Wednesday, March 19
OKLAHOMA DELEGATION TO RWANDA
BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS, FUTURE FOR WOMEN
by Mike Brake, Oklahoma County Commissioners Office
A delegation of Oklahomans including Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan and business leader Dr. Terry Neese has arrived in Rwanda to help local women create new businesses and cement Oklahoma City’s Sister Cities relationship with the capital city of Kigali.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to build a relationship with one of Africa’s most progressive nations,” said Neese, founder of the Oklahoma City-based Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW), which sponsors annual programs in Afghanistan and Rwanda to help women start and build businesses.
The Oklahoma group arrived in Rwanda Tuesday and met with U. S. Ambassador Donald Koran. Maughan said they discussed ways to strengthen the Sister Cities bond between Oklahoma City and Kigali. Maughan is a past president of Sister Cities International of Oklahoma City.
“The Rwandans are very interested in adopting some of the innovations in local government we have pioneered in Oklahoma County, especially the SHINE program,” Maughan said. SHINE includes an alternative community service program for low-level offenders and a youth volunteerism program. “They are very serious about starting both programs built straight from our model.”
Neese said a big part of the visit is a graduation ceremony for 30 Rwandan business women who have been enrolled in then PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program. Since IEEW was founded in 2006, over 400 women in both target nations have graduated from the program and Neese said 80 percent of them are still operating businesses.
The Oklahomans will also meet with local and national Rwandan leaders and discuss ways to boost trade and commerce between that nation and Oklahoma. They are expected to return to Oklahoma on March 26.
PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS Delegation to Rwanda: From Left: Jan Hill, Eden Salon; Karen Berkheimer, IEEW Student Liaison; U.S. Ambassador Donald Koran; Dr. Terry Neese, Founder-IEEW; Commissioner Brian Maughan, Oklahoma County Commissioner Chair; Kim Neese, President-Terry Neese Personnel Services; Rose Busingye, IEEW Facilitator. Missing in Photo: Monica Smiley, Publisher-Enterprising Women Magazine & Bruce Miller, Photographer.
