The Global Alliance for Africa headquartered in Chicago, reached out to Liska Architect’s principal, Julie Liska, for assistance in creating their School for Hospitality. An organization that works with orphans of AIDS victims, the group saw a need in eastern Africa for skilled professionals within the growing hospitality industry. GAA’s executive director, Tom Derdak, proposed to build a small hotel where the students could learn the skills required to work some of the very high end resorts sprouting up all around Mount Kilimanjaro and other local reserves. Julie worked with the organization and others within the hospitality industry to define a program for the school, to determine the amount of land that would be required and to create a schematic image and graphics required to begin fundraising for the program.