West African Development Internships

As a direct result of LEAD’s unique approach to reducing poverty and its duration in the field, it has formed valuable relationships with members of the academic community concerned with sustainable global poverty reduction. University students requested the opportunity to intern with LEAD in Ziguinchor, Senegal. The core concepts of our internship program were employed in May, 2010, with students engaged in MBA programs. The outcomes were so overwhelming that LEAD made the decision to make this program available to institutions of higher learning to meet the groundswell of student interest in sustainable market-based poverty reduction.

The West African Development Internship (WADI) program offers four-week internships to groups of up to ten students. These students experience the practical mechanics of market-based economic development in the context of West Africa. The internship candidates are exposed to four key phases of business in each week of the program. The first week students posit their early theories on business development from its formation to product distribution and do market research. The second week is spent in rural processing companies. They are exposed to hands-on processing along side employees, learning their values and issues while understanding product value-chain. They meet with company owners to both question and consult regarding the barriers to successful operations. The third week focuses on packaging systems and distribution. During the fourth week students debrief, make recommendations, re-examine theories in light of fieldwork, and complete evaluations.

The WADI program benefits all participants. Students come away with experience in dealing with the rigors of business in an emerging-nation environment. Participating colleges and universities benefit by being able to offer hands-on development work with a Northwest organization working successfully in West Africa. Most importantly LEAD's African constituents benefit from market data gathered, new products researched and feedback on their business practices.