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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
CLICK EACH MEMBER TO LEARN MORE.
Christopher Mason
DC International Public Charter School
Class of 2024
Christopher is excited to participate in the International Leadership & Business Internship because he would like to learn about business. He is eager to learn how businesses invest in abandoned communities.
Christopher is a rising Junior at DC International PCS. He takes IB courses and has enrolled in Dual Enrollment for the fall. He is fluent in Spanish. He enjoys learning about Spanish culture. He recently started Krav Maga classes.
Christopher aspires to be a Property Manager and a Real Estate investor in the future. He is inspired by his Dad, who owns real estate. Christopher aims to develop the business skills needed to properly invest in neglected communities.
Yajaira Almendarez
DC International Public Charter School
Class of 2024
Yajaira is a Junior at DC International school. Yajaira is a dedicated student and completes all given work on time with quality.
Yajaira likes doing art, mostly sketches. Yajaira has participated in sports such as varsity soccer and track. She's also certified as a teen CERT member.
Yajaira is excited to join the International internship program to get real world experience and grow in professional skills. She wants to learn more about working as a group to create solutions for others. She also believes this will be a crucial skill to have for college.
Jordan Lawrence
DC International Public Charter School
Class of 2024
Jordan Lawrence is a junior at DC International School. Jordan is a part of the Cross Country team, and the Track and Field team
Jordan has been playing the violin for seven years. He also had the opportunity to go through the Summer Youth Emergency Preparedness Academy.
Ricardo Menjivar
DC International Public Charter School
Class of 2024
Ricardo Flores is a rising junior at Dc International school. Ricardo Flores is a talented hard worker. He plays on the varsity lacrosse team and is dedicated his time to managing the junior varsity soccer team.
Ricardo flores enjoys reading philosophy, biology and books related to outer-space science books. If he’s not reading he’s out practicing lacrosse. In his free time he also plays lots of sports like soccer and basketball.
Ricardo Flores is looking forward to helping his really good friend Christopher in creating his business.
Our Business Partner
Hauwa Kabiru
Business Statistics
She would also like to someday sell her own tailoring and sewing products.
Before she became a tailor, she was a housewife. She got into the tailoring business through the advice of another housewife and she decided to begin to help support her husband.
Hauwa Kabiru
About Hauwa
She loves to attend weddings and listen to music. She is a very determined businesswoman, and an even more determined and dedicated mother to her children. She has a large vision of expanding her business outside of the small shop she has in front of her house.
Hauwa Kabiru
Community Impact
Hauwa Kabiru
Our Partnership
Hauwa has expressed admiration for us on multiple occasions and is very open to any suggestions or changes we have recommended. Since she knows what she wants, working with her has been a clear and straight-forward process
She is a very savvy businesswoman and will continue to succeed until she reaches her goals.
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
$522 RAISED
$228 NEEDED
$750 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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