AHI's Business Model:

"Transforming lives through community, sustainable planning, vocational training and character education"

These four core values: community, sustainability, vocational training and character education serve as the DNA or foundation of AHI's business model.

Community:

AHI recognizes that change is difficult when done alone. We all need the encouragement, support and energy of others to help us make changes in our lives and communities. For this reason, when students are accepted not only do they have to sign a contract, but we ask their parents and families to contract with them and us to support the students for the two years it will take to complete the program. One way they do this is by agreeing not to seek or accept marriage proposals while they are in school. They must also agree to support the student's studies. These are significant sacrifices, but the support of community results in higher trust, student commitment level and a much higher likelihood they will complete the course of study.

At AHI we strive to create an intentional community that fosters unity, trust, collaboration, team work and healthy relationships. Community serves as a living laboratory for personal and professional growth. It is how the staff and students learn, practice modeling and apply new values and skills. Community also enables them to begin to hope and dream, grow a sense of personal responsibility and confidence, and reframe their life experience from that of a "helpless victim" to that of a "responsible leader who makes choices".

Sustainable Planning:

AHI desires to approach everything it does with sustainability in mind. Environmentally, AHI seeks to use local, sustainable materials where possible and relies on solar panels for much of its energy needs. Funding-wise, AHI has built six guesthouses that provide a local, sustainable source of income that helps to support AHI's programs. These guesthouses also give students the chance to practice and model what they are learning with real customers making the training highly relevant and much more effective. Curriculum-wise, the training material has been developed so that the course can be taught by local instructors and can sustainably scale or be reproduced elsewhere in Africa.

Vocational and Life Skills Training

AHI provides practical vocational and life skills training. It offers training in the hospitality industry because skills such as cooking, hosting, serving and housekeeping can help students find employment whereever they go. In addition, life skills training in english, communication skills, budgetting, team leadership, conflict resolution and customer service provide transferable skills that will serve them well throughout their life and in any industry or business they pursue.

Character Education:

AHI believes that our values and worldview will affect our future as much as having strong job skills. Helping students change their worldview and character is just as critical for success as having good job skills. In countries or communities where poverty and disease is endemic, there is often a survival mentality that results in stealing, dishonesty, learned helplessness etc. Character education seeks to help students develop a sense of pride and professionalism, trustworthiness, personal responsibility and reliability.