Asli is Climbing Kilimanjaro to Support Rwanda's Women

On July 5th I'll begin a seven-day trek to the summit of Africa's highest peak to support the women of Rwanda.

During my time here I've had the pleasure of getting to know some inspiring young ladies from the Akilah Institute for Women who are preparing to take the lead in Rwanda's burgeoning hospitality industry. Akilah is dedicated to training Rwanda's next generation of female leaders and entrepreneurs so they can positively impact their families, communities, and their country's economy. Through extensive training, these women gain the skills and knowledge to find meaningful employment that will lift themselves and their families from poverty. Several of these students have already joined the industry at The Manor!

Many of Akilah's students are orphans and are responsible for supporting their children, siblings, or other family members. Tuition is expensive and living costs in Kigali are high. Akilah currently enrolls 50 students -- over one third of them are the head of their household.

Help me help Akilah Women! My goal is to raise enough through this climb to provide a full scholarship to Akilah's two-year diploma program. Your support will go directly towards the scholarship. I will track the sponsored student's progress next year so that you can see the tremendous impact your support has.

Meet a few of Akilah's current students and hear them talk about their dreams: http://akilahinstitute.org/2010/05/leadership-ethics-presentations/

Learn more about Akilah here: www.akilahinstitute.org