As much as going overseas and studying is about getting a formal education, this experience is also about life lessons, managing time and resources, and making friends.
I did my Masters of Commerce at UNSW, specialising in human resources and marketing, which have always been my areas of interest. What I liked about the UNSW program was it had a capstone element, where you could work with a small to medium enterprise and do consultancy work.
I was also very happy with a lot of my lecturers because they weren’t just academics but people who have actually been in the business world and done consultancy. As well as textbook material, there were a lot of practical insights as well.
I grew up in Malawi and Botswana and then completed my undergraduate education in Malaysia. When I came to UNSW I started a not for profit organisation which works with rural communities back in southern Africa. A lot of the business skills I learnt have come into use.
In the multicultural environment of Sydney a lot of people are thinking about social enterprise, so I was in the right place at the right time. We work within a network of local partner organisations to help that community develop their vision for the next five years.
Empower is not a charity in the typical sense of handouts - we facilitate the community to reflect on what they want to achieve and we build capacity and provide enabling conditions. Once it takes off it really takes off in a big way because it’s really driven at the local level.
My lecturers and colleagues definitely embraced what I was doing, and some even volunteered. Their support and encouragement has been invaluable, and it keeps me going in a very confronting environment.
