Pinning to Win: Students Get ‘Grassroots Dirty’ in the Delaware Valley

by Charity Yoro

On a Saturday afternoon in the spring, a group of Bryn Mawr College students walks down Main Street in Norristown, Pennsylvania. They enter the various restaurants and consignment stores on the block, but they aren’t buying lunch, clothes or furniture. They aren’t selling, canvassing, or campaigning either.

These students are spending their weekend mapping local businesses in a contest to win $20,000.

But the contest money won’t be used to buy the latest iPhone or designer bag. Instead, the money will be going back to directly support some of these same businesses as part of a new regional initiative called Lend for Philly.

Students at Haverford College practice mapping businesses as part of the Lend for Philly contest.

For entrepreneurs with high ambitions and perhaps fewer opportunities, the problem lies in accessibility. Many low-income entrepreneurs in the U.S. lack access to capital, skills and a qualified labor pool to help start and grow their small businesses.

So to solve this problem, college students are meeting these businesses where they are: at their own storefronts.

Bryn Mawr College represents one of ten student teams competing in Lend for Philly, the pilot project of the non-profit Lend for America funded by Knight Foundation. The contest, ending in May, seeks to foster collaboration between college students and local entrepreneurs by challenging university teams to walk around their community and map small (or “micro”) businesses in the area.

“The experience has been easier than we expected,” says Irina Buchok, a freshman looking to major in Economics at Bryn Mawr College. “Most businesses are eager to participate.”

Most of the businesses the students interview are family-owned. Salons, restaurants, and bodegas alike, many of the establishments share the same needs for growing a clientele base, hiring reliable people, or seeking affordable venues for expansion.

The exercise of interviewing business owners has taken students from the classroom into the ‘field’ to learn the basics of business and finance on the ground, helping to break the barrier that often exists between college campuses and their outside communities.

The budding relationships formed with local businesses as part of Lend for Philly seem to have excited and inspired student participants to take action in their campus communities.

“In college, we have so many students looking for opportunities,” saysYaxuan Wen, student president of Bryn Mawr’s microfinance club and another Lend for Philly participant. “The feedback we’ve been getting from many business owners we’ve interviewed is that they want to recruit quality students to help grow their businesses.”

Members of the Bryn Mawr Microfinance Club.

As a result of the contest, the students at Bryn Mawr, who met specifically because of Lend for Philly, hope to continue as a kind of “liaison between students and local businesses.” College students, Irina says, have skills in things like website building and marketing that could help meet the needs of these small establishments.

As part of Lend for Philly, the student team with the most businesses mapped, or ‘pinned,’ will receive $20,000 in funding to start a microbusiness development initiative on-campus; with part of the funds to be distributed to five to ten small loans to qualifying local businesses.

“There are a lot of opportunities for students to get involved on campus,” says Yaxuan. “But Lend for Philly has been a really motivating experience for us.”

 

The Lend for Philly contest leaderboard is open to the public at www.lendforphilly.org. Philly area based students have until May 1^st to interview and map as many businesses as they can in their communities. For more information about this challenge and other grassroots opportunities, visit www.lendforamerica.org or email charity@lendforamerica.org.

 

Charity Yoro manages marketing and communications as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the non-profit Lend for America. She recently returned to the states after years of working abroad, where among other things, she directed village savings and loans programs with rural farmers and women’s groups in Madagascar. In her spare time, Charity runs The Rich Life, a lifestyle blog offering tips on living a “wealthy” life, with less.

The Power Behind Your Purchase

One of the trending methods of fostering sustainable economic development has been focusing in at the grassroots level. By working from the bottom up, it is much more possible to learn of and seek solutions to impeding issues. I truly believe that by working at the ground level we can truly begin to make changes.

In 2009, my family opened a store in our hometown of Duxbury, MA that specializes in all handmade products. Named ¨ONE: Gifts and Coffee Shop¨ we believe that ONE Gift, ONE Person, and ONE Place can make a difference. We purchase the majority of the products from the artisan themselves, thereby eliminating the middleman and generating more profit for the artisans. Most of the products are sourced from the Boston and New England area, however we also provide products from across the United States and around the world.

Storefront of ONE in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

A small seaside town, Duxbury tends to become its own bubble, its residents often keeping to ourselves. I believe that the presence of our shop enables residents to step outside of the comfort zone of this bubble by connecting with the creators of their products.  From handmade necklaces, to ornaments, to wooden bowls, each product in ONE has a story behind it, which we are excited to share with our customers.  Many of our artisans in the Boston area even hand deliver the products to the store, allowing for a direct relationship with the customers. I still think it’s incredible to look at the products and be able to say things such as, “This was made in Hingham with stones and seashells from our beach!” or even “Our braided sailors bracelets are hand woven by a couple in New Hampshire.”

Charlotte Leavitt, Co-Owner of Chart Metalworks, whose designs are featured in this photo

We have also built up international business relationships, working mainly in the rural areas of Nicaragua. Four to five times annually, my mother Jacqueline – owner of ONE – travels there to meet with various artisans and bring products back to the shop. She has built and maintained business relationships with these artisans, tailoring their products a bit more specific to our market. Of these products, a portion of the profits are donated back to communities in Nicaragua by supporting projects of the non-profit Friends New England. I believe that this connection also serves to burst the “Duxbury bubble,” offering not only a connection to an artisan in Central America, but also through a method of aid. We are able to tell customers that by purchasing a purse made of recycled potato chip bags they are supporting Maria and Juana in Chacraseca, Nicaragua. Also, ONE donates some profits of this specific purchase towards the construction of the community’s first library.

In in the top left hand corner, Jacqueline O’Toole, owner of ONE, with various artisans and handicrafts from the store.

Many customers frequent ONE, looking for what new products we have in stock, hoping to learn more stories. Very often I hear how customers prefer this store because they know who they are supporting. Instead of purchasing a factory-made ornament at a big-box store, they can buy one hand painted or made of seashells found in Massachusetts. I hope that this ideology can spread across and beyond Duxbury, allowing for smaller scale producers to be recognized and supported.  This closer connection to artisans has helped to foster even greater support for their work, often bringing customers back for more.  By purchasing from artisans directly, we are able to offer them a higher price for their goods than if we needed a middleman.  Customers are able to put a name, a story, and sometimes even a face to the products they purchase.  Nearly impossible when shopping at a large chain, this deeper connection of producers and customers help to foster a sense of community and often generates even more support.

By working at the grassroots like this, I have been able to grow in appreciation for producers, and continue to seek out handmade products. When I decide to purchase handmade, I am actively choosing to avoid products that were produced in sweatshops in China. Slowly but surely, a greater emphasis of handmade products are growing, examples of which are the Fair Trade movement, and even farmers markets!  If we continue along this movement, society as a whole becomes to better appreciate producers around us.  Through this sense of community, we start to feel more accountable for those around us, and thereby heighten economic development by financially supporting these individuals.

 

Are you a student interested in being a guest blogger for the Oikocredit CHiRP Force?  Contact us at breilly@oikocredit.org to find out how!

Elisabeth O’Toole is a current junior at the University of Notre Dame, studying International Economics, Spanish, and International Development. She has spent time volunteering in Nicaragua as an English teacher, and will be in Guatemala this summer studying fair trade and direct trade coffee. Elisabeth has been a part of ONE: Gift and Coffee Shop since its launching in 2009.

Getting Dirty in the Grassroots!

This week we launch our blog series on local community engagement, called “Getting Dirty in the Grassroots”!  Students and interested professionals are invited to submit guest blogs here.

We just finished learning about how millenials can have an impact on the world. Check out the series here:

The Key is in Your Pocket
What Can I Do?  I’m Only 22.

This blog series aims to answer questions like: How do you define community?  What does giving back in your local community look like?  What are the best practices an individual can partake in to ensure growth in their community?  How can you make your community a better place for everyone who lives in it?

If you are interested in contributing for this blog series, check out the “Call for Guest Bloggers,” and email us at breilly@oikocredit.org.  Submissions should be sent in by April 15^th.

Our first guest blog for this series will be published Friday March 28^th.  Be sure to follow this blog by entering your email address on the right hand panel to see the rest of the posts over the coming weeks!

What can I do? I’m only 22.

As a 22 year old college student nearing graduation, sometimes the world can be a bit overwhelming.  I realize I am standing at a precipice in my life, right about to step into the “adult” world.  However, all I have ever wanted to do since I can remember was make a difference in the world, and sometimes the road to getting there seems impossible.  I think my friend’s dad said it to me best: “All you’re life you’ve been on a road of education and growing to try to figure out who you are.  But, now the road ends, and you have to bushwhack your way through the weeds to make your own path.  Life is going be what you choose.” 

Life is definitely an adventure that can be exciting, but it can also be scary, and it can be hard to find the courage to take the first step.  Personally, I know I tend to underestimate myself when I’m scared about where I’m going in my life: What can I even do to change the world? I’m only 22. 

However, just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference.  Plenty of young entrepreneurs have established themselves within the market.  This is especially noticeable in the tech industry.  Mark Zuckerberg was only 19 when he created Facebook.  The founders of Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr were all under 30 when the websites launched.  There is no question that Millenials are driving and creating the culture they are consuming.  However, it doesn’t seem to be the same way for other aspects of the market like social entrepreneurship. 

Every year, the “30 Under 30” list for Forbes reminds me that even at my young age, I can make a difference in the world.  Take for example  Malala Yousafzai, the young schoolgirl from Pakistan who dared to speak out for education for girls, and was shot by the Taliban because of it.  While Malala wasn’t on the list, her chief strategist, 24 year old Stadford grad student Shiza Shahid, was honored by Forbes.  Shiza met Malala in 2009, and in 2012 when she was shot Shiza got on a plane to London and helped to oversee her medical care. Today Shiza is helping to turn Malala’s dream of global education for girls into a reality, and is cofounder of the Malala Fund – proving the power and innovative possibilities when young people collaborate in the face of great need.  

Inspiration for social entrepreneurship isn’t just found on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list.  One of the stories that I find most inspiring is the story of Best Ayiorwoth, a young woman from Uganda.  At 13, Best was forced to drop out of school because her family could not afford tuition. At 19, Best went on to found a microfinance institution that invests in women business-owners who commit to keeping their daughters in school.

Even though I am young, I know plenty of people who are trying to change the world.  I have friends who are activists, friends who are committed to making their local community better, and friends who are committed to creating socially responsible business models.  Looking at Shiza and Best and all of my friends who are committing their lives to making the world a better place provides enormous inspiration for me, and reminds me that even though I am only 22, I can still make a world of difference.

The Key is in your Pocket

by Mihir Khubchandani

They complain that our music is noisy, that our clothes are too casual, and our technology too complicated. Day by day, the gap between Generation X and we, the kids of the millennium, or Millennials, seems to grow wider and wider. A common fear is that as the new generation comes of age and begins making decisions, the world will see a drastic change at the hands of a “me, me, me!” generation.  As that crossroad nears, however, it appears that this is the opposite of what will happen. Due to our dexterity and heavy reliance on technology, we, the millennials, are making much greater strides towards world development than have ever been seen before.

Fig.1 Millennials have access to some of the greatest modern technology. Photo Courtesy of 451marketing.com

Mom and Dad go out to get a new phone. They bring it home, pull it out of the box (“That box is tiny!”) and search for the power button. Slowly, they start it up (“These phones take over our lives!”). As the laborious process continues, their teenage children are already typing furiously, texting, Tweeting, Facebooking, and sharing (“These kids! They never look up from their screens!”). It is herein that the key to development lies: we not only have access to much more technology than has ever been seen before, but they know how to use it in some of the most efficient ways possible. This has been a driving factor behind notion that to develop a spread of technology is needed, and worked as the backbone for some of the most innovative schemes today. The small items that we carry around in our pockets – mobile phones, credit cards, tablets, etc. – are the keys to unlocking great progress in world development, as they improve the efficiency, reach and cost of many of the newest poverty alleviation strategies.

One widely successful example is the use of mobile phones for the provision of financial services, especially in remote areas of developing countries such as India. Our previous post from October 2012 discussed how the spread of this simple technology by forward-thinking minds makes it easy to locate, communicate, and even transfer money among microfinance institutions and individuals. Similarly, mobile phones are used to dissipate valuable information to agricultural workers in Uganda, allowing them to prepare for adverse weather and improve their livelihood by applying better informed decisions.

Fig.2 Mobile facilities are helping increase accessibility of microfinance. Photo Courtesy of Radio Netherlands Worldwide (rnw.nl)

More specifically to microfinance, ideas such as the implementation of ATMs to help widen the reach of microfinance, and the concept of cash-less payments are slowly gaining momentum. By increasing the available technology, a significant barrier to microfinance, proximity, becomes easier to tackle; allowing the services to benefit more people in areas where previously too few borrowers would live, or access was difficult. At the same time, to the borrower, the financial services become much easier to use, and in many cases come right to the door step of the borrower through payment cards (pre-loaded debit cards). This means wider penetration of microfinance services, enabling more borrowers to benefit.

This is not to say that prior generations would not have thought of these innovations and worked towards spreading technology to developing regions. Gen-X made some great strides in developing cutting edge technology, without which many of our generation’s innovations would not be possible. Pioneers from the older generation such as Bill Gates did help push the world forward, and into the hands of the people who grew up with their inventions, the millennials.  However, it is undoubtedly true that today’s modern generation has the newest toys, and relies upon them the most. Not only that, technology development now happens much more rapidly and gadgets are scooped up faster than ever before. We love our gizmos, and might therefore be more likely to be the ones who push them out to the rest of the world. A recent Huffington Post article outlined that in 2011 75% of millennials donated financially to a non-profit in 2011, according to World Vision and the Millennial Impact Report 2012. This is a record figure, showing that millennials are willing to share their resources and donate. This shows that a majority of millennials are willing to share their resources, at least financially and probably technologically too.

There are significant barriers to these great advantages, starting from simple issues of affordability and encompassing problems such as a lack of trust in technology, poor understanding of how the devices are to be used, and the risk of the items not being used to their fullest potential. However technologically savvy our generation gets, these issues will continue to pose a problem. But, to some extent, this is a self-healing trap: as we continue to roll out gadgets, they will continue to penetrate homes, allowing trust, literacy and utility to follow at a slower pace. Rather than an insurmountable disadvantage, Gen-Y faces a barrier to development that they can work towards chipping away.

When discussing development, economists often say that they are looking for the “Big Push”. Typically, they are never certain on what exactly that push is, and have spent decades grappling for just that. Yet it appears that for the first time, we hold the “Big Push”, in our pockets. The technology that we are armed with, from plastic money to mobile phones, has already pulled the world forward in great strides. Therefore, this generation that truly understands the potential of its technology, will be the key in providing the “Big Push” to developing nations.

GW Students & Oikocredit Join for a Refreshing and Frank Discussion about the Realities of Microfinance

On a Wednesday evening late last semester, the Micro-Financing at GW group welcomed a  visit from Oikocredit USA for a discussion about the micro financing industry. There were people who came into the room not having a clue what micro financing meant, and then there were others who have been doing research on the industry for the past 4 months and were well-versed in its intricacies. This range of experience and knowledge made for a lively and engaged exchange. During this discussion with Leah Gage, who serves as the Business Development Coordinator of Oikocredit USA, we touched on many different topics, including the role of the microfinance investor, the microfinance institution, microfinance clients and the products they need, and theories about effective distribution strategies for un-banked clients. It seemed everyone left with some new knowledge in their pockets.

I started a micro financing club at GW last semester with the dream of eventually creating a stable MFI in the DC community completely run by college students. Since the group’s conception, we’ve been spending a lot of time researching prospective clientele in DC and the currently existing micro financing industry. We went to the Lend for America conference and heard inspiring stories from currently active campus MFI’s and we were further inspired to create one for our community.

Being wrapped up with this fascination of creating our own MFI we haven’t really questioned whether this is truly the best way to have a positive impact in our community. Leah brought this point to the surface during our discussion and it’s had us thinking a lot more about it. Currently,we don’t have the resources or capacity to become a full-fledged microfinancier, but we do have the passion and interest for micro financing and we want to take action. We’re now planning to reach out to several different active micro financing organizations in DC to see how we could be of service to them.

We haven’t given up our dream of creating an MFI of our own but we are going to make more reasonable goals for the near future; reasonable goals that take the well-being of the community into mind.

Overall, it was an enjoyable conversation for everyone who participated and we are very thankful for this visit from Oikocredit. We look forward to more insightful conversations to come!

 

This post was written by guest blogger Valerie Rodden, President of the Micro-financing at GW Club.

Are you a student interested in being a guest blogger for the Oikocredit CHiRP Force?  Contact us at breilly@oikocredit.org to find out how!

 

Create an Impact in Your Community: Shop Local!

Supporting grassroots community development has always been something I have been very passionate about.  As Social Media Team Leader for Oikocredit, I research, read, and write about these developmental issues and how we can support locally based microfinance organizations.  For example, Oikocredit also uses employees on the ground so not only can we can hear directly from the community we are in, but also employ locally.  These kinds of efforts are all a part of our mission to foster sustainable and economic development while building stronger communities.

However, my passion for grassroots community development doesn’t just stay in the office.  In my day-to-day life, I strive to work within my local community to make it a better place or everyone to live in.  One way I do this is by trying to strengthen my local economy as a consumer, so the community will become financially stronger.  My favorite way to do this is through shopping locally. 

There are many benefits that arise from shopping local, including the boost to one’s local economy.  Local shops are much more tangibly tied to the local community in comparison to bigger chain stores.  More people are employed by these local shops, and tend to make better wages than the big chain store counterparts.  In addition, local store proportionately tend to give back to local community organizations or charities at a much higher rate than chain stores.  For example, a study that was conducted in Austin, Texas showed that for 100 dollars spent at a local bookstore, 45 of those dollars went back into the local economy.  Compare that to the local Borders, which only put $13 back into the local economy. 

There’s also a perception that shopping local means more expensive products and limited selection.  If you shop at your local grocery store, then you aren’t going to be able to buy your favorite products for the convenient price you would at a large chain store right outside of the town limits.  This assumption, however, isn’t always true.  In the neighborhood my mother lives in, there is a small, locally run grocery store that my mother frequently likes to visit.  They have almost everything my mother needs for every day life.  Sometimes she does have to go to a large grocery chain to find a certain item, but she likes shopping at her local store because they have great selections and competitive prices in order to keep up with the market, so that they are not only turning a profit but being a reliable source of goods for shoppers.

Another side effect of shopping local is that it leaves less of an environmental footprint.  A lot of local shops tend to also buy food locally, which means the goods don’t travel as far, which in return has less of an impact on the environment.  Not to mention, many local shops set up in town or city centers, which means that less people have to drive and more can use public transportation, and who doesn’t love saving money on gas?  Let alone the positive impact that ride-sharing and using public transportation has on the environment. 

Perhaps the best thing about buying local is that when you do, you build community.  So much of the experience of shopping local is the personal exchange that happens between you and your fellow community members.  And in the process, you are helping the economy grow and creating a better community

So, next time you want a cup of joe in the morning, why don’t you try the local coffee shop instead of that big name chain?  Or go to a small grocer instead of the usual superstore?  Not only are you going to be able to find some awesome new places, you’ll also be giving to your community and helping it grow.  

Think Obamacare – on a whole new level.

by Mihir Khubchandani

If you ask someone for the definition of microfinance, typically the answer you would get is “small loans that are given to people with low incomes, with no collateral involved”. While this is the true definition of microcredit, the realm of social entrepreneurship related to microfinance is much broader. As of late, one of the newest buzz-words about social financing is microinsurance. Just like Obamacare intends to offer affordable healthcare to all, microinsurance is insurance designed to be affordable to all with low monthly fees and small coverage values. Yet it appears that this might be one of the most valuable steps towards developing the financial services sector for low-income communities, and could be very important in bringing about change in these states. 

A women’s microinsurance group in India. Photo courtesy of Forbes

Microinsurance works in a very similar way to your standard insurance schemes. Customers purchase insurance products, and pay the fees on a monthly or periodic basis. The amount collected is stored in a ‘pool’ by the insurance company, to be used as and when a customer makes a claim. The key difference is that the amount of premium to be paid is much lower. For instance, the minimum monthly fee for South African microinsurance organization AllLife is just $15. This gives rise to one of the main characteristics of microinsurance: it reaches those who are typically neglected by traditional insurance.

Those who would purchase these microinsurance schemes have certain other traits that make this type of insurance be specially tailored to them. Firstly, these people are typically seen to have higher vulnerability, due to poorer living conditions and the high risk environment in which they live and work. Further, the typical microinsurance buyer does not have substantial financial knowledge, and is likely not to trust institutions with handling their money as they may have been misled in the past.

However, perhaps the most significant characteristic is that whilst the small repayment amounts seem meaningless to us the repayments represent a significant amount to the typical microinsurance client. For instance, consider a low-income farmer (the typical target of microinsurance), who is able to produce enough every week to sustain his family for just that period. However, if there is any shock to the yield of his farm, such as a drought, a riot, or even heavy rains in the week, the farm will not produce enough and the family would have to go hungry. The same applies to health insurance – if the farmer is ill just for one week, his family will struggle to eat. As such, in situations where people make less money, they tend to rely on it heavily to get by. As such, even a small change in income has profound impact on their wellbeing. If the farmer were to have insurance, in the event of a shock, the reclaimable payment would be enough to sustain the family, at least for some period of time – to him, this is significant, valuable enough to warrant considering schemes such as life-insurance, property insurance, or old age insurance (some of the most commonly purchased schemes, according to a World Bank report on rural Ghana in 2008).

Microinsurance customers are very vulnerable to external shocks. Even low value insurance is thus significant in abetting the risks of such shocks. Photo courtesy of Oracle ThinkQuest

It is almost intuitive that the benefits of this are profound. At a surface level, such insurance allows the buyer to take more risks. This translates to being able to send the children of the family to school rather than having to work on the lands, as insurance removes the risk of a poor yield. Or, in the same vein, farmers can widen the variety of crops they grow, so as to be able to sell different products – and once again, the risk of a crop failure is insured. Furthering this idea of agricultural insurance, the provision of such services means that the reliance on GMOs for improved crop yield is reduced, thus improving the quality of produce for others in the community or even for trade.

Microinsurance and its reach do not stop there. In a situation where living conditions are poor with minimal hygiene and sanitation, the risk of falling ill is high. The typical low-income earner would not be able to afford even basic medical care. Health insurance helps enable such people to reach out and obtain such services, at least on a basic level. AllLife, for example, offers insurance to HIV/AIDS and diabetes patients at a minimal cost, despite preexisting conditions. In this way, basic statistics of life expectation and longevity increase for the nation as a whole. On a level closer to the ground though, the provision of simple healthcare enhances quality of life, and improves livelihood at what we often consider the most fundamental level.

Whilst all this sounds great, there are several difficulties with implementing microinsurance, which is still in its teething phase. Firstly, it is very difficult for insurers to be able to meet the tender balance of charging an amount that is affordable yet significant enough to cover the great risks the typical customer faces. Aside from this, the lack of financial awareness on the side of the buyers means that customers will be slow to purchase this product. Lastly, there is the issue of distributing the funds when a claim is made. Many of the clients to a microinsurance firm live in regions that are not easily accessible, and therefore sending money to them in a secure manner is a challenge. Several organizations have adopted methods to pay ‘in kind’, through phone credits or other such avenues of repayment.

In spite of these difficulties that plague microinsurance, I firmly believe that this is an avenue that definitely offers a lot of potential in helping nations develop. The great benefits of enabling clients to take risks in terms of crop production, providing healthcare at a basic level to those who often need it most, and the increased lifestyle flexibility with the ability to send children to school are amongst the many valuable benefits of such services that truly empower those of lower incomes. It appears to me that this is a project and realm of development that has not been explored to its fullest, and some support behind such schemes would certainly ensure empowerment and an improvement of lifestyle for those in need.

*Disclaimer: The views represented here are the opinions of the individual blog author and do not represent the views of Oikocredit USA.

Value of College Community Service

– By Sagar Doshi

As the sun sets, the entire stadium rests in silence. The wind has settled and the moment lays timeless. Children attempt to climb on parents’ shoulders for a peek and the elderly rise in respect of those fallen. All eyes are focused on the stadium bleachers, and as expected, a single light from the distance ignites. Steadily another light appears, and then another; the public starts to cheer. The reflection of a well-lit candle can be seen from each eye and a smile appears on the faces of many. The lights fall in a pattern, gradually forming a four letter word. Everyone stands in awe, taking in the moment which will forever be remembered in their hearts. One word. One mission. One dream. HOPE.

For all four years of high school I participated in Relay For Life – an event that raises funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society – and still, every year this moment seems to revive my passion for supporting the community. After participating in Relay For Life as a student council member my freshman year, I finally started to realize that one person can make a difference. It was simple to me: I donated $100.00 and that money was going to help somebody. Although my peers and I were not required to participate in this event, we chose to because our teachers highly recommended it to us. Four years later, I felt honored organizing Relay For Life at my school as student council president. I wished to see more participants of my generation join an event that not only contributed to a cause we believed in, but which instilled a new appreciation for life. More than a mere high school service project, this community event still laid the foundation for our participation in service events for the future. We came to acknowledge that community service is instrumental in making our world a better place at a young age. Acknowledging that I was an upperclassman in high school and potential college student, I was in the prime of my life to have an opportunity to make a large impact towards the well-being of others. Now as a rising junior in college, I am involved with organizations and clubs that focus on helping the needy and fundraising for proper research such as University of Maryland’s Relay For Life and Students Helping Honduras. I value community service because I had the experience of a lifetime at Relay For Life. But now I wonder: Has everyone else in college had this “experience” which enables them to value community service? If not, should community service be an essential component of the college education which possesses the universal mission to educate its students on “improving society?”

There is undoubtedly a tremendous amount of positive upside generated from participating in community service. Aside from the monetary contributions, participating in community service can positively affect an individual’s personal, social, and cognitive mindset. Developing an opinion concerning community involvement is more plausible during college since these students are just beginning to be true participants in their local community. For example, in a study of service learning requirement for college students, “students who provided community service as part of a one credit ‘community service laboratory’ showed a significant increase in their belief that people can make a difference, that they should be involved in community service and particularly in leadership and political influence, and in their commitment to perform volunteer service the following semester.” These college students also tended to be “less likely to blame social service clients for their misfortunes and more likely to stress a need for equal opportunity.” As students grow and mature in their college years, they tend to realize what is important in life and prioritize their actions accordingly. This can be applicable to coursework, social life, and community service. When a student has an experience such as taking this one credit community service laboratory, they then have the capability to draw conclusions on the importance of community service.

Another example can be found with students from Columbia University who participated in an alternative Spring Break trip to Mullens, West Virginia. The students are described as lining in an area where “rural poverty can seem distant, unimportant, and unworthy of our consideration.” However, after these “16 Columbia University students rebuilt porches, repaired roofs, literally shoveled mud from the side of a mountain,” they came to realize a responsibility they hold. Although these students were not originally familiar with rural poverty, after physically experiencing the conditions they have learned that they can “make tangible differences in places like Mullens.” Similarly, community service in college allows more students to partake in matters that are relevant to not just the local college community, but the global community. If certain community service activities such as alternative spring breaks or one credit community service laboratories were requirements of the college education, how beneficial would that be in developing the mindset of every single college student?

On the other side, typical college students have many tasks to worry about. From mid-term exams to part-time jobs, college students have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to their college education. Research reports that 70-80 percent of students work while they are enrolled in college and an overall 62.4 percent of students participate in extracurricular activities. Would making community service an essential component of the college education over-stress students on their path to graduation? These students may not have the time, money, or energy to participate in a mandatory community service event. It could quite possibly become overwhelming to students if they participated in service learning programs that required a full focus and effort.

Another issue that forms with compulsory community service as a portion of the college education is the true appreciation of volunteerism. The true internal passion for volunteering and supporting others could potentially be in danger if students are obligated to be civically engaged. For instance, a survey conducted with 273 college student non-volunteers, required volunteers, and non-required volunteers concluded that “non-required volunteers reported stronger commitment to and satisfaction with their university as well as stronger internal and weaker external motivation to volunteer than did required volunteers.” Some students tend to be active in the community simply for resume enhancement or personal profit, and therefore the possible “experience of a lifetime” potentially becomes a false highlight of character on a resume.

So what should colleges really do? Should they simply attempt to deal with the possible negative aftershocks of including community service as a component of the student education? Or should they take a more passive role, and hope that students find the self-satisfaction of civic engagement on their own? Ideally, if the well-being of others truly means something to every student then no requirement would ever be needed. Maybe the best answer lies in college students themselves.

 

*Disclaimer: The views represented here are the opinions of the individual blog author and do not represent the views of Oikocredit USA.

My Feminism

– By Tanya Eleftheriou

Sometimes I feel like I’m the only feminist, or at least the only person willing to assume this label. In a recent Vogue interview with former French First Lady Carla Bruni, she boldly states, “My generation doesn’t need feminism.” For me, as a woman of the next generation, this is an extremely frustrating and absurd statement. She goes on to say that she is happy being a mother and spending time with her family; yet, in the midst of this statement, she has a new album and headphone line debuting.

So doesn’t she seem to “have it all?” A happy home life: check. And a successful career: check.

My view on feminism advocates and supports women in this way. However, there is clearly a stigma attached to the word “feminism,” even to this day. The word seems to only bring up memories of the Second Wave movement’s shortcomings, which alienated women who refused to throw down their aprons and rush to join the workforce. The word somehow became equated with “man hater” and “bra burner.”

The feminism that I identify with is revamped for the 21^st century. It is about empowerment through choice: choice to pursue any and all of your life’s aspirations, including that of staying home to raise a family. So while Bruni says she doesn’t need feminism, it is feminism and women in and before her generation that allow her to make the choice of being a mother, wife, and successful career woman. I believe feminism is changing the rhetoric from what we “should” be doing to what we “can” do.  It is this feminism – the power of choice – that will allow for Madame Bruni’s son and daughter to grow up as equals.

My definition of feminism doesn’t just stop there, however. Feminism should further seek to rid the world of all gender binaries and not allow for them to be perpetuated in our everyday life.  We need to realize that it’s 2013 and we shouldn’t be defining men and women by two separate and confining categories based on ancient stereotypes. While Melissa S. Fisher asserts in her ethnography Wall Street Women that the first generation of women to enter Wall Street in the 70s “broke glass ceilings,” they only managed to climb deeper into the glass box. These women entered Wall Street under patriarchal gender codes and used these gender binaries as a strategy for personal success. Fisher implies that these women’s work was empowering. However, to have women use their positions of power, whether on Wall Street or in Washington, to promote these gender binaries, is a step backwards for women and society in my opinion. This is where the issue of inclusion versus influence comes in.

So what really is the difference between inclusion and influence? The concept of inclusion seems to, ironically, acknowledge even more pockets of society where women are excluded for the large part. This is particularly visible in the American political sphere. We have multiple women in politics today and with this year’s election alone, more women are in Congress than ever before. People would argue that this is breaking barriers and changing gender norms, but is it that significant? If we broaden the spectrum and look at all the other numbers and statistics, women still do not make up a significant amount of the population voted into positions of power.  According to the Center for American Women and Politics, women hold 98, or 18.3%, of the 535 seats in the 113th US Congress; 20, or 20.0%, of the 100 seats in the Senate and 78, or 17.9%, of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. If they remain in the minority, how much influence can they really have? Female presence does not imply power, just as inclusion doesn’t always lead to influence. While women are actively included in the political arena, it often seems that they, as well as the issues they support, are not heard and have little influence.

Women realize this and are now using social enterprise as an avenue to advance themselves as a gender and fight for the rights and respect they deserve.  They are choosing to start business to not only empower themselves but alleviate cultural, political and economic problems for their children and families. Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, started the non-profit to eliminate educational inequity by hiring recent college graduates and professionals to teach in low-income communities throughout the US. Paola de la Rosa, the general director of Fábrica Social, built her enterprise to create opportunities and empower indigenous women artisans in Mexico. Through design workshops, basic business and marketing training, Fábrica Social provides access to technical training, business skills, and markets which would otherwise be out of reach for these women. Paola expresses the initiative for her enterprise by stating, “You don’t need to be angry, but you do need to be very discontent with the status quo!”

Subject to injustice in the past and even present, women understand the struggle and are choosing to use social enterprise in order to fight some of the most prevalent and challenging issues today. This is why our generation still needs feminism, Mrs. Bruni.

*Disclaimer: The views represented here are the opinions of the individual blog author and do not represent the views of Oikocredit USA.