Student Government Elections

It’s voting season at Akilah! Last week we held elections to appoint our new Student Government for the January-August 2012 school year (See more pictures of speeches, voting, and results on our Facebook Page>>).

Students gather in the yellow classroom to hear candidates give their speeches

We began by holding speeches from all candidates: thirteen students ran for a total of seven positions (second place for President automatically becomes Vice President). Executive Director Lisa Martilotta opened by emphasizing the importance of transparency and fairness in elections, and the students agreed to be democratic and unbiased.

Candidates Louise, Betty, and Fais give their speeches

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Big Sister Day

Big Sister Mentoring, part of the Akilah Mentoring Program (AMP), has officially begun! Through this program, Year Two students are paired with one or two Year One students for mentorship. When the pairings were announced, the students were ecstatic and could not wait to have their first meeting with their “new sisters”. (See more pictures of the announcement of the pairings on our Facebook page>>).

Big Sisters are responsible for developing positive relationships with their Little Sisters that will have a direct and lasting impact on their lives. They are expected to support their Little Sisters for one year through their academic challenges and any other aspect that may be an obstacle to their personal, academic, or professional path.

Program manager Irene Kagoya announces the names of the mentors and their mentees

Year Two students meet with their mentees at least three times each semester and submit a brief report about their mentoring experience to the Leadership & Ethics Instructor, Irene Kagoya, at the end of the semester.

Through this program, our Year One students will receive support in navigating the rigorous academic environment of Akilah, and learn to appreciate the values of the school. The Year Two students will benefit from this relationship as well by sharing their knowledge and honing their leadership skills, and will help to develop a culture of mentoring on campus.

This program will become an integral and longlasting institution at Akilah, and will allow students to pass down the invaluable skills gained here from class to class. Let the mentoring begin!

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Akilah’s First Advisory Council Meeting of 2012

Last Thursday night, Akilah held its first Advisory Council meeting of 2012. All Rwanda-based members of the Council were in attendance, and met at the beautiful Serena Hotel, which graciously hosted our event in downtown Kigali. (See the full list of Advisory Council members>>)

The Advisory Council serves as our “brain trust”, and gives highly knowledgeable ad experienced individuals the opportunity to play a critical role in Akilah’s development and to touch the lives of thousands of Rwandan women.

Akilah staff Irene, Kim, Denise, and Robert

Akilah staff Irene, Kim, Denise, and Robert

Founder Elizabeth Dearborn Davis presented to the Council, giving a brief overview of the many highlights of 2011. We had two students travel to Hong Kong for 6-week internships; student Jackie Kirabo received a scholarship to complete an event planning internship in Barcelona, Spain at Simulia’s annual technology conference; and students Anita and Florence launched their own clothing and handbag business.

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Welcome Back to School!

On January 5th, the students returned to campus excited about the New Year and ready to learn. This academic year will run until August, when we will celebrate our first graduating class!

Students Alice, Esperance, Euphrasie, and Francine chatting before class begins

Class schedules hang on a banana leaf board in the hallway

Class schedules hang on a banana leaf board in the hallway

We currently have two class years on campus: our Year 1 students (the Green and Yellow classes), half of whom finished the Foundation Year program in December, and our Year 2 students (the Blue class), who will graduate in August.

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“Abs for Akilah” Fundraiser on Useppa Island

On December 28th, the beach of Useppa Island, off of Fort Myers, Florida, filled with residents ready to work their abs for an Akilah fundraiser. Shelby Calambokidis of Baltimore, Maryland, had graciously offered to lead an Abs class at $30 per person to raise money for Akilah.

 

Shelby leading the class

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How Akilah changed Florence’s life forever

During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Florence Mukundwa lost

family - and hope.

 In 2010, she joined the Akilah Institute in order to gain business and entrepreneurial skills.

She quickly found a job at a boutique hotel in Kigali, and used this income to send her siblings to school.

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Akilah on VOA in Kinyarwanda

Marriott International hosted Metropolitan Safari DC at the Mayflower Hotel. Bob Zoellick, President of the World Bank, was our guest speaker, along with Rwandan Ambassador Kimonyo and Marriott VP Kathleen Matthews.

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Cocktail Reception, Dec 7, Tampa, Florida

Join us at a special cocktail event on December 7 in Tampa with Akilah CEO Elizabeth Dearborn Davis, co-founder Dave Hughes, and Executive Director Lisa Martilotta.

Goals of the evening:

1. Celebrate the start of our 3rd academic year

2. Share our successes, challenges, highlights, and more. Learn about the Akilah model/school culture, and insight we have gained in our first two years of educating young women in Rwanda.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Hosted by the Athena Society
6:30-8:00 pm
Horizon Bay
800 West Azeele Street
Tampa, FL 33606
Drinks & Appetizers

Attendance is free, but please RSVP to Elizabeth@AkilahInstitute.org

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Students for Social Change

As the academic year draws to an end, Akilah would like to reflect on the many inspiring student-led Social Change Projects, which helped communities around Kigali in various ways. Through the course of these projects, Akilah’s students have proved themselves as exemplary leaders.

Among the projects developed and implemented by students were: Family Planning Education in Kacyiru, Domestic Violence Solutions in Kimironko, Changing Poor Attitudes Toward Work in Bumbogo, Malnutrition Solutions in Nyamirambo, Human Rights Workshops in Nyamata and Unwanted Pregnancies Education in Rwanda.

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End-of-Year Student Showcase

This week on campus, students finalized plans for their End-Of-Year 1 Showcase! The students will be randomly assigned to 4 separate groups, and each group with have a faculty member to help “coach” the students. The Showcase will involve four separate modules: drama, music, debate and a quiz bowl. The students have chosen to host the event on the Friday before finals week, November 18. Additionally, students will invite independent judges from their mentor and business partner communities to judge the event! The campus as a whole is extremely excited for this first-ever student showcase, which will tie a nice bow on the first year of the Akilah Hospitality Management Diploma Program. We are proud to announce that nearly 25 percent of the Class of 2012 are already gainfully employed in the industry!

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