In July of 2012, 40 students from the Social Enterprise Institute (SEI) traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, to consult with local micro-entrepreneurs and social enterprises under the tutelage of Professors Dennis Shaughnessy and Gordon Adomdza of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group at Northeastern University. SEI hosts interdisciplinary Northeastern students Read more…
Breaking into the field of international development work is distinctly challenging for recent college graduates. But with the right combination of honed skills, distinct passion, and good timing, some have secured these much-sought opportunities. Michaela D’Amico, a 2010 graduate of Northeastern, is one of those talented people. Michaela recently returned Read more…
The past two months have flown by here. I originally planned to come here to independently research Kenya’s microfinance landscape—seeking to understand how Kenyans, both in rural areas and in the slums of Nairobi, use rotating savings and credits associations (ROSCAs) and accumulating savings and credit associations (ASCAs) to manage their finances— rather than the MFIs in the country. But then while co-oping in China and thinking about my experiences at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, I decided I wanted to learn more about approaches to income development beyond increasing access to financial resources.
This past spring semester, I had the great fortune to be on co-op in Cape Town, South Africa working for TSiBA Education at the Ignition Centre. TSiBA Education is a tuition-free higher education provider that focuses on building future business leaders from South Africa’s pool of talented but poor and disadvantaged young people.
“Everyone is hard-working, unbelievably friendly, dedicated and united for a greater purpose — ending global health inequality. When something so meaningful is a common factor in an environment, it’s electrifying. Contagious. Invigorating. Really makes waking up every morning a pleasure rather than a chore,” said Amanda Prifti, a senior at Northeastern finishing her final co-op at Partners in Health.
As a member of the International Business program at Northeastern, I spent my entire fourth year overseas participating in a study abroad and international co-op. I was so enthralled with global experience that I added two field study programs before and after my IB requirement. This experiential year as an expatriate strives to develop us as global leaders, thinkers, and doers. I had the opportunity to travel to over a dozen different countries in only 12 months; more than I have ever in my entire life. But the gnawing question when I returned to the states really made me think about what it means to go abroad: “What was your favorite part?”