PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Alumnae

The third component in the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Program is Pay it Forward. Both Afghanistan and Rwanda have created their own alumnae associations to help educate more people in their communities and to support their fellow colleagues. With over 450 women and growing in Afghanistan and 350 in Rwanda, the impact of their advocacy is reaching levels of government and industry with powerful force.

Afghanistan: PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network

Afghan women are determined and eager to embrace their new-found position in a free market economy by paying forward their expertise. Recent accomplishments include:

  • PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network is the first Afghan organization to officially celebrate International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, on November 19th, since 2015.

 

  • PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network is the first Afghan organization to launch an annual award recognizing successful businesswomen around the country. The award, named after the Prophet Mohamamd (PBUH) Khadija, the wife of Mohamed, was a prominent leader in the ancient global trade routes, as well as a generous philanthropist. The award includes a grant for the winners and is celebrated at a well-publicized gala.

 

  • PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network was an instrumental founding organization of Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD) and has played a role advocating for women’s economic empowerment, as well as business women’s concerns and interests over the past two years. Recent LEAD accomplishments include a voice at the international table regarding the future of Afghanistan. PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® took a prominent panel seat alongside First Lady Rula Ghani at the Fall 2016 International Conference on Afghanistan held in Brussels, Belgium.

 

  • Forming LEAD was instrumental in the next step for business women in Afghanistan. In March 2017, history-making government approval was received to launch the first Afghan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Again, PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network leadership was at the helm.

Rwanda: PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Alumnae Association

Our Rwanda alumnae share their happy spirit and message of inclusion by paying it forward via their own nonprofit development programs. Recent accomplishments include:

  • Working with IEEW, Sister Cities International Oklahoma City, and Sister Cities Kigali City on a MOU that ensures PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® will always have a facility to hold classes within the new City Hall and, once completed, the new Women’s Business Center.

 

  • Bringing together the necessary parties to implement a Club 29 (Oklahoma City) Rotary grant that will furnish the new PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Training Facility within the Women’s Center.

 

  • Committing to mentoring other business women within Rwanda that have not yet had the privilege to attend the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program, as well as support each other by promoting and highlighting their own businesses.
The PTB® Alumnae Council in Afghanistan, Fall of 2018

Visit the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network Facebook page.

The Women of Destiny Group composed of PTB® students from 2017

To read stories about the great work being done by PTB alumnae, visit our blog.

Alumnae Gallery

2016-17 Board of Directors for the Afghanistan PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network: From Left – Homa Usmany, Bayani Salimi, Fahkria Ebrahimi, Sadaf Sadat (Vice President), Zahra Jafar (President), Muzhda Ehsan and Razia Aseman. Not Pictured: Lina Shafaq, Herat Province (Vice President in charge of Provinces). – September 2016, Kabul
During the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® delegation trip to Rwanda in March 2016, volunteer Royalyn Reid, Dallas entrepreneur, worked with the Rwanda PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Alumnae Association on strategic planning and organizing. From Left: Lilian Uwukuri, Royalyn Reid, Billye Reyes, Chantal Munanayire, Lyliose Nduhungirehe and Sonia Ntukanyagwe. – March 2016, Kigali
Christine Hategekimana (PTB® class of 2017) hard at work on the PTB® loan committee in Rwanda along with IEEW March 2018 delegation members Nancy Hyde and Mary Blankenship Pointer.
2017 PTB® graduate, Parwarish Oryakhail, in the 2018 Train the Trainers session, Las Colinas, TX

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