Allie Souza: Post-Grad Work, Kenya

Dearest friends and family, 

As the daughter of two strong women who raised me to be independent and self-sufficient, and as a female entering the business world, I am deeply committed to female empowerment and women’s rights. I take great pride in applying my educational and financial background for a greater good, and have decided to spend my post-graduate year working to improved the lives of impoverished women in Northern Kenya - but I need your help!

What I will be doing: I will be working in coordination with the BOMA Project, a U.S. nonprofit and Kenyan NGO with a transformative approach to alleviating poverty and building resiliency in the drylands of Africa (see video above). As part of BOMA’s Monitoring & Evalutation team, I will help to implement programs that allow women to “graduate” from extreme poverty by giving them tools to start small businesses in their communities.

Why this work matters: The growing concentration of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa is of tremendous concern, and while some countries have seen success in reducing poverty, this area as a whole lags behind the rest of the world. However, this trend can be significantly diminished with the introduction of financial literacy and business planning, specifically for women living in extreme poverty. 

Where you come in: I received partial funding for this post-graduate work through a Yale Grant, but my goal is to raise the additional $18,000 prior to my departure for Kenya in July, 2016. This money will go towards airfare, health insurance, immunizations, food, local transportation, visa expenses and necessary supplies to support my 9-month work-placement in Nanyuki, Kenya.

When all is said and done, you all mean so much to me and I believe I can honorably represent my school, my country, and you -- my family and friends -- by contributing to a cause that can greatly benefit and change the lives of many women and children. I want nothing more than to share my post-graduate experiences with you, and so I ask for your financial support. In turn, I will develop and provide access to my blog, which will help you understand more deeply my work and the lives you will be helping to change with your donation -- including mine. My efforts in Kenya will directly benefit BOMA’s programs, thus helping Kenyan women to gain professional experience and financial independence.

I am ready, willing, and able to assist in BOMA’s poverty graduation efforts and improve the lives of women in Northern Kenya, and can't thank you enough for your support!

All my love,
Allie