7gen Bloc

Seventh Generation recently instituted a sabbatical program, and its first recipient is Susan Johnson, our Senior Sales Director for Education & Dialogue. It wasn't hard for Susan to figure out how to spend her four months -- she knew she would combine two of her great loves: travel and education. So she made plans to head to Africa, where she is helping organize the Akilah Institute in Bugasera, Rwanda.

The Institute is part of Project Akilah, a program that teaches young women orphaned in Rwanda's recent genocide the skills they need to find good jobs and escape a life of poverty. The program's new school will provide a center for these efforts, and Susan is devoting her sabbatical to building its curriculum, developing lesson plans, and creating a full year's worth of classes that will prepare students for careers in the country's burgeoning hospitality industry.

Susan is sharing the details of her adventure on her own blog. It's an amazing story, and I recommend adding it to your summer reading list. Take a look at what Susan's up to and see just how much difference one person can make.