• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Sidebar
IU

Indiana University Indiana University IU

IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUIGo from Moment to Momentum

Kelley Opportunities in Africa (Part 2)

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Teresa Mackin

How can Kelley Indianapolis students make an impact in Swaziland, the African nation hit hardest by the AIDS pandemic with a young population eager for enterprise?

In a recent visit to Swaziland, Africa, Kelley Indianapolis Executive Dean Phil Cochran and Peggy Daniels Lee, Kelley assistant professor operations and supply chain management, considered how Kelley study abroad students could innovate enterprises for the young people in Swaziland who, at a young age, are the heads of their households.

Working with Cynthia Prime, founder of the nonprofit Saving Orphans Through Healthcare and Outreach (SOHO), IUPUI deans from the schools of business, public health, informatics and the Honors College are looking for ways their students can make an impact in the emerging country.

“Our goal at Kelley is to take students over there and get them involved in social enterprises,” says Dean Cochran. “That was the first thing Cynthia approached me about – can we look at starting some sort of social enterprise for a couple hundred young children who come to this ‘Welcome Place’ that serves as a school, kitchen and medical facility.”

Cynthia, who has spent the last nine years working to aid and empower child-headed households left parentless by the AIDS pandemic, believes this population is prime for inspiration.

“Those children are hungry to learn – they don’t want to suffer the same losses their parents did because of disease,” says Cynthia. “Ask any child: they might be barefoot and can’t spell their name and they’ll tell you they want to go to school, they want to learn, they’re hungry for change.”

In fact, Kelley students are already generating potential ideas for SOHO. Half of Professor Lee’s Honors Operations Management class researched and developed potential social enterprises for SOHO as part of a strategic plan they developed for Cynthia. Many of their recommendations focused on how to change or manage her operation to achieve SOHO’s goals.

Often, even a small gesture can make a large impact. During the recent visit, the IUPUI leaders toured the facilities and were so moved by the needs of the SOHO children that each of the five IUPUI deans and senior administrators chipped in $1,000 out of their own pockets to replace a broken well at the children’s Welcome Place so the community could have clean water.

“That makes an incredible statement to the people in that chiefdom that this isn’t just a school project, IUPUI is an institution that’s really interested in social change and social betterment of their country.”

 

Filed under: Faculty, Kelley Indianapolis Undergraduate Program, Study Abroad

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Additional Content

About the Kelley School at IUPUI

The Kelley School of Business at IUPUI is home to a full-time undergraduate program and five graduate programs, including a graduate certificate for professionals in healthcare; master’s and graduate certificate programs in accounting, internal audit and taxation; the Physician MBA and the Evening MBA, which is ranked eleventh in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Categories

Search Posts

Receive Updates

Get the latest news from the Kelley School's Indianapolis programs, faculty, students and alumni delivered directly to your Inbox

Please, insert a valid email.

Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.

Spam protection has stopped this request. Please contact site owner for help.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent Posts

  • 79-year-old accounting master’s graduate oldest in IUPUI’s Class of 2022 May 11, 2022
  • Experienced family medicine physician fills gap in business skills with MBA April 22, 2022
  • Medical management students help Gennesaret Free Clinics improve healthcare access for the underserved April 11, 2022
  • Kelley Senior Lecturer in Accounting Diane Sturek to chair Indiana CPA Society board March 25, 2022
  • Med school counselor gains deeper perspective in graduate certificate in medical management March 18, 2022

See Archived Posts

Kelley School Faculty at IUPUI

Full list of faculty based in Indianapolis.

Indiana University

Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University | Privacy Notice | Accessibility Help

Subscribe

Subscribe By Email

Get a weekly email of all new posts.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.