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Disclaimer: All blog posts are written by students and do not necessarily reflect the views of UTS staff.

  • BLOOM Microventures in Vietnam

    My name is Hiroki Suyama and in January 2015 I took part in the Bloom Microventures program in Vietnam.

    I began my trip on the 10th of January two days before the beginning of the program. First stop, Singapore! Entering the mustard coloured interior of the budget airline, Scoot, is what I think marks the beginning of the trip. Seeing the small spaces between the chairs, I began dreading the 8 hour flight. Luckily for me, I had paid that extra amount to get a window seat. My flight was improved ten fold when I realized there was a free seat next to me. Sprawling all my carry on luggage upon the two seats, it was absolute luxury. The pilot over the PA said something inaudible and perhaps in another language. Landing in Singapore, I braced myself for the humid heat that I had been warned about. But the heat was quickly forgotten, due to the beauty of Changi Airport. I couldn’t help but smile at how pleasant this airport was, and so I was walking through grinning from ear to ear like a true tourist. Stayed at a dingy hotel but that was fine as I was leaving early in the morning. Next stop, Ho Chi Minh City!

    I arrived at Ho Chi Minh City for a change over to head to Hanoi. I had originally asked the woman at check in, in Singapore, whether my checked luggage will be automatically transferred onto the next flight. She assured me it would be so as I got to Ho Chi Minh City, I just headed straight to the Domestic terminal. I lined up for the security check and was informed that I need to go back to the check in counter to receive a new boarding pass. So I went over to the check in, not really worrying as I still had an hour or so until boarding the flight. After lining up for what seemed like hours, I reach the front to be asked ‘where is your check in luggage?’ So back to the International terminal I journeyed. I frantically scanned the baggage line but the entire thing was empty. I went to the lost baggage area and informed the officials of my situation. As I was about to give up and deem the bag lost, I spotted it on the middle of the floor a few carousels down. With no time to lose, I swept it up and half ran, half walked to domestic. Then the treacherous lining up process commenced again. This time, as I got close to the front of the line, a man behind the counter calls out something in Vietnamese and so I questioned the person next to me. Apparently people heading to Hanoi (which was where I was going) were to move out of the line and over to him to get checked in instantly due to the nearing departure time. So I left my place in the line, which had become my home, and received my boarding pass. But then I ask him what to do with my check in luggage. After receiving a confused look, he informed me I must line up again to check it in. Frustrated, I began the lengthy wait once again. After that, the rest was smooth sailing or should I say… smooth flying. Checked in luggage, up to the security checkpoint, through to the boarding area, a crammed bus to the plane, twenty-minute wait in a crammed bus, boarding the plane. Again inaudible, untranslatable static murmur by the pilot and we were off. To end the stress from check in, I was awarded with a magnificent view of the multitudes of lights, which was Ho Chi Minh City. In that moment, all the waiting and running back and forth was definitely worth it.

    There were buses that were organised to pick us up from the airport at Hanoi. As my flight was delayed, I assumed it had already left and so I took a cab to the hotel. I would later find out that the bus had not left and so I put another student in an awkward one on one situation with a creepy taxi driver. I arrived to find the hotel, to my delight, was absolutely beautiful. And this is where I met a few of the others on the program as well as our coordinator, Ly.

    The highlight of my trip would probably riding around through the village of Hoa Binh on the back of a tractor waving at the residents. It was an experience like no other. It was as if we were kings and queens having everyone race out and smile and wave. We did a gratuitous amount of waving followed by exclaiming one of the only word we knew ‘xin chào’ meaning ‘hello’.

    Due to the program outlining that we will be staying at a ‘traditional stilt house’, I was expecting to have it rough for the days we were in the village but we actually stayed in a brilliantly beautiful wooden house. We rode bikes around the village daily, which was really nice for me as it was almost a blast from the past when I used to do an unnecessarily large amount of bike riding.

    It was intense seeing first hand the way that these people were living. Hearing some of the stories were absolutely heartbreaking. But observing the operation of companies such as Bloom Microventures, helped restore my faith in humanity. The complexities of the methods and the work that goes into seeing who shall get a loan and who wouldn’t were quite extensive and very interesting to listen to and learn about.

    A close second to the main highlight would be the boat cruise around Ha Long Bay. We had the whole boat to ourselves bar the honeymooning couple and one elderly man. The views were utterly exquisite. A few of us woke up early in the morning to practice Tai Chi, which was a new experience with the towering rock formations and the swaying deck of the boat (not that I’ve ever tried Tai Chi before).

    After three weeks had passed, it was time to leave. Typically enough, it felt like the time had gone by so fast. Getting back to Australia, it was nice to go to the beach, eat vegemite toast and down a cold Carlton. I will miss the cheap cabs and the cheap food in Vietnam though. I would recommend this program to everyone. I would definitely go back in the future.

    Hiroki Suyama

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Bloom Microventures – Summer 2015

    Hi my name is Daniel. I was a participant in BUiLD Abroad’s 2015 Summer program in Vietnam with Bloom Microfinance, which assists female farmers in rural areas in northern Vietnam, by providing microloans to help fund entrepreneurial activities. This was my first experience on a BUiLD Abroad trip.

    The core of the trip involved two elements – seminars on microfinance held in Hanoi, and then two field trips to Hoa Binh province, where Bloom centred its microfinance activities. The seminars were conducted by Ly, the program director, who was able to contextualize our learnings from the seminar to real world cases of microfinance and impoverished conditions in which her clients lived. Our field trips to Hoa Binh were equally eye opening. It was often confronting to see the difficult economic and social conditions in which Bloom’s clients lived, and some members were visibly distressed to witness people living in such conditions. We were also able to vividly witness the life-changing transformations that microfinance could offer to these disadvantaged communities, where loans of a few hundred dollars to entrepreneurial individuals could fund business ideas that benefit entire communities. It would be safe to say that life perspectives of many were changed through this trip.

    Aside from serious life learning, there was also serious fun to be had. My personal highlight was our overnight tour of Halong Bay by boat. Our boat cruised through the hundreds of beautiful islands that make up the bay, which was one of the most beautiful experiences I have had. There was even a chance to go kayaking to the islands, swimming at an island beach, and moonlight squid fishing. We were also given a bicycle tour of beautiful Ninh Binh and a hiking tour of Cuc Phuong National Park. All these trips were absolutely brilliant and unforgettable. On top of all this, I have gained valuable friends at UTS through the trip, with whom I still keep in contact with and discuss further BUiLD experiences for the future.

    To those who may be considering on going on a BUiLD Abroad Trip to Vietnam – just do it. I absolutely recommend this trip to all. This trip has grown me in more ways than I can imagine, and am still enjoying the benefits of it today. The BUiLD Grants make these trips very accessible and the benefits from these trips are just too irresistible to ignore.

    Daniel Choi

    Global Short Programs Student

  • My Bloom Microventure Vietnam Experience

    From riding shotgun with talkative cab drivers, playing volleyball with the village locals to reminiscing over my journey 63 floors above Hanoi, my Summer BUiLD Program was one not to be forgotten.

    There have been too many experiences to recount on my 21-day journey but before I formally begin my reflection, I’d like to first give acknowledge and say thanks to a few people that helped make the trip what it was. First, a very warm thank you to Ly and Gina, our delightful program coordinators. From the offset Ly and Gina helped us to adapt and feel comfortable amid the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. Without their guidance, I can guarantee the trip wouldn’t have been as amazing as it was. Secondly, a very big thanks to UTS:BUiLD for providing me with a grant and facilitating such an amazing program.

    Now onto my reflection, there is no better way to sum up my program than the homestays at Hoa Binh.

    From the offset, the communities and 6 villages in Hoa Binh welcomed me with open arms. Despite there being countless moments of intense joy and awe, I will recount 3 experiences that I should always cherish:

    1. Being invited to Chi’s house and being offered me homebrewed alcohol – Chi is a local laborer within Hoa Binh. Conveniently, he is situated right next to our homestay and always enjoys coming around for a game of bamboo push-of-war or helping us to round up the local boar.

    This particular day, I had just found out that the Village Chief had agreed to let the group keep the local Boar if we managed to catch it. The boar was domesticated but they still let it roam free amongst the homestay and neighboring properties.

    I decided to scurry over to Chi’s house and requested in broken Vietnamese that he help us catch the “big-black-pig”. Upon hearing this unusual request, Chi invited me into his place and sat me down.

    With a sinister grin plastered across his face, he reached over to the cabinet that lay on his left. With a slight jiggle of the wooden knob, the cabinets opened and low and behold were two monstrous jugs. On the left, 20 to 25 finger-banana-sized hornets lay fermenting in a plastic jug. On the right, a two-toned snake was coiled in a translucent liquid. He said that if I took a shot, I’d become strong. I interpreted it as a rite of passage. As honored as I was, I passed it up.

    2. An encounter with the wild (domesticated) boar – In light of my missed rite of passage, I thought it would be interesting to try and catch the boar. In short, Tyso, Aaron and I ran around the homestay frantically attempting to grasp the hind legs of the boar.

    Needless to say, in the midst of the moment, when your eyes are locked with the deep, entrancing glare of the boar, you can’t help but cower away. In the process the boar managed to breach and damage a small vegetable patch.

    We were incredibly apologetic and offered to help at any chance; the Village Chief on the other hand wanted none of it and expressed his happiness that we had a crack and was trying our best to integrate into community life!

    3. Gifts from the Village Chief – It was the final morning of the homestay and everything seemed to go slower than it usually did. The bulk of us scurried around to make the most of the final moments while a few lay content on the wooden benches in the common area.

    After breakfast, Tyso, Aaron and I headed up to the kitchen to drop off the dishes. The Village Chief was squatting in the middle of the open area with a meat clever in his hand and his foot firmly pressed against a bundle of bamboo straws. We watched as he carefully craft a hat.

    Within a few minutes, Tyso and I had received matching fisherman hats – symbolic of patience. Whilst Aaron received a unique and slightly more elaborate hat – probably because there was an inside-joke throughout the village that we was going to marry the Chief’s daughter. The Village Chief expressed some remorse for not being able to make hats for the whole group but everyone was just grateful to have been there in the first place!

    In hindsight I truly wish I had appreciated the little things a bit more. Often when you’re caught up in a barrage of awe-inspiring moments it is difficult to be grateful and appreciative of what’s happening. However with that being said, there were countless moments of awareness that will stick with me for years to come.

    Moving forward, I have not only learnt to cherish what’s happening in the present but to always try and give back to others. I’ve learnt this not only from the communities in Hoa Binh but my friend’s that I was able to share this experience with.

    Thank you UTS:BUiLD and Ly and Gina from BLOOM Microventures

    Christopher Yong

    Global Short Programs Student

  • My Experience with Bloom Microventures

    I had no idea of what to expect from Vietnam. As a child born into a family of Vietnamese immigrants, the stories I have heard were punctuated by laughter that masked the dark aftermath of war. My knowledge of Vietnamese culture was knowing that nước mắm was delicious despite its smell; my grasp of the language allowing me to be able to order certain dishes, count to three and pronounce phở correctly. Coming out the other end of Vietnam (literally – I flew out of Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon) and the Bloom Program, I can definitely say that I have learnt many things.

    The first lesson I learnt was smiles was an international currency. More often than not, the group would find ourselves at a loss in markets around Hanoi as we tried to bargain for that knick-knack we had our eye on. We quickly learnt how useful the calculator app was on our phones, as we paired up the numbers with smiles and pleading eyes that would put puppies to shame. A smile also goes great when we were riding around the villages on bicycles or tractors, waving to the bemused locals.

    The second lesson I learnt was that a little goes a long way. A simple ‘xin chào’ would be enough to brighten someone’s face. A ‘cảm ơn’ would bring on confusion, especially after having a conversation with our lovely guide as translator. 1000 or 2000 VND that the odd cabbie would try to keep was no longer 6 cents during the last few days, but the principle of having being short-changed (we obviously did not budget well). This concept really struck home for me when I made my Vietnamese-speaking mother send a quick message to the Village Chief. The voice clip was less than a minute long, and said a simple thanks from one parent to another for caring for their child in their native tongue. The Village Chief was thrilled, and began to interview me. He asked me how I felt visiting Vietnam for the first time, how my mother and her family regards Vietnam, and he asked what he could do as a leader that could improve the villages so as to bring pride to those who have left their homes and families following the war. He ended the interview by sending a video message back to my mother, thanking her for her thanks, wishing her a new year, and inviting the rest of my family to stay in his care.

    I made sure to exchange new year’s greetings with the lovely team at Bloom and the Village Chief’s family, and needless to say they were thrilled to bits to see a loud, thriving Vietnamese family much like their own bring in the year of the goat all the way in Australia. My Vietnamese vocabulary has somewhat expanded, though most words are food related. This fantastic experience has allowed me to establish a connection to a country I only previously heard stories about, and helped me further my understanding of a culture whose principals are the core foundations of my family’s values. Big thanks to BUiLD for presenting me with this opportunity, to Bloom for being a wonderful bridge that facilitated this experience for me in the best way possible, and the crew of 12 other oddballs from UTS for all the laughs, the talks and the flu.

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Bloom Microventures, Vietnam – Jan 15

    I went on this trip hoping to learn more about microfinance, a field that has intrigued me as a great way to be able help people in a way that is practical and sustainable. This field appears to me as a way to link my professional skills of accounting and finance with my professional interests of social work and philanthropy. On our trip we were presented with mini lectures of an hour a day in Hanoi teaching us about poverty in Vietnam and the ways that microfinance can be used to help alleviate this poverty. We learnt about what the typical day of a microfinance officer is like and how applicants are assessed. From a risk criteria sheet, we made a list of questions that were sensitive to the situation but allowed us to get a feel for the applicant’s home life, dependents, health, and financial security.


    One day on our field trip we had an opportunity to speak with 4 new loan applicants, by asking general questions, as well as the specific questions we had prepared to gain an insight into the risk of each applicant. This gave an opportunity to see real life scenarios that allowed an insight into the structure and considerations of microfinance to be able to understand more fully how it works and see it’s effects. As we spoke to the applicants I found most were very forthcoming with information and were so grateful for the opportunities that BLOOM had given them to be able to grow their family businesses. Although it was confronting at times to see the living conditions of some of these poor villagers, with their simple housing and many without a bed to sleep on, talking to these people proved to me that microfinance is really such a powerful tool for these communities to use and it was remarkable to see what some of these women had been able to do with their loans. Hearing their stories gave a personal touch and being able to hear how they were making their way to a more independent living was at times very emotional as we sat on their cold, hard cement floor where they ate, socialised and slept at night.


    The next day of our field trip we then visited 4 women who have existing BLOOM loans, as a part of the check up that a loan officer would do. This was a much poorer village to visit and we really saw some devastating effects of poverty. It was a sombre mood between us students as we listened to stories of disability and domestic abuse that had led these women into deep poverty. The only positive was hearing how highly they spoke of microloans in helping them to survive and have hope for the future. We left this village feeling very confronted by how hard these lives can be, but trusting in the ability of BLOOM microloans to be able to provide some comfort to these women.


    I feel like I came away from the trip with a fuller knowledge of microfinance and it’s uses and effects on communities. I believe it is an area that shows much potential and one in which I want to continue to pursue as a possible area to apply myself to. During this trip we were looked after incredibly by Ly and her assistant Gina who were very hands-on, acting as interpreters, carers, and gave advice on great restaurants to eat at. I couldn’t have asked for a better organisation than BLOOM to do this trip. The villagers were welcoming and friendly, giving us a cultural performance night of traditional singing and dancing both times we visited the village.

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Journey into Hanoi

    “Cảm ơn”

    This became my favourite saying traveling around Hanoi. It is the Vietnamese word for Thank you. Traveling with 12 other UTS students around Hanoi with Bloom Microventures was an adventure I’ll never forget. Learning about the use of microcredit loans and exploring around both urban and rural areas around Vietnam was an equally interesting and unforgettable learning experience.

    Bloom Microventures is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting farmers through microcredit loans in rural Vietnamese areas. On our journey we got to see the direct impact the loans made for the farmers. We spent two three day journeys in Hoa Binh staying in their local farm stay and was very welcomed with the farmers kind generosity. These loans allowed provided by Bloom to these farmers allowed them to purchase new livestock and equipment in which they used to improve their everyday life.

    In addition to spending time learning about the microcredit loans we also had many fieldtrips and adventures organised for us. These adventures allowed me to see the beauty of Vietnam. Cycling through the fields of Hoa Binh, paddling in a kayak through Ha Long Bay, riding in a boat through a cave in Ninh Binh and exploring the markets that Hanoi always allowed me to experience something new.

    Reflecting on the positive memories that I had during my time with Bloom, I can safely say the experience was both enlightening and humbling to see both the beauty that Vietnam offers and to see the farmer’s lives positively impacted through the loans they borrowed. I had such a great time and would thoroughly recommend that they consider this trip when applying for BUiLD Programs in the future.


    Nathan Ma

    Global Short Programs Student

  • AIESEC – Brazil

    On December 3rd 2014 I embarked on a six week life changing journey to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. I was tired, anxious and jet-lagged after enduring a 25,000 kilometre journey however I could not believe that I was in Brazil! Ever since high school I had decided that I should explore the world through the wonderful activity of volunteering during my time at university. Furthermore, what better way to challenge yourself than trying to fit into foreign country and trying to adapt to a new language, culture and a way of living?
    So what did I travel 25,000 kilometres for? I was on a volunteering project called the ‘Driblando project’ which focuses on teaching local kids how to develop respect for each other and teamwork through sports, school-yard games and teambuilding activities. In a team of 10 people we worked in a holiday school run by an organisation called Casa-Rocha Jocum. This centre was located in the favela, the lower socio-economic area of Belo Horizonte. Our supervisors, Josie (South Africa), Nicco (France) and Alline (Brazil) lived on the premises and worked there full time. This was an AIESEC project and I thank the local committee in Belo Horizonte for letting us work with the organisation and our fantastic supervisors. Our team consisted of students from all across the world. Students from Germany, Poland, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Singapore and South Africa. All of us were keen to showcase our countries and did so by doing presentations. The kids were mostly interested in kangaroos and koalas when it came to Australia! In a country dominated by soccer, it was an eye-opening to introduce the game of ‘rugby’ to the children and were intrigued by the Aboriginal culture.

    The biggest challenge was to communicate with the children especially during the early days. Local university students from Belo Horizonte were also volunteering as volunteers and helped out with the translation. Also it was easy to pick up on basic Portuguese phrases as they days went by, and we (the people from the non-Spanish speaking countries) were able to converse with the children especially when playing soccer or swimming.

    Other than the volunteering, I was able to immerse myself into the Brazilian culture through my host family. I was lucky to have lived the most heart-warming family. The host parents treated me like a family member and treated me like as if I was their son. Christmas is celebrated all across Brazil as most of the population is Catholic. My host family, the Olivera’s, hosted Christmas for their whole family and it was an eventful event. Lots of music, dancing, food and love is involved creating an awesome atmosphere in the house. Family values is important in Brazilian households.

    When in Brazil, you have to tick attending a live soccer game and visiting Rio De Janiero off your list. I was lucky enough to watch the final game of the season: Cruziero vs Fluminese at the Mineirao. The atmosphere was electric and because Cruziero, the local team from Belo Horizonte, won the competition there was an abundance of dancing, fireworks and chanting all night long. We were able to visit Rio De Janiero for four days and it was an amazing experience. The city has that ‘big-city’ feel and we were able to visit all of the main tourist attractions and beaches. I travelled with Sing-Shi (from Singapore) and Maria-Luisa (from Peru) and we visited the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain, Maracanã Stadium and the world famous Copacabana beach.

    It was a bitter-sweet time leaving Belo Horizonte. I had made so many good friends, had an amazing time with the children, and it was sad to leave my host family. However I had learnt so much during my time overseas and will use this experience to pursue my passion for travelling. I have learnt that travelling with an open mind is essential for the best experience. Things will not always go your way and you have to be flexible to adjust to new situations. And finally, opportunities like this not always come along, so make the most of these opportunities.

    I want to thank UTS BUiLD and AIESEC UTS for opening up this wonder adventure for me. Also like to thank my parents for the encouragement they have given me. After this experience I am motivated to go out and explore the world even more, and no better way of doing it than volunteering.

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Education in Indonesia

    I am now doing Bachelor of Public Relation, I chose AIESEC Global Exchange in Indonesia to help me understand more about new culture new language and learn about Muslim religion. During this exchange, I have been through all the toughest time in my life and also happiness. Now I want to share my experience in Indonesia to people who are care and planning to take an exchange.

    Briefly, my workplace calls Kitty Centre where all the disable students (both physical and mental problem) are studying in there. My job was about to teach students (mainly Autistic students) how to read and understand the language (Indonesian language) properly. It seems weird when I’m Vietnamese who are studying in Sydney went to Indonesia to teach Indonesian. At first I was really shock but the reason why the school put me into this position is to change the educational program in that Centre in to modern and Western way, instead of keep using traditional thinking to teach students. Of course, language, and culture are the challenge.

    Before I arrived to Indonesia, I had no idea about Indonesian language. As in my job description that AIESEC University of Indonesia gave me, I just need to play and plan some games for disable children. Therefore, I did not prepare lots of Indonesian words for teaching. After they told me that I had to teach students in Indonesian, I was shock, confused, and of course, I could not go back to Sydney to quit this exchange right at the beginning. I tried to learn few words every night and asked other teachers for helps. If they understand English, then I could be easier for me for communication, but only few of them could. That time, I found out the best way to let them understand my language by using GOOGLE TRANSLATE, this way, we could communicate and understand each other language. Moreover, about the teaching, students studies only few words a day (words about colour, transportations, shapes,…), therefore I prepared some words before class started and also some key words like ‘What is it?’, ‘This is…’, and ‘Again’. Thus, this is my way to solve the problem with Language in other country.
    Culture shock is inevitable during the time I was living in Jakarta. Firstly, this is a Muslim country; therefore, wearing shorts and having blond hair colours (not natural) are very strange and disrespectable to some people. I had to change my whole clothing style, behaviours and explain to people about Western culture, , our lifestyle to let people could understand the way my appearance. Secondly, It was so hard for me to go out and look around the city, so that I felt lonely and homesick all the time, this is because of the transportation difficulties. There was the most famous public transport called ‘Angcot’ which is a small van (for 8 people), it helps people travelling around Jakarta with the cheapest price. The problem of this was they put too many people into one (round 20 people) and the drivers didn’t care about how to drive in the right way. It seems normal to people in here but to me I never want to use ‘Angcot’ to my workplace. Also, there were no bus or train around my host house, then I had to use taxi which cost me lots of money.
    After this volunteer, I made a significant change in the program of Kitty Centre. In the education program of that centre, it was so boring to student, because I put all the different level student into one class, thus, they just focused on good students to answer the questions. To low level students, they did not try to let students answer the question, if student couldn’t, they skip and continue asking high level students for the right answer. As I researched on Internet, teachers have to let student giving a right answer and telling again and again until they get the message. Then, I decided to change the whole program, I asked teachers allow me to put students with same level study together, and also show them how to make students feel excited and absorb the largest information from the class. In the end, all the teachers and I could see the improvement from each student. Some of them able to count to ten, some able to speak few words and also those who couldn’t speak, they still could show the right answer through their eyes.

    To me, when I see happy face and progress of my students, that is the happiest and most meaningful to me. I know I was so tough for me but just think about what I did, it makes me feel so proud of myself cause finally I did it.

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Mie’s Philippines Trip

    Mie Joerstand recently came back from her trip to the Philippines through the organisation AIESEC. This is her video!

  • Deepening my understanding of the developing world

    As I expected the 40K program allowed me to experience first hand life in the developing world. After studying and reading papers concerning the ‘right to development’, ‘economic and social rights’, and ‘the practice of human rights’, I was eager to depart from our privileged society and put myself into a more relatable and relevant context – INDIA. This one month placement allowed me to experience first hand life in the developing world, and it solidified my understanding of why human rights remains such an important issue throughout the world. Economic, social, cultural and political frameworks are the core foundations that constitute human rights however in the developing world these foundations are rarely upright and so we witness rights being violated, factors we tend to take for granted in our western society remain pertinent issues that affect the day to day lives of millions of people. Living amongst a rural Indian village for one month certainly put my life and view on human rights into perspective as my prior academic knowledge was applied practically.

    The amount of homeless people was quite confronting to me, especially seeing the lack of government initiatives in place to address the matter. Also the stark disparity between the upper class and significantly lower class was something I found difficult to comprehend.

    Empowering and creating employment opportunities for the local women was a very rewarding aspect of our impact project. I had presumed that creating jobs for the women may be culturally offensive to the local men however I was wrong, infact the men loved the fact that we had given their wives an extended source of income. So, we employed ‘Madu’, a local mother who is currently churning out 5 handbags a week for us. She speaks no English, by using a translator we managed to establish an efficient manufacturing process and we’ve even given ‘Madu’ some creative freedom of expression so she has been adding her own embellishments to the product.

    The program aside, I think living and working with five strangers was probably the ultimate highlight of the whole experience. Together we were a bunch of students from around to world, and a week in we felt like a family so there was no holding back! We were all from different walks of life and each of us had our own unique personalities that ultimately framed the dynamics of our vibrant and productive team.