Our Stories

With the Mastercard Foundation’s support, we had the resources needed to effectively respond to the pandemic by transitioning to e-learning and minimizing the disruption in education for our students.

We’re thrilled to invite you to join a powerful new community of changemakers: The Visionaries. At its heart, The Visionaries is a monthly giving experience that honors the original idea that brought Akilah to life: empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

Campus has been buzzing throughout September with Orientation and Bridge activities, including tours, training sessions, and time to build connections with new friends and faculty.

We recently caught up with a few of our Class of 2022 students, to hear more about their experiences at Davis College and their dreams for the future.

University leaders from 8 institutions convened at Rongo University, Kenya, to draw a roadmap for operating and driving impact through the Education Collaborative’s first regional hub. Starting from East Africa, the Education Collaborative looks to scale impact across the continent through a regional hub approach that works through clusters of exemplary African universities.

When Akilah opened its doors in 2010, there was one diploma program with a class of 50 students sharing two classrooms. This close-knit community allowed us to create a strong student culture, characterized by an amazing student experience.

Thanks to the Mastercard Foundation, Jeanne, Divine and hundreds of other young female scholarship recipients have kept their higher education dreams alive. This past June, Akilah graduated more than 400 young women in a virtual ceremony. Pandemic notwithstanding, all of them are on a path to a better future for themselves and their families.

As the third trimester comes to an end, we want to take a moment to congratulate and celebrate all that the 2020/2021 Student Guild achieved.

In February 2021, our Business Management & Entrepreneurship faculty organized the first round of pitches for the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (FGSIC), an annual competition that inspires student entrepreneurs around the world to create social ventures that promote positive, sustainable change, and provides the opportunity to secure seed funding.

On June 18th, we graduated the Class of 2020 and celebrated the extraordinary accomplishments of over 400 women, who have proven their courage, commitment, and brilliance during an incredibly challenging pandemic year. Iqra shares her leadership journey, career goals, and advice to the future leaders who follow in her footsteps as Davis College and Akilah students.

Inspiring stories from two Mastercard Foundation scholarship recipients about overcoming challenges and striving for a better future. Meet Ziada Nirere, an Information Systems student at Davis College and Akilah from the Class of 2021. Beata Ufitinema, another Information Systems student from the class of 2021, was faced with a similar situation to Zaida.

In June, the Student Guild’s Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Student Affairs team, ran a two-week sustainability campaign that culminated in a recycling competition where students pitched their innovative ideas and products, with three finalists awarded. Aidah Mirembe, Minister of Environment (E/W), Student Guild Cabinet, shares her thoughts on why protecting our planet is important for us all to understand and act on.

As the final trimester for the 2020/2021 academic year winds to an end, we sat down with Myriam Iransubije, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Class of 2021 and President of the Akilah Student Guild Cabinet, to hear how the past year has made her a stronger, wiser leader.

On June 18, our community came together to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2020 - a cohort of over 400 passionate, courageous, and brilliant young women.

A decade on, the two former students reflect on their lives and careers, the status of women in Rwanda, and their hopes for the future. Their stories illustrate the life-changing impact of progressive education, and offer inspiration to young women in Rwanda and beyond.

Dianne Dusaidi is a Rwandan leader and entrepreneur dedicated to the development of her country and the continent of Africa. With an MBA in International Business, she has worked both with the public and private sector and is currently with the Mastercard Foundation Rwanda.

A message from our Co-Founder and CEO, Elizabeth Dearborn HughesLast week, I shared the painful news with our team that we will be saying goodbye to 25 of our colleagues in Rwanda. It’s been a challenging season of loss AND energizing renewal.

As our first cohort of Davis College students commence their third trimester, we caught up with Pascal Niyomuremyi, Minister of Education and Careers, Davis College Student Guild Representative, and Business Management and Entrepreneurship Class of 2022, to hear about his experiences so far and what his dreams are for the future.

Dean’s dedication to our mission stems from a deep belief in women’s education and a connection he forged with Rwanda in his early twenties. His story highlights the importance of community, connection, and collaboration — values that also align strongly with our organization’s culture.