaurant in downtown Kigali, Rwanda (See more pictures from the graduation ceremony on our Facebook page >>).

Trainees prepare a feast in the kitchen of Heaven Restaurant

All the trainees participated in food preparation for the evening, creating a gourmet menu of beef, fish, chicken, soup, and vegetable dishes, with fruit and cake for dessert. Akilah CEO Elizabeth Dearborn Davis and the WfWI Rwanda Country Director spoke before the dinner, thanking Heaven for providing the location for the women’s training and Chef Pierre of Mille Colline Hotel and Chef Innocent from Bourbon Coffee for leading

A trainee cuts beets for a salad

the women’s courses. After the meal, the trainees showed their appreciation by presenting gifts to the chef trainers and program managers, and one of the students put her new public speaking skills to use by giving a speech thanking Akilah and WfWI on behalf of all fifty-three trainees.

The event was a great success, with guests such as US Ambassador Donald Koran, founder of Urukundo Village Arlene Brown, and Director of Generation Rwanda Michelle Hamilton. The trainees were extremely proud of their new skillset, clapping and cheering on their fellow classmates during the certificate ceremony, and are excited to begin gaining experience in the Rwandan tourism and hospitality industry.

Akilah and WfWI are pleased with the outcome of the program, as we send fifty-three off into the workforce equipped with the knowledge and skills to find suitable jobs and improve their lifestyles. Before entering the program, these women were earning money by selling clothes in the marketplace, growing vegetables, and performing manual labor on construction sites, earning less than

Trainee Odette is excited to present her hardwork

a dollar a day; by placing them into well-paid jobs in restaurants and hotels, this program will make a considerable difference for them and their families. Trainee Eugenie elaborated on her appreciation for the program, saying, “Before, my life was difficult, because I couldn’t get an education and couldn’t pay any school fees”. She has one child and her husband is jobless, meaning the family relies solely on her to provide money for food and shelter.

Prior to the program trainee Beatrice worked selling cooked beans from her house, providing for her three children and husband. She said it was difficult to make ends meet, but “it was better than nothing”. Her favorite dish to cook during the course was fish with different sauces, and she hopes to one day open her up own restaurant. Program Manager Benitha Bamuyugire reflected on the past six months, stating “The best part of the program was to see these women change physically and mentally, developing self-confidence and public speaking skills through the leadership program and knowledge that they gained. I hope to continue working with these women in the future”.

A table full of Akilah staff enjoy their meal; trainees pose with their teachers and program managers

This program has delivered hope to these fifty-three women, while also contributing to Akilah’s effort to strengthen the workforce needed to support Rwanda’s burgeoning tourism and hospitality industry. We are grateful to WfWI’s partnership in developing the course, and giving these women the opportunity and technical skills to move into Rwanda’s fastest growing industry.

The trainees celebrate after their final exam in one of the Akilah classrooms

Fountain outside the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre

Moved by this holiday, and due to Rwanda’s own past, the students of Akilah took the initiative to coordinate a field trip amongst themselves to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. Thirty senior students planned to travel from the Akilah campus to downtown Kigali to pay their respects at the Centre, a not-for-profit museum dedicated to honoring the victims of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. They not only proactively come up with the idea, but also made arrangements such as transportation and the purchase of flowers to be presented at the mass grave site. One of the students, Salama, was nominated to give a prayer after the dedication of the flowers. The students also collected donations from the Akilah students and staff totaling 50,000 Rwandan Francs, or roughly $80 USD, to contribute to the Centre’s genocide orphan fund.

Students Constance and Emmanuella lay the flower arrangement on the grave; Akilah students donate to the Centre's genocide orphan fund

At the memorial, a guide led the students through the rose gardens, explaining the significance of the designs and inscriptions throughout the site. We stopped at the Open Grave, where students Constance and Emmanuella laid the flower arrangement, and Salama recited the prayer the students collaboratively wrote beforehand.  Afterwards we entered the museum, which displays exhibits explaining the political background and turmoil leading up to the genocide, the horrific acts that occurred during the genocide, the aftermath and consequences on the country, and how Rwandan society is successfully rebuilding its national strength and identity today.

A Memorial Centre guide speaks to the students

Over a span of just 100 days in the spring of 1994, Rwanda lost one million people during the genocide. Many of the Akilah students have directly experienced the effects of the genocide, losing friends, brothers, sisters, and parents. The devastation of such an event, even 18 years later, is still visible in the students’ everyday lives, as they battle with the trauma and memories associated with their personal experiences. These circumstances make their progress and successes all the more impressive, as the students push forward and continue to work towards their goals for a brighter and better future.

Students move through the exhibits; Salama recites a prayer at the grave site

We are incredibly proud of and impressed by our students, for not only the strength they show on a daily basis while juggling demanding coursework and jobs with the care of siblings and others who were orphaned during the genocide, but also the strength shown during their visit to the Centre. In order to appropriately provide professional support services to our students, Akilah has a full-time counselor, Julian Nyagahima, who also traveled to the Centre to help the students cope with facing such difficult memories.

Students walk through the rose gardens

We are grateful to our supporters and donors around the world who make it possible for us to give hope and a bright future to these strong young women.

A youth leader speaks in Bumbogo about the importance of innovative business ideas.

Our Year 2 students are still very active in the commitment they initiated in their first year at Akilah, and are managing some very impressive projects. Here are some examples of current Social Change Projects underway by our Year 2 students:

-Creating awareness around human rights: After working with and receiving training from a club in Nyamata, our students established their own Akilah Human Rights Club on campus. They then partnered with the National Human Rights Commission and organized a two-day Human Rights training at Citi Mount Hotel in Kigali on March 15^th and 16^th.

-Fighting domestic violence against women in Kimironko: This group made T-shirts and designed them with a message aimed at sensitizing the public about domestic violence. They are now planning to support women in that neighborhood to open up their own bank accounts as a means for self-empowerment.

Akilah students reward the best business plans with the supplies to get their ideas up and running: a juice cantine (left) and chicken farm (right)

-Changing poor attitudes towards work among the youth of Bumbogo: Our group set up a competition to demonstrate the ease of starting a business despite lack of financing and the importance of creating job opportunities. Our students chose the three individuals with the best business plans and awarded them with the materials needed to start up small-scale businesses. They are now working on establishing an association for the youths in this area to make it easier for them to secure loans from SACCO, a microfinance group.

-Decreasing unwanted pregnancies:  This group is working on expanding their project from sensitizing youth through mass media to visiting schools and teaching girls about unwanted pregnancies. They recently organized a visit to Agahoza Shalom School to teach the students about unwanted pregnancies and help them establish a “Girl Empowerment Club”.

Speaking about family planning and unwanted pregnancies

-Sensitizing the parents of Kacyiru about family planning: This group is currently organizing a public rally on family planning scheduled to take place in May 2012.

-Fighting against malnutrition in Nyamirambo: After teaching mothers how to make kitchen gardens, this group decided to expand on this project and is now working with Nyiranuma Health Center to secure a piece of land where mothers can grow their own vegetables on a large scale. This will enable the mothers to feed their own children as well as have surplus produce to sell in order to empower themselves economically. The students have identified women leaders from the group of mothers at the Nyiranuma Health Center with whom they are currently working.

The two-day human rights training in downtown Kigali

We are so proud of our students for their commitment and efforts to improve their communities, as well as their innovative and creative ideas on ways to enact Social Change. Thank you to the Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund and Yahoo for their grants of $5,000 each, which make these Social Change Projects possible!

Students line up before being introduced to their mentors

The event was well attended, and involved both the old and new Mentors. We have an amazing group of Mentors this year, including Deputy National Coordinator of the FAWE Rwanda Chapter Donatha Gihana, CEO of Serenity Spa Chantal Gatali, Director of Development and Communications at ROC Partners Jamie Boiles,  and CEO of Inzuki Designs Teta Isibo. The ceremony kicked off with an introduction to ALMP and how it functions, led by Program Manager Irene Kagoya.

A networking session was then conducted in which old Mentors shared their experiences and advice with new Mentors on lessons learned and how to best mentor the Akilah students.

We were also honored with the presence of Anne Mortensen, the Global Process Leader of IBM, a key program funder and supporter from the UK.  She made a brilliant presentation on the intricacies of mentoring and shared her personal experiences of mentoring as well.

Newly paired Mentors and Mentees chat in groups

After the presentation, the powerful tradition of pairing up the Mentors and Mentees commenced.  Each new Mentee walked into the room with a lot of anxiety and eagerness to meet their Mentor. It was great to witness the moment of the first connection in which new Mentors warmly welcomed the Mentees with hugs, smiles and laughter.

Unfortunately a few Mentors could not make it to the event but they will soon be connected with the Mentees in the coming weeks.

We are proud of our new and distinguished team of Mentors and trust that our students will learn a lot from their expertise and professionalism as they strive to build their careers in the hospitality industry.

A touching moment between Mentor and Mentee; the final slide of the PowerPoint brings the ceremony to a close

Thank you all for supporting the ALMP and making this second Phase of the Program a reality. Special thanks go to Peace Through Business® Rwanda that supported us in the identification of Mentors; individuals from the Norway, Sweden, and IBM UK who have supported ALMP; the Serena Hotel for hosting us; and the Akilah Team for a great event.

Green Class decorations

In order to properly celebrate, we held a contest where each class had to decorate their classroom based on this year’s IWD theme of “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures”. On Wednesday we announced the competition, noting that they must collaborate as a team, and gave them each a small budget to purchase materials. The following day we allotted two hours for decoration, and at 2pm the judging promptly began!

Blue Class decorations

The Green Class (Year 1) welcomed the judges with a large “WELCOME” sign decorated with flowers, and explained their theme of using fruit to symbolize the vitality and life that women bring to society and the business community. The Blue Class  (Year 2) used the colors of the Rwandan flag to decorate their classroom, using traditional Rwandan art to remind them of the role of women both past and present. The Yellow Class (Year 1) led the judges in along a pathway decorated with the IWD 2012 theme, and even opened with an impromptu dance! They chose pink ribbons to express femininity, and placed them in the shape of a giant Y for Yellow Class.

Yellow Class decorations

After a long and heated debate, the judges selected Blue Class as the winners of the International Women’s Day challenge for their success in tying this year’s theme to their classroom decoration. Every student made a tremendous effort and produced impressive results, and we are excited to enjoy the classroom decorations for quite some time!

Miss Jojo addresses the crowd at K-Club; Akilah students cheer on the dance floor

The IWD celebration continued into the evening with a special event at K-Club in the Nyarutarama neighborhood of Kigali. Students sold Akilah merchandise such as bracelets, shirts, and totebags, as well as merchandise from their own jewelry and handbag businesses. We had several guest DJ’s from local radio stations playing tunes, and even had a surprise visit from Rwanda’s famous singer Miss Jojo! The students were ecstatic to meet her, and hear her speak on women’s empowerment in Rwanda and all of East Africa. We also showed the Akilah IWD Video, which received rave reviews from all in attendance.

Executive Director Lisa Martilotta with Akilah students at K-Club dressed in the traditional Rwandan fashion

Our students and staff had a great time dancing the night away to celebrate IWD 2012 while raising money for Akilah. Thank you to K-Club for graciously hosting the event, and to Casino Kigali for their generous donation to Akilah in honor of International Women’s Day!

Happy International Women’s Day from the Akilah students and faculty!

Co-founder Elizabeth Dearborn Davis with students Emmanuella and Ernestine in front of our new Akilah banner

We did not go about this on our own, however; after interviewing many students, we selected four to be our Admissions Associates. Each Associate was assigned a province, and spent two weekends traveling to their respective town to find a suitable venue and do flyering. After much planning, we were finally ready to travel and present on the Akilah admissions process.

Akilah staff and students Emmanuella and Ernestine prep for the first info session in Gisenyi

During the first weekend, we traveled to Gisenyi in the Western Province and Ruhengeri in the Northern Province. Associate Emmanuella Imababazi did a great job selecting the Youth Center as our session location, and Mr. Victor Kayoboke was very kind to host us and spread the word about the event. This was by far our most attended info session; we had over 400 potential Akilah students show up!

Associate Emmanuella presents to a room full of applicants in Gisenyi

The next day we drove to Assemblies of God church in Ruhengeri, where Pastor Vincent Safari kindly welcomed us and assured us he had told every church in the province about the event. As it turns out, he was telling the truth- we had around 350 young women come! We received many great questions about the programs, tuition, but the most inspiring (and most often asked) question was, “Can you open an Akilah campus in our Province?”.

Associates with Pastor Safari; Assemblies of God Church in Ruhengeri

The second weekend we went to Ruhango in the Southern Province and Kayonza in the Eastern Province. In Ruhango, Associate Hope Simwanga had also chosen Assemblies of God Church. When we arrived an hour early, the place was already completely full; we ended up having to give two full sessions that day to accommodate all of the young women who had traveled for miles to come hear about Akilah!

Grace explains the Entrepreneurship Diploma using our Powerpoint presentation; the Associates and Pastor Ntakirutimana pose with their Akilah bracelets

The following day was our final information session, two and a half hours east of Kigali in Kayonza. For our venue Associate Grace Uwantege had selected Trinity Church, which provided a beautiful well-lit space for us to speak to about 150 young ladies. The session went very smoothly and was a great cap to our tour of Rwanda.

Associates Grace and Hope in front of the opening slide of the presentation; Grace speaking to young women in Kayonza

On the way back to Kigali, we even had time to stop at Lake Muhazi for dinner to treat the Associates for their hard work and celebrate a successful recruitment process. We’ve already started seeing applications come in, and we can’t wait to see the rest!

Communications & Marketing Associate Mary Patton with Grace and Hope on Lake Muhazi

Bob Zoellick, President of the World Bank, spoke at an event for Akilah, sponsored by the Marriott in Washington D.C.

Akilah CEO Elizabeth Dearborn Davis met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to discuss Akilah’s progress and vision.

All Akilah students completed Social Change Projects, community service projects, in 6 villages around Rwanda.

All Akilah Diploma students completed at least one internship in the Hospitality and Tourism industry

Read more about the companies where Akilah students completed their internships >>

American Ambassador to Rwanda, Donald Koran, visited the Akilah campus.

Two Akilah students received a scholarship to complete their internship at a luxury restaurant in Hong Kong.

Akilah co-founders Dave Hughes and Elizabeth Dearborn Davis got engaged!

Aloisea Inyumba, the Rwandan Minister of Gender, was the Guest of Honor at Akilah Night 2011, a reception on campus for our government and private sector partners.