Several College of Charleston students are ditching traditional spring break plans to head to Africa, where they’ll spend 10 days reviewing business proposals, working with entrepreneurs and encouraging children to attend school.
The students, seven in all, left for the Central African country on Thursday, March 2, 2017, as part of the 2016-17 Kick it Forward project, which connects Cameroonians with educational tools for personal and professional empowerment. The program is spearheaded by students in the School of Business and School of Education, Health, and Human Performance and includes students from both programs.
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After traveling nearly 8,000 miles, the Kick It Forward team will use their entrepreneurial skills to host a business-pitching competition for Cameroonian medical universities. Each university will present their proposals to the CofC students, and the organization with the most sustainable plan will be awarded a cash prize.
The group’s efforts also include reconnecting with female entrepreneurs that were given micro loans four years ago as part of the 2013 Kick it Forward program. This year, the Kick It Forward crew will teach those same businesswomen how to hone their skills to sustain their enterprises.
The students will also deliver $20,000 worth of educational supplies and donated soccer equipment in hopes of incentivizing children to attend elementary school. The schools will also be given 13 iPads and other technology to connect students with internet and other communication tools.
The students will return to campus on March 12, 2017.
To learn more about the program and its nonprofit partner, visit https://possibilitieswithoutborders.org/.
