Students in Free Enterprise: A Ghanaian Perspective

Belinda Huang

Being a citizen of the global community means much more than engaging in cross-border communication, travel or foreign trade and investment. In an age where distance is no longer the ultimate obstacle, it is important to remember that we must enjoy the benefits of globalisation with a sense of humility and responsibility.

As a student, it is daunting to consider all the pressing issues which threaten our world. The constant reminder of extreme poverty and disease, mass environmental degradation and a financial meltdown affecting every private and public sector makes it seem almost impossible to make a meaningful difference.

Thankfully, we live in a society where people are committed to engaging in organisations dedicated to philanthropy. One of these organisations, which operates at a university level is a student group called ‘Students in Free Enterprise' (SIFE). SIFE comprises a network of over 38,000 university students, studying in more than 1500 universities around the world. Supported by academic and business leaders, SIFE students are committed to establishing sustainable socio-economic opportunities for struggling businesses and communities using principles of commercial best practice.

As one of the project managers in the University of Melbourne SIFE team, it is an honour to be able to share with you the journey of our SIFE project.

Imagine a struggling orphanage, nestled in one of the remote, rural districts of Ghana, Africa. This orphanage called ‘Nectar Home' is the refuge for 20 children between the ages of 6 and 18 who have been orphaned by the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic. Sadly due to the severe lack of business experience, Nectar Home is has no sustainable income stream, and relies primarily on the salary of the local pastor to survive.

In December 2008 our SIFE team was funded by a $2500 university grant to dispatch two team members to visit Nectar Home. Over the course of two weeks, our two student consultants were able to work with the pastor to plan for the orphanage's long term survival - a survival based on good commercial principles, ethical business practices and sound financial literacy.

During the course of the visit, our team was able to show the pastor how to set up a business infrastructure based on financial management, operations management and strategic planning. Networks were forged with the local Ghanaian people, including the local SIFE team and various community leaders to promote local ownership of Nectar Home's cause. But more importantly, our team discovered two very promising avenues of generating a sustainable income stream based on high market demand. One of the ways the orphanage can generate money is to lease an IT and computer shop in the country's capital city - Accra. The shop will provide computer lessons for a basic fee to local business people and also double as an internet café. Finally, it will house printing facilities, which students from nearby universities can use to print their university assignments for a nominal fee.

But the trip was about so much more than sharing our knowledge or providing a business consultation. It was about discovering the striking similarities between a team of Australian students and a group of Ghanaian people, both dedicated to ensuring Nectar Home's continued existence. This trip gave us a glimpse of what it means to be a global citizen. We don't need to speak the same language, believe in the same religion or live in the same way to fight for a common cause. Nor must we have deep pockets to improve the lives of others in a lasting way. We believe that as long as we have conviction in our work, and the support of our peers, professors and business partners, the children of Nectar Home will never have to face the possibility of living alone.

Well, where to from here? With so much potential for success, the focus of our SIFE project in the upcoming year will be to ensure that Nectar Home becomes self-sufficient financially. Ultimately, our goal is to see Nectar Home transform from a struggling charity to a successful social enterprise within their community by 2011. The task will not be easy, and nor should it be. But ‘with a head for business and a heart for the world', we believe that it will happen.

To find out more about our University of Melbourne SIFE team, please keep an eye out for our website: http://unimelbsife.org.au/news_180209.html