The Agnes Irwin School To Host Graduates From First Women’s College In Rwanda
The Agnes Irwin School will host two young women on Friday from the Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali, Rwanda. Students from the Upper Class at The Agnes Irwin School, a private all girls’ school in Bryn Mawr, started The Akilah Club several years ago to keep students connected to the women’s college in East Africa.
Recent Akilah graduates Francine Mugeni and Irene Ingabire will speak at The Agnes Irwin School assembly and spend time visiting classes and speaking with students about their experiences of growing up in Rwanda. Both women are victims of the 1994 genocide, which left Rwanda devastated and had a profound impact on the young generation of women who continue to suffer the consequences of the violence that killed over one million people. While poverty remains prevalent, today Rwanda is a model of reconciliation and economic development.
Akilah, founded in January 2010, educates, trains and empowers young women through a proven model of transformational business education, ensuring career opportunities that increase their earning potential and significantly alleviate poverty for their families and communities. In August, Akilah celebrated its inaugural commencement ceremony where 39 young women graduated with 100 percent job placement, each on track to launch their professional careers.
“The Akilah Club at The Agnes Irwin School allows students to gain interest and understanding in women’s education and empowerment, while creating a personal connection with these young women in Rwanda,” said Elizabeth Dearborn-‐Hughes, CEO and Co-‐founder of Akilah. “The students at Akilah have forged their own paths and overcome tremendous obstacles while breaking the cycle of poverty for their families, their communities and their country. Our two graduates are eager to share their stories, their experiences at Akilah and their professional goals for the future with the students at The Agnes Irwin School.”
During their time in Philadelphia, Akilah will participate in an inspirational evening event on Thursday, October 11 at 6:30pm at the Philadelphia Country Club. Tickets and event details are available at www.metropolitansafari.org.
Akilah empowers young women in East Africa to transform their lives by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to find meaningful employment and launch ventures in the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Akilah’s scalable model of transformational business education that prepares young women to become compassionate and confident leaders in their communities and in the rapidly developing sectors of the economy. The unique Akilah model emphasizes leadership, communication, and entrepreneurial skills. Akilah works closely with the local private sector to develop market-‐relevant curricula and to ensure 100 percent job placement for graduates. Over the next then years, Akilah plans to develop a network of regional campuses across East Africa that offer academic program in response to the needs of local
