» 11.1.11 has been proclaimed by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn as a day to recognize the accomplishments, innovation and impact of Washington State’s growing global development sector. Global Action Day is an opportunity for Washingtonians to learn about, support and join Rwanda Girls Initiative and more than 140 members of Global Washington who are working to create jobs at home and impact lives ... read more
» Rwanda Girls Initiative is proud to have been selected by local non-profit BEAN as their 2011 Think Global Act Local (TGAL) campaign fundraising recipient. Founded in 2003 BEAN is a volunteer-run charitable organization that seeks to connect young professionals through leadership, friendship and service. Originally based in Seattle, BEAN now has over 10,000 members in 11 chapters located in major ... read more
» Friends of Rwanda Girls Initiative gathered on May 13th in Seattle to reflect upon and celebrate the incredible progress of the past year as we moved the vision of providing a high quality secondary school education to the girls of Rwanda from a dream to a reality. Co-founders, Shalisan Foster and Suzanne Sinegal McGill, spoke to guests of the many milestone moments in the journey t... read more
» Rwanda Girls Initiative Co-Founders Shalisan Foster and Suzanne Sinegal McGill were invited to participate in the Women in the World Breakfast on November 16, 2010, sharing about RGI's work to educate girls to those in attendance. Over 300 women from business, philanthropy, academia, and the media gathered to learn about and celebrate Seattle’s role in advancing the economic and so... read more
» Between now and December 6th we are collecting in-kind donations for items needed prior to the Gashora Girls Academy opening early next year. The school will soon be filled with girls, but first we need to fill it with books, school supplies, linens, and other essentials. We have a list going on signupgenius.com, so if you want to participate, just email info@rwandagirlsinitiative.org ... read more
» On May 19th, 500 villagers from Gashora gathered along with representatives of the local and national Rwandan government and other friends of Rwanda Girls Initiative to dedicate the recently completed community center, “Urumuli rwa Gashora,” the Light of Gashora. As the ribbon was cut and the crowd entered the building, everyone was so excited to see this pivotal piece of R... read more
» Rwanda Girls Initiatives friends and supporters gathered for a spectacular evening on March 13, 2010. We were thrilled and humbled by the generosity of those who attended – the event raised over $700,000 in support of the Gashora Girls Academy! A few highlights were the traditional Rwandan dancing and food, a beautiful atmosphere and powerful words spoken by Senator Inyumba from Rw... read more
» On Dec 7th, Nicholas Kristof spoke about the central moral challenge of our time, gender equality, to 1000 people at the Overlake School. At a Global Service Fair prior to his speech, Kristof met RGI founders Shal Foster and Soozi McGill, who spoke to many of those in attendance about the power of educating girls and their vision for the Gashora Girls Academy. Kristof made a strong case for t... read more
» Co-Founders Shal and Soozi were invited to speak at the Goldman Sachs NextGeneration conference in Half Moon Bay. They spoke about the inspiration to found the Gashora Girls Academy, and their journey so far to make the idea a reality. Shal and Soozi were encouraged by the interest of those in attendance, and delighted for the opportunity to engage others in the pursuit of reducing pov... read more
» RGI celebrated its official launch at an event in early June with a very distinguished guest, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Maria Eitel, President of the Nike Foundation, spoke about the need for girls’ education and empowerment, and the high return on investment that comes from educating girls. President Kagame addressed the importance of educating and engaging the y... read more