This past November, Aiducation International hosted its annual Mentorship Academy. In addition to granting students financial assistance, Aiducation International organizes these sessions annually to support students in another way. During the one-week Academy, students gather to discuss their futures and to assess the professions right for them. Coaches and guest speakers assist in this endeavor. The Academy is also a place where students learn to network and are motivated to develop new strategies for empowering their country.

an attentive crowd, our AiduFellows at the Mentorship Academy

Aiducation Switzerland was represented by Matthias Meier who, thanks to the kind donation of Edelweiss Air, flew from Zurich to Mombasa to be a part of the 2011 group. The first surprise came in the airplane, since he happened to be sitting next to Lynda, who was flying back from London after her apprenticeship in London. (read here the story of Obrein and Lynda in London) Instead of sleeping for 12 hours, the two ended up chatting for the full 12- hour flight.

Having landed safely in the Kenyan capital, Mombasa, Matthias traveled north by car to Watamu. “Upon arrival, the first thing you notice is the heat, of course: the 35-degree difference to Zurich was a bit of a shock, albeit a good one”.

Matthias Meier, CEO of the Swiss Chapter at the Mentorship Academy

Einmal mehr fand im November 2011 eine unserer Mentorship Academies statt. Zusätzlich zur Finanzierung der Schulkosten organisiert Aiducation International diese jährlich, um ideelle Förderung zu leisten und die Karriereplanung und Berufsfindung unserer Schüler mithilfe von Referenten und Coaches weiter voranzutreiben. Die Mentorship Academy bildet zudem eine Plattform um zu netzwerken und soll die Schüler motivieren, Strategien zu entwickeln für die Zukunft ihres Landes.

aufmerksame Teilnehmer – unsere AiduFellows bei der Mentorship Academy

Aiducation Schweiz wurde dieses Mal vertreten durch Matthias Meier, der dank der grosszügigen Spende von Edelweiss Air kurz vor Beginn der Mentorship Academy von Zürich nach Mombasa flog. Bereits im Flugzeug wurde er überrascht: neben ihm sass Lynda, die eben von einer aufregenden Zeit in London nach Hause reiste (Lesen Sie hier den Blogbeitrag von Lynda und Obrein-). Statt 12 Stunden zu schlafen wurde 12 Stunden geplaudert.

If you are familiar with this blog, you surely remember the stories about Obrein and Lynda, two of our first Alumni, who successfully passed the final exam of secondary school earlier this year.

Lynda

Today, both of them are in London to complete a three-week internship.

Being a girl in a developing country is rarely easy. Poverty often has a more destructive effect on girls, who are more easily excluded from education and therefore from remunerating activities. In some areas, cultural prejudices against girls minimise their chances to access a good education and escape poverty.

Balkhis

It takes the extraordinary willpower of a girl like Balkhis, and a little help from Aiducation, to break the cycle of poverty and start building future for girls in local communities.

As part of a challenge during his MBA in Cambridge, UK, Patrick has gathered some friends for an incredible bike trip, all the way from Cambridge to Paris, and raised more than two scholarships on Justgiving. He tells us about his adventure:

Lisa and Timo can now both attend secondary school thanks to the bike challenge.

“Early on in our MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School, some of us discovered that there had been a ride from Cambridge to Paris organised by the previous cohort, to attend the MBA Tournament (MBAT) held at HEC in Paris during our final semester on the MBA. I contacted the guys from last year’s ride to get some more information about it and they proved most helpful with their advice and information, not least of which was that they had raised money for Aiducation with their ride. It was talked about more and more over the first semester and by the time MBAT was approaching there was a sizable group of us keen to make the trip, all of us keen to keep a great tradition and support for a great cause going.

Patrick’s team in action

After several long training rides around Cambridgeshire during the second semester, the MBA group was scattered across the globe for our “Global Consulting Project” a month-long project before returning for the final semester. On returning we had just week to arrange everything, but after a scramble of finalising equipment and plans, we were on our way to Paris via the wide open spaces of south Cambridgeshire and Essex, the Kentish downs, the English Channel and the lovely Avenue Verte route from Dieppe on the Normandy coast to Paris. The experience was a fantastic one. 10 riders from 7 countries with a range of riding experience and equipment made for a diverse and interesting group. We got to see some beautiful parts of the English and French countryside, and the ride into Paris was truly special. After 450km of riding up hill and down dale together, it was a great feeling for all 10 of us to ride through the streets to the Eiffel Tower to be greeted by some of the course-mates we had left behind in Cambridge 4 days earlier – just some of the tremendous support shown, which also included £3,240 raised for Aiducation by our generous friends, families and colleagues.”