Project Akilah

I pondered recently on this blog, about how to create change, where there was an opportunity to create educational opportunities to help young people to achieve their dreams. A team of Rwandans, Americans and Europeans is doing just this for young women in Rwanda and restoring an abandoned educational facility to create value for a new generation of young people.

The Akilah training and leadership institute will provide education and skills to young women to find meaningful employment in the Rwandan economy. The founders are working closely with the Ministry of Education, Workforce Development Authority, and private sector leaders to develop curriculum that provides the students with market-relevant skills. Read more at the blog.

How can you help?

Become a supporter (that means $). The funds will be used to equip the school with all the materials needed for their first class of young women in January 2010.

Here is to more initiatives like Project Akilah

From the Project Sunshine desk

100 Words – Security and Tofu

Well, my attempts to create a cogent long post are gone. Time has become premium. I just recently began community based participatory research to find out where people shop and what they buy. Most of the route, however, I think of the high crime rate – the high murder rate in my city right now, and last year. That and the fact that we are in a recession means that I travel sans many of my attires for just looking chic. Its work, not the Fashion Week.

The crux of this research is the idea that if you give people supplemental food (you being the government) you can create a whole dietary culture around healthy eating. I give the analogy of tofu. I do not eat tofu right now, but if you made it available to me for free, and taught me (again!) about how nutritious it is for my health, I might consider eating some tomorrow, when you give me my first free coupon for tofu. It may be foreign to my palate, but its free so I will come for more. Can then this free supplement induce me to eat healthier? Will I become more health conscious or am I just temporarily toeing the line so that I can get relief from my high food bill.

Urban Un-Planning | Form Follows Finance – The Moment Blog – NYTimes.com

Urban Un-Planning | Form Follows Finance – The Moment Blog – NYTimes.com.

If I am to say which buildings should have never left the sketch board, I am to create a vivid image of a faceless city landscape. This article is a flashback to my training as a city planner.

I wish they could do a similar comparison for the Chicago facade.