Alumni | STERN@lumni: vol. 2 issue 3

Alumni Corner
by Anna D'Souza, BS '00

I still remember the look of shock on the faces of friends and family when I told them that I was joining the Peace Corps. Most of my classmates were entering the banking, consulting or IT worlds. When many people think about the Peace Corps, they imagine huts and ditches, but my experience was quite different. For over two years, I served as a Small Enterprise Development (SED) volunteer in Senegal, West Africa.

A small nation of approximately 10 million people, Senegal is the westernmost country in Africa. It is a democratic, francophone nation, having gained its independence from France in 1960. There are over six distinct ethnic groups and languages; French and Wolof are the official languages. Ninety-five percent of people practice Islam, and the remaining are Christian and animist. The country has a rich history and culture, merging ancient African traditions with Islamic and Western influences. Moreover the Senegalese are known for their hospitality. As some of you may have seen during the 2002 World Cup, the national soccer team is called les Lions de la Teranga (hospitality). People are open, tolerant and extremely welcoming to foreigners. Not to mention, they have great music, tasty food and wonderful dancing!

Based in the capital city of Dakar, I learned a great deal about various approaches to economic and social development, specifically through the use of micro-finance, information technology and business education. As a SED volunteer, my primary role was to enhance the profitability, productivity and efficiency of businesses, entrepreneurs and associations. I consulted entrepreneurs and organizations, taught business classes and seminars, and served as an intermediary, linking people and potential creditors.

I worked closely with a Dakar-based NGO (non-governmental organization), the Centre de Ressource pour l'Emergence Sociale Participative, also known as CRESPO (Resource Center for the Emergence of Social Participation). The NGO uses IT to create access to information, communication and employment (Visit the website at www.siup.sn). We worked on creating self-sustaining, revenue-generating projects such as cyber centers. These centers provide employment to youth of the community and access to the Internet to the public.

I also worked with individuals and groups of entrepreneurs (i.e., carpenters, tailors, IT experts, web designers and fishermen). Two major challenges for business owners in Senegal are gaining access to credit and creating marketing strategies. We created business models and plans, and discussed market research and the "4Ps" of marketing . In collaboration with local partners, I also organized and facilitated workshops and seminars on management, marketing, accounting, strategic planning and financing. With an unemployment rate of nearly 40%, the Senegalese are constantly trying to create and better manage their small businesses in order to provide for their families. Also with a low rate of literacy and education, men and women were always seeking to improve their skills.

While pursuing these various projects, I found my Stern education to be a valuable asset. As I integrated into the Senegalese society and better understood the business environment, I was able to adapt the fundamentals that I had learned at NYU to the Senegalese context. It is essential to understand and factor in cultural and societal differences when approaching business solutions abroad. Perhaps the most valuable product of my years in the Peace Corps is the intimate knowledge that I have gained of Senegal - its people, its customs, its religious and cultural practices, and its history. It made me more able to help the people who I worked with and also more appreciative of the Senegalese and American cultures.

My time in Senegal reinforced my desire to continue in the international development field. This fall I will pursue a doctorate in economics in preparation for this career. I wonder about the possibilities that exist for struggling entrepreneurs in Senegal and other developing nations. I ask myself if current methods of foreign and state aid that target small business are appropriate and sustainable. Although my Peace Corps experience did not give me the answers to all these questions, it gave me a greater grasp of the multiple layers one must examine when working in economic development. Moreover, I have gained an understanding of the daily hardships in other nations - an invaluable perspective that will serve me throughout my life.