IE Ride for Women in Ethiopia
SEGOVIA-Last Monday October 29th on Madrid campus, the IE Community, including students, faculty members and staff experienced Síclo, an innovative Indoor Cycling studio to support the Wuha Sira Initiative.
"We knew that the young students would really enjoy Síclo’s classes. When we both put on contact, we observed that we could create an action that englobes solidarity and an activity for all the students and staff of the school,” said Leti Oderiz, Brand Manager of Síclo Spain, “The fact that all benefits will be donated to a bigger cause so special like this, transformed this class into something magical. You spin with more strength and energy than ever, knowing that with each [pedal], you are helping people that need us, like in this case, women from Ethiopia.”
Undergraduate and master students, faculty and staff paid 5€ for a 45 minutes workshop that all together raised up to 510€ that will be donated to the Wuha Sira Initiative.This money would help offer education for young Ethiopian women, and an access to clean water. Early this year, IE Campus Life first contributed to this cause when they launched the first ever #IECares race on April 21, 2018. It received a great response by the IE community by coming together and helping make a difference in the people in Ethiopia.
“Teaming up with a local business like Síclo and working together to raise money for an amazing cause speaks volumes of IE’s Spirit. We are breaking down barriers! Today we weren’t just students, or staff, or alumni, we were a family working together as one,”declared Michelle Raymond, IE International MBA Alumna, former student volunteer to the Wuha Sira Initiative and a current board member, “We help teach English and provide scholarships for young women to attend Mary Help College in Dilla, Ethiopia. The employment rate of women who graduate from this college is nearly 100%, and a job from them means a path out of poverty not only for them, but for their parents and siblings and often their entire extended family. 100% of the donations received at today’s #IECaresSíclo event goes directly to the cause.”
“The experience was great, a nice way to be able to donate to a great cause while doing something fun and active. It is not the conventional donate-event that one would think of. It is a new and innovative way to give back to the community,” expressed Doris Menard, MIF Program student who also attended Síclo-Ride for a Cause and the IECares race.
The Wuha Sira Initiative (WSI), founded by Gayle Allard, professor of Economics at IE Business School, is an international non-profit organisation that focus on providing education to young women, and clean water to the communities in Ethiopia. At the beginning, volunteers would travel to the poorest communities and teach intensive English to young girls. Then, they realised that they could increase their help by working on ways to get access to water for these people. Now, WSI is constructing a 24-room Dormitory at Mary Help College in Dilla Ethiopia, so young women can live on campus freely while pursuing their vocational degrees such as computers and fashion design.
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