Anita Umutoni's story:

Anita, the eldest child of 5, was born in Nairobi, Kenya. At the age of 8, her father passed away, leaving only her mother to care for the children. Life was not easy and the family struggled to find money for food, education and clothes. Towards the end of 1999, Anita’s family moved back to Rwanda. Despite her young age, Anita felt compassion for her mother and tried her hardest to bear some of her mother’s burden. “ Life was so hard for her,” she says, speaking of her mother’s struggle to raise the family. “To do it alone was not easy.” Upon their return, they found themselves without a home, without land and without support.

Anita overcame the odds and managed to complete secondary school. Yet, she found herself once again without the adequate funds to pursue her education. Feeling responsible for her family, Anita obtained a job as a receptionist. With the money she earned, she paid school fees for her younger brothers. “I had no hope, no hope of going back to school. I had no one to help me,” she says of this point in her life. Eventually, Anita heard about The Akilah Institute for Women through a friend and quickly jumped at the chance to go back to school. Not only was she excited about the opportunity to pursue higher education, she was excited about Akilah’s cause since she felt passionately about both the hospitality industry and the advancement of women.

Since beginning her courses at Akilah in Kigali, Anita has proved herself as an exceptional student and natural leader in all aspects of student life. In her first year at Akilah, her performance inside the classroom resulted in her being one of the two students selected to participate in Akilah’s Metropolitan Safari fundraising tour. In the span of 2 months, she toured 15 US cities where she spoke passionately and articulately about Akilah, demonstrating her ability to be an ambassador for her school. Of all the places visited, the hustle and bustle of New York City captured her heart the most. Among her fondest memories in life, she lists walking through Time Square with her fellow Akilah classmate. “It was so interesting, and I learned a lot, especially in public speaking,” she says of the Metropolitan Safari tour.

On campus, Anita serves as the Student Body Vice President. This leadership role is one of many. In high school, she served as the head female representative of her class. In addition, she served as the Head of Social Affairs in her community sector youth group.

Anita excels outside of the classroom as well. “Since starting Akilah, my knowledge has increased. I’ve gained skills to have a meaningful job.” And meaningful jobs are what Anita’s resume are full of. She has worked at The Manor Hotel and is currently working as a receptionist at the world famous Hotel des Mille Collines. She also works as a waitress for Food & Stuff Catering. In addition, she worked as a translator for Care International. One day, Anita hopes to open in her own tourism company. “Akilah equips me with the skills that helped me get employment. It has opened my eyes,” she says, reflecting on her time spent at Akilah.