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The International Business Development Internship
Leadership Initiatives is working to end extreme poverty in Northern Nigeria through entrepreneurship and innovation. As part of the International Business & Development Program, Leadership Initiatives identifies small business owners who live under $1.90 a day, have little formal business education, and are struggling to provide for their family’s basic needs.
Once business owners have completed training, Leadership Initiatives pairs International Business & Development Interns with a business partner and business mentor. Interns are given the opportunity to help tackle major issues at the grassroots level by working directly with small business owners to support and incubate local entrepreneurs. Students will work with Leadership Initiatives staff over the course of nine months to provide income-generating solutions that focus on food supply, women empowerment, environment and sustainability, personal care, and mobility.
The International Business & Development Internship aims to introduce interns to the complexities and challenges of running a small business and working within community development. Interns will gain an understanding of the unwavering commitment, focus, and determination required to work within this field. From working with interns, local business owners will have new knowledge of entrepreneurial skills they need to create business opportunities that will contribute to socio-economic development and significantly transform their lives.
Our Internship Team
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Elliotte Crowell
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Class of 2026
Elliotte Crowell is a rising sophomore at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Elliotte is a high honors student enrolled in honors classes.
Elliotte is the captain of her junior varsity softball team and plays for the Great Falls Sharks Softball team. She also runs cross country and plays the saxaphone in her school orchestra. She is very passionate about helping rescue animals so she has started a Rescue Dog Club at her school, where they will volunteer and raise money for dog shelters and dogs in need. During her free time, she enjoys baking and spending time with her two rescue dogs and her friends.
Elliotte will be participating in the IIP Business Internship this year. She is excited to be able to create real change in the world. She is pationate about business and finance, and most of all helping those in need. She hopes to use this experience to help her learn how she can help others in her future career.
Aria Jefferson
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Class of 2025
Aria Jefferson is a rising sophomore at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Aria Jefferson is a second honor roll student.
Aria enjoys playing basketball and volleyball. At school, she is the Vice President of the Animal Shelter club. She is also a member of BWS and Booster club. During her free time, Aria enjoys reading and writing poems.
Aria is excited to be participating in the International Business & Development Internship this year. She loves helping people and hopes to double major in Psychology and Business. In the future, Aria wants to start her practice or become a financial analyst.
Helen Bonner
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Class of 2025
Helen Bonner is a sophmore at Georgetown Visitation. Helen is a honor roll student. Helen is currently enrolled in three honors classes.
Helen Bonner plays elite level soccer in the ECNL league. Helen became a varsity member of the soccer and track team as a freshman.
Helen is excited to be a part of the International Business & Develpment Internship program. Helen has always been interested in learning how businesses are run. Helen is excited to learn how to help businesses grow and thrive.
Our Business Partner
Bilal Sabo
Business Statistics
Bilal says he has trained over 50 young boys from this business who have gone ahead to establish their own shops.
Bilal has trained himself through school and gained a higher diploma certificate in public administration and he also provides for his immediate family, parents and supports his 12 siblings as well.
Bilal Sabo
About Bilal
Bilal is a very caring husband, who supports his wife with domestic work, such as taking the children to school, shopping, and providing them with daily needs.
While caring for his family, he is also running his tailoring shop as his family’s primary source of income.
Bilal Sabo
Community Impact
Bilal says he has trained over 50 young boys from this business who have gone ahead to establish their own shops. He hopes to help the young boys learn skills that can help them break the cycle of poverty, getting more men off the street and give them the opportunity to make their own money.
He hopes to inspire people and show them how successful one can be with hard work.
Bilal Sabo
Our Partnership
Mr. Bilal is eager to increase his business and use the profits to save more money to build his own house and continue to grow his family more and more.
In the future, he hopes to help young boys learn some of the tailoring skills he has acquired over the years. He hopes to share with the youth so that they can enjoy something he loves dearly and hopefully use it to help end the cycle of poverty.
Our Approach
FINANCIAL TRACKING
Financially literate entrepreneurs make growth-oriented financial and economic decisions for their savings, borrowing, and investments. Our team is working with Isiyaka Sa’ad to create an effective financial tracking system for his business finances, receipts, and daily costs.
OUR ADVERTISING
Our team identified target markets and key demographics to create a customer acquisition plan. We are working with Isiyaka Sa’ad to redesign his brand and create effective marketing campaigns.
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENTS
Steady growth is a critical component of creating self-sustaining communities. Our team is working to identify key areas of opportunity for Isiyaka Sa’ad and design solutions with grant money to improve his business to foster growth.
Our Fundraising
$1184 RAISED
$316 NEEDED
$1500 GOAL
Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced some of the highest growth rates globally over the past 10 years. While this means that people in these nations have become more optimistic about their social and economic future, the region continues to face a myriad of historical problems. In order to continue steady growth and achieve a future of equitable conditions in the region, our International Internship Program team seeks to build stronger communities from the grassroots level through fundraising for community development.
Funds raised are used to implement community-based education programs, pay staff to run the operations on-site, and invest in training for local leaders. Leadership Initiatives uses fundraised money to develop a network of support for actionable change and accountability between our team, the Leadership Initiatives staff, and the community stakeholders we work with.
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