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That's me 10 years ago (top left mzungu). My hair after 4 months in Zambia was nearly as bad as my camera angle.
In 2008 I worked with Engineers Without Borders as a consultant to International Development Enterprises, an NGO supporting farmers to grow their subsistence farms into small-scale businesses. A decade on, this mindset of using business to fight poverty has developed into a career.
But this 10 year challenge isn't about me.
It is about three amazing kids who I got to know as my brothers and sisters in the host family that I lived with. Apphia (headband), Joshua (too-cool sunglasses), and Purity (pink sweater in top family photo) were in primary school when I arrived in Livingstone. They were smart, kind, and hilarious kids. We would hang out together after long, dusty, bumpy days on the back of a motorbike, when I'd come home from running workshops on business skills for farmers out in the bush.
Catching up with the family recently I learned that Apphia, Joshua, and Purity are just starting university studying medicine, civil engineering, and radiology/nursing respectively. The family has saved a portion of the costs but the total amount for putting three kids through school is beyond their means, and this is where I'm trying to help out, and I hope you will too.
As a Canadian, I was lucky to have access to student loans and awards that helped me get through both undergrad and graduate school, and build a rewarding career that now allows me to contribute as an engineer and entrepreneur, working to increase access to safer surgery and medical equipment around the world. The kind of financial assistance that enabled me to springboard my career is hard to come by in Zambia, and so I'm asking for help from my community to join me in passing on the gift of education, and more importantly, the gift of opportunity.
I've contributed some funds myself to top up what Jukes (their dad) had already saved for the first tranche of tuition that was due in January, but the total amount needed for the full year is beyond my ability. I'm hoping this GoFundMe can kick-start their first year of university. In the meantime, I'm working with Jukes on a strategy to grow his small tourism business in a way that will secure their tuition in the coming years. Through my friend Mark's company, Rent-to-Own Zambia, we are working to get Jukes access to low-interest asset financing that is expected to grow his income by 5x in the coming years. Teach a man to fish and all that jazz...
Thank you sincerely for reading this far, and considering your support.
In 2008 I worked with Engineers Without Borders as a consultant to International Development Enterprises, an NGO supporting farmers to grow their subsistence farms into small-scale businesses. A decade on, this mindset of using business to fight poverty has developed into a career.
But this 10 year challenge isn't about me.
It is about three amazing kids who I got to know as my brothers and sisters in the host family that I lived with. Apphia (headband), Joshua (too-cool sunglasses), and Purity (pink sweater in top family photo) were in primary school when I arrived in Livingstone. They were smart, kind, and hilarious kids. We would hang out together after long, dusty, bumpy days on the back of a motorbike, when I'd come home from running workshops on business skills for farmers out in the bush.
Catching up with the family recently I learned that Apphia, Joshua, and Purity are just starting university studying medicine, civil engineering, and radiology/nursing respectively. The family has saved a portion of the costs but the total amount for putting three kids through school is beyond their means, and this is where I'm trying to help out, and I hope you will too.
As a Canadian, I was lucky to have access to student loans and awards that helped me get through both undergrad and graduate school, and build a rewarding career that now allows me to contribute as an engineer and entrepreneur, working to increase access to safer surgery and medical equipment around the world. The kind of financial assistance that enabled me to springboard my career is hard to come by in Zambia, and so I'm asking for help from my community to join me in passing on the gift of education, and more importantly, the gift of opportunity.
I've contributed some funds myself to top up what Jukes (their dad) had already saved for the first tranche of tuition that was due in January, but the total amount needed for the full year is beyond my ability. I'm hoping this GoFundMe can kick-start their first year of university. In the meantime, I'm working with Jukes on a strategy to grow his small tourism business in a way that will secure their tuition in the coming years. Through my friend Mark's company, Rent-to-Own Zambia, we are working to get Jukes access to low-interest asset financing that is expected to grow his income by 5x in the coming years. Teach a man to fish and all that jazz...
Thank you sincerely for reading this far, and considering your support.