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The French club sold Mardi Gras beads in the Morrison Commons on Monday and Tuesday to benefit a new leadership school for young women in Rwanda.
The beads were sold three for $1, with all proceeds going to The Akilah Institute for Women.
The goal of Akilah, founded by Elizabeth Dearborn Davis and Dave Hughes, is to provide educational opportunities to the young women of Rwanda. Studies at the school have a focus on the English language, health and nutrition, leadership and ethics and other important life skills.
Akilah's program director, Monique Schmidt, is a 1998 graduate of Augustana College.
Professor Scott Fish said Schmidt majored in French and communications while at Augustana and served two years in Benin, West Africa, with the Peace Corps upon graduation. Following the Peace Corps, she returned to the United States to attend Syracuse University, where she earned her master's degree in creative writing.
Since obtaining her master's degree, Schmidt has taught at universities around the world. In 2005, she was awarded Augustana's Horizon Award. That year her first book, Last Moon Dancing, which tells of her time in the Peace Corps, was also published.
Though no total figure has been calculated, president of the Augustana French club Maggie Olson said that the bead sale did not go as well as they had hoped due to Sodexo giving away free Mardi Gras beads during dinner on Tuesday evening.
Fish said even though their monetary donation to the cause may not be huge, what seems like a little bit of money in the United States goes a long way in a country such as Rwanda.
When asked about the bead sale, French club member Tyler Maybee said, "Our sales were okay, but any sales were great because they went to a good cause."
Classes at Akilah officially began on Feb. 2, 2010. Students were very excited about the opening, Fish said.
Many students were so eager to begin that they arrived early and even stayed late after classes.
Fish said that a project such as Akilah really makes one realize how fortunate people are in the United States.
"We take for granted here in the U.S. that you can send your kids virtually anywhere to go to school, regardless of gender," he said. "That's not the case in Rwanda."
Following the start of classes, an official opening ceremony was held with friends and family of the students on Feb. 6.
Fish said that the French club hopes to do future fundraisers to help The Akilah Institute for Women.
One project Fish has in mind is a book drive. The club would collect English books, dictionaries and other appropriate books to help furnish the school's library. They would then work with an organization called Books for Africa to ship the books to the school in Rwanda.
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