Next month, four UW–Madison undergraduates will leave for Nyargia, Ghana for five weeks to study the impact of a poverty reduction model in the village.
The impact assessment internship is run by the Blessing Basket Project, which works to reduce poverty in developing countries by paying “Prosperity Wages” for artisan products, thus supporting entrepreneurs and financial independence for artisans.
The students, all of whom hail from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, will design and undertake research using economic impact assessment methodologies that will evaluate relevant and critical development indicators in Nyargia. Together, Samuel Morantz, Gabriel Segal, Michael Serposs, and Brandon Kaster, will bring with them training in international business, industrial engineering, economics, statistical methodologies, and intercultural communications.
This initiative, the first Blessing Basket Project study of its kind, will provide a systematic outline of the project’s impact on individual weavers and the local community. The results will be documented in an extensive report that will include important information and analysis to help guide future Blessing Basket Project operations.
As volunteers, the team is seeking financial support for their travel and cost-of-living expenses. Click here for more information or to support the project.
This internship opportunity was arranged by the newly established International Internships Program, which is a joint initiative of the Division of International Studies and the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences. The program aims to identify, cultivate, and promote high-quality student internship opportunities.
Please contact Maj Fischer, mhfischer@international.wisc.edu, for information on the Blessing Baskets Project or the International Internship Program.