The Akilah Institute is a non-profit college for women in Kigali, Rwanda. It is the first college for women in the country. The institute offers three-year diplomas in

entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

hospitality management Hospitality management may refer to: *Hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, travel and tourism. It inc ...

, and

information system An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed by four components: task, people ...

s. Akilah is accredited through Rwanda's Ministry of Education.

History

The Akilah Institute was founded in 2008 by Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes and Dave Hughes. Elizabeth Hughes moved to Rwanda after graduating from

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

in 2006. After volunteering with several grassroots initiatives, she co-founded Amani Africa to provide scholarships to street children. Dave Hughes joined the program as a volunteer. The two strategized on ways to link Rwandan women with long-term employment opportunities. In 2008, they developed the model for Akilah Institute. The institute officially opened in Kigali, Rwanda, in January 2010 with a diploma in Hospitality Management. Fifty students enrolled in the first class. In 2012, the institute introduced a diploma in Entrepreneurship. Two years later, it launched an Information Systems diploma.

Function

Akilah's mission is ''to offer a market-relevant education that enables young women to achieve economic independence and obtain leadership roles in the workplace and in society.” The curriculum is designed in partnership with local employers and the Rwandan government. Academic majors are selected according to regional market needs. The Akilah Institute currently has 1,100 students and 990 graduates. The institute has a 93% retention rate, and 88% of graduates find jobs within six months of graduation.

Burundi Campus

In January 2014, Akilah expanded to Burundi and opened the first women's college in the country. In April 2015, the campus was closed due to political instability in the country. Forty-four Burundian students were transferred to Akilah's Kigali campus.

Funding

Akilah is funded primarily through a combination of contributions and grants. Other funding sources include student tuition, in-kind donations, and special events.

Marriott partnership

In 2012, Akilah partnered with Marriott International to introduce a hospitality training program for graduates at Marriott hotels in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

and

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...

. Since the program's start, dozens of Akilah alumnae have relocated to the Middle East to participate in the program. Marriott hired 23 Akilah graduates to staff its Kigali Marriott Hotel, which opened in 2016.

Debate team

In 2015, Akilah formed Rwanda's first all-female college debate team. The team won a countrywide competition the same year. In October 2015, Akilah hosted the first National Inter-University Female Debate Championship.

MindSky

In January 2015, Akilah founder Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes launched MindSky (formerly AkilahNet) with the co-founder Anastasia Uglova as part of the Akilah Group, a collection of social enterprises with a focus on education, technology, and employment. MindSky is an online talent platform that matches employers with job seekers in East Africa.

References

External links

akilahinstitute.org

mindsky.com
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Rwanda Women's universities and colleges Educational institutions established in 2010 2010 establishments in Rwanda Education in Kigali