What is the program that Google.org is funding?
With the funding and additional support from the Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls, Davis College and Akilah are launching the African Women’s Workforce Initiative (AWWI). The goal of AWWI is to transform the African workforce by building a talent pipeline of women and connecting them to the workforce.
AWWI will enable young women to launch their careers and increase their earning potential, allowing them to lift their families and communities out of poverty.
What educational programs will AWWI offer?
AWWI will offer two tracks:
A twelve-month certificate track for women from rural areas with limited formal education, which will initially be offered through our partner, Akola Academy in Uganda; and,
A two-year diploma track for secondary school graduates, to provide employers with a more advanced level of talent, which will be offered in Rwanda through Akilah at Davis College.
Both tracks include an internship for on-the-job training and will support employment through a job matching technology platform.
Why is there a need for the AWWI today?
Women’s economic participation in Africa and across the globe has been on the decline, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences for families and communities have been devastating.
The Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls is designed to create pathways to prosperity for women and girls and empower them to reach their full economic potential.
Building on our work in Rwanda, AWWI has the ability to reach marginalized women in predominantly rural communities through partnerships in Uganda, Ghana, and beyond, with the potential for expansion across the continent.
Anticipated outcomes include:
an influx of skilled women in the labor market;
increased educational and economic equality for women; and
sustainable poverty alleviation for women and their families.
What does it mean for Davis College and Akilah to be a Google.org selected organization?
The funding and additional support from Google.org will enable Davis College and Akilah to take our passion and commitment to women’s empowerment to the next level, creating increased educational and economic opportunities for those who would not otherwise have them. We will launch AWWI on December 1st, 2021. Concurrently, we will participate in an accelerator program through Google.org to expand a digital learning system and identify a job matching platform.
Akola Academy, our implementing partner in Uganda, will work with Akilah to develop the curriculum for the twelve-month certificate track, focused on building the skills and confidence of young women to join the private sector. Akola will also recruit students and local instructors, and will oversee training and wrap-around service delivery.
What does the Google.org funding and support mean for our donors and partners?
The funding and support from Google.org means that our institution has been highly recognized for its proven track record in educating East Africa’s future leaders with market-relevant skills, and helping them achieve professional success. Our passionate community of donors and partners have been instrumental in getting us here.
From three classrooms and 50 students on our first campus, to a network of 2,700+ Davis and Akilah students and alumnae, you have supported us for more than a decade to change the status quo for young people in Rwanda.
While the funding from Google.org will allow us to expand our footprint via partnerships across the region and serve even more students, this will cover only a portion of our costs. Financial support from our passionate donors remains vital to make this vision a reality in the months and years ahead. Together, we can build an educational institution that provides students across East Africa with the education, skills and links to formal employment that allows them to reach their potential and become leaders and changemakers for their families, communities and countries.
Thank you for continuing to join us on this journey!