Last Thursday – July 14, 2011 – I attended a fun, professional and meaningful event put on by the Sauder Africa Initiative. In addition to a supercool silent auction (I hope that I get the lantern and/or hiking poles I bid on…) and a snappy jazz trio of academics and researchers, Midnight Blue, there were a ton of cool conversations about social entrepreneurship in Kenya, where the Sauder Africa Initiative takes place.

Here are the comprehensive objectives of Sauder’s project:

  1. joining together students from Sauder and African universities to collaborate and exchange knowledge in order to effectively deliver social entrepreneurship 101 and mentor the Kenyan youth after they finish the program;
  2. working with established African youth programs to identify youth with high potential for starting businesses;
  3. encouraging MBA and perhaps Ph.D. students to work with developing African businesses, serving as consultants and advisors as needed;
  4. establishing a microfinancing project to help potential entrepreneurs develop their businesses;
  5. encouraging established businesses in Canada and Africa to mentor and financially support young people interested in business development; and
  6. encouraging university faculty members to support students in working on international development issues;
  7. collaborating with government offices, such as Kenya’s Ministry of Youth, which has the goal of youth empowerment, to help provide guidance and support for the joint partners in the project.

Needless to say, it was a great night that’s part of an innovative and service-oriented educational opportunity. True global citizens will emerge from this experience, and you can help them get there by making a donation today.

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