Rob Sandall's Blog

Everyone is aware of the common ads for charity work in the African continent. The advertisements from WorldVision and the like showcasing the hardships of impoverished families in Africa. These ads are obviously moving, and many go to organizations such as these to contribute aid relief for others. I for one completely support this action, however it is a different kind of aid that is being given by the Arc Initiative.

This program takes business school students across to Africa to help entrepreneurs develop and grow their business acumen to become self sufficient. I believe this is a revolutionary idea on how to provide aid to Africans: by teaching them to take care of themselves. Everyone loves that feeling of working hard to achieve success. and why shouldn’t this motive that has proven so effective in Europe and North America function elsewhere around the globe. By teaching self-sufficiency, the Arc Initiative is helping people to reach their full potential, and giving them a better chance to be successful.

I believe that the Arc Initiative is a showcase model on how business schools themselves can become social enterprises that make an impact. By giving these people the skills they need to be successful, they are making themselves known around the entrepreneurial world, as was the case for Salem’s Ethiopia. I for one would love to be a part of the team that the Arc Initiative is putting together, as I feel this would be an incredible opportunity to be a part of a real social enterprise, that is truly making a difference.

The website for the Arc Initiative can be found here.

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