Empower women in Africa through higher education!

We shared the amazing news last Summer when Alice came to America to participate in a US internship! You will not believe what she did with that new experience and knowledge when she returned to Rwanda.

Immediately after her return, Alice joined our Accelerate Academy Entrepreneurship Program (the first University student to be accepted into the program!) with Ariane, her best friend and business partner.

Through their solar mobile chargers and lamps, Starlight was started by Alice and Ariane to provide clean energy to communities in Rwanda who have little access to electricity -- like villages and refugee camps. As entrepreneurs from the These Numbers Have Faces Accelerate Academy they know the value of building innovative solutions to some of the regions most challenging problems. 

This Fall, they were invited to pitch Starlight at the annual "Made in Rwanda" event. After presenting, they were two of sixteen young entrepreneurs invited to attend Global Youth Connect in May where they'll have the opportunity to network, market their product, and pitch their business to investors. 

As Ariane and Alice put it, "Successful women never miss the opportunity to shine" -- and they proof of that!

Thank you for making this work possible though your generosity!

In 1999, Rwanda was still suffered from a complicated history and a challenging environment after the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Ariane’s father, a member of the army, was shot in the head disabling him both physically and mentally. Ariane’s mother took on the burden of supporting her five children by setting up a small shop in the Western Province of Rwanda.

Ariane remembers helping her mother as a child. Smiling, she told me, “No one could ever pass up an offer from me.” This example of entrepreneurship and independence inspired Ariane to one day open her own business.

As you might imagine, it was challenging growing up in a single-income home with a disabled father, but as the first-born in her family Ariane took the role of caretaker seriously. Diligently she took on small jobs to support her family while studying hard to pursue her dream of attending University. 

After Ariane graduated high school she and her mom took a leap of faith in applying to University, and was accepted into the Electronics & Telecommunications program. After completing two years in the program, she was no longer able to pay for her tuition and was forced to leave University. 

Ariane could have given up hope, but instead she decided to shift her energy toward a business that she began with a classmate, Starlight, which sells solar powered products to refugee and low-income populations. Ariane and her business partner, Alice, were accepted into our Accelerate Academy entrepreneurship program in 2016, and have been steadily strengthening their business for the last year. Alongside product development and sales, Ariane and her partner began visiting high schools in their community to encourage young girls to study mathematics, science, and engineering. Their mentorship and encouragement have already made an impact for the young women of Rwanda. 

It would be enough to end the story there, but Ariane’s dreams are huge! As she completed our Accelerate Academy program, she knew that she still needed a university degree to gain the knowledge she needs to inspire others and build her business. Ariane applied to the These Numbers Have Faces University Leadership Program in June 2017 – and we are excited to say that she will be headed back to school this Fall!

Follow along Ariane’s story through her dashboard and invest in her future! Thank you for your partnership!   

Links:

• Learn more at www.thesenumbers.org!