Laura Bush to participate in ceremony celebrating Afghan and Rwandan women entrepreneurs
August 20th, 2009 Posted by admin
Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women
Dr. Terry Neese, Founder / CEO
2709 W. I-44 Service Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
405-943-4474
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Aug. 20, 2009
Contact: Becca Colbaugh
Office: 405-943-4474
Mobile: 918-693-1570
E-mail: [email protected]
Laura Bush to participate in ceremony celebrating Afghan and Rwandan women entrepreneurs
DALLAS – AUGUST 20, 2009 – Mrs. Laura Bush will participate in a ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of 29 women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Rwanda who have completed the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program. PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS is an in-depth business training and leadership development program coordinated by the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women in partnership with Northwood University. The ceremony will be hosted at The Women’s Museum on August 25th.
PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS included eight weeks of in-country education in March and April followed by three weeks of training in the United States in August, which included an International Women’s Economic Summit and a weeklong mentorship with American women business owners.
Afghan student Asma Ataie, 23, who owns a literacy training and business development center in Afghanistan says that the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program has not only taught how to improve her business, but it has also encouraged her to be a leader in her country. She says that she has been inspired to help bring change and peace to Afghanistan – as a leader and as a woman.
“I learned so many things from this program – how to be a good leader, how to start your business in a good way, how your business should use new methods,” Ataie explained. “We should always try to bring changes to our country. If we just sit at home and take care of the children, and we are not allowed to go outside of the house, this is, I think, a big challenge for us, and we should face the challenge and solve the problems.”
Terry Neese, founder of the Institute, says that this year’s program has reached new heights.
“The dedication and courage behind our 2009 students is so inspirational,” Neese said. “We have trained over 60 women this year, and our students are eager to pay forward their education back home and carry on the lessons they learned here in the United States. Our ultimate goal is to spread the light of entrepreneurship and democracy to women around the world. We are accomplishing that goal through the students of our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program.”
Rwandan student Lydie Hakizimana’s enthusiasm to help train other women in her country is undeniable.
“We want to really share what we have learned here, because most of the businesswomen in my country are very scared of numbers – the financial parts.” Hakizimana said. “As long as they have money in the bank, it’s fine. They don’t want to know what the balance sheet or what the income statement means. So, we need to tell them it’s OK – you don’t have to be a specialist, you just need to know where you are going. We really, really need to make sure they understand that.”
The farewell reception and graduation ceremony is sponsored by AT&T, and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, Charlene Lake explains why the company believes in programs like PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS.
“We’re proud to support the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women and the work it is doing for women around the world,” said Lake, who also sits on the Institute’s advisory board. “As a global company, we truly believe in contributing to a strong world economy, and helping to empower women business owners from Afghanistan and Rwanda is such a special and meaningful way of achieving that very goal.”
The featured speaker at the ceremony is Mrs. Laura Bush, who is a leading advocate for literacy, and has championed the power of education to advance opportunity for women around the world. As First Lady, she traveled to more than 75 countries, including Rwanda and Afghanistan.
One-on-one interview opportunities will be available with Neese and students after the ceremony concludes.
All media must RSVP to the event with full name and affiliation information by 3 p.m. on Aug. 21 to Becca Colbaugh at 918.694.1570 or [email protected]. Media interested in attending must provide credentials at the door and have equipment checked in by 8 a.m. A detailed agenda of the event can be found here.
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About The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women:
The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women is a 501(c)3 non-profit empowering women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education, mentorship and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business.
