By Natasha Elkington | Fri., June 3, 11:19 AM | Comments ( 2 )
Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg Akili Dada director talks to 2010 Annual Mentoring Conference attendees in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo taken by Jamie Falinski
By Natasha Elkington
While I was out in Kenya earlier this year I met a lot of people from my homeland who were quite frustrated with how the West sees Africa, and how most of the stories coming out of “the dark continent” are mostly that – dark.
I know the continent is ravaged with conflict, poverty, disease, famine and corruption, just to name a few problems, and all the images coming out of there illustrate mostly those issues. But I found there are a lot of positive changes taking place there that often go ignored, because they are not considered “newsy” enough to be on the front pages of respected news organisations.
“If it bleeds it leads,” that’s how the media often view stories with importance. So to change things a little, I thought I would take the opportunity back home to look not at what’s bleeding, but at what’s healing.
Akili Dada is a mentorship organisation that works to help young women from underprivileged backgrounds by providing them with scholarships for higher education, mentoring and leadership training. I met with the organisation’s director, Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, to see what changes they are making in Africa.
What I appreciated most about their work was how the young women who become part of the movement have to give back to their community and help their villages. The words Akili, meaning intellect in Swahili, and dada, meaning sister, reflect how the young women’s success in the programme also depends on changes occurring in their village communities through the initiative.
“At the age of 14, 15, 16 (these girls) are investing in their communities…planting trees, mentoring other young girls and sharing stories of hope,” Kamau-Rutenberg said in an interview.
Akili dada recently received an African Achievers International Millennium Development Goals award for the grassroots alleviation of poverty. This is their story.
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