Students Compete for Unique Internship
SDSU's W.E. Do Good and Grameen Bank is offering a microfinancing summer internship in Bangladesh.
SDSU’s student-led social venture, World Entrepreneurs Do Good (W.E. Do Good), has launched a campuswide competition to award one student a $2,500 travel and lodging stipend for a four-week internship in Bangladesh this summer. The deadline to apply is April 15.
The selected winner will have the opportunity to work with Grameen Bank, a microfinance institution that provides small loans to those who live in rural communities in Bangladesh. Other students from around the globe will also take part in the summer internship.
In 2006, Grameen Bank and its founder Muhammad Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize. Yunus was honored for his leadership and for demonstrating that microloans could help reduce poverty.
Grameen Bank’s international program creates opportunities for the disadvantaged to become financially independent. It provides small business loans to promote self-employment and extend banking facilities to the poor.
The selected SDSU student will spend the month of June in Dhaka, the capital and largest city in Bangladesh. Interns will travel to local villages and learn about the impact of microloans in the local villages. Various tourist activities will be included, as well.
“It’s important for students to be aware of all the social issues going on in the world and see that there are a lot of business opportunities in these emerging markets,” said Allie O’Connor, a venture team member of W.E. Do Good. Time to compete
Students can apply by visiting W.E. Do Good’s website. The application requires students to answer an essay question, along with a brief questionnaire.
W.E. Do Good’s top three applications will be sent to Grameen Bank for review, and they will select the winner.
Eligible applicants must be/have a:
- Current student
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Have completed 60 units
Students who are business majors and have travel experience are preferred, but not required.
‘Do Good’
W.E. Do Good is also raising funds to cover the cost of the internship trip by selling spa and wellness products donated by CA Botana and Kalma Organics. CA Botana manufactures well-known product lines such as Sea Enzyme and Doctor D. Schwab. The products can be purchased at the SDSU Bookstore, as well as by W.E. Do Good team members. One-hundred percent of the sales revenue will be donated to the organization. Any proceeds received beyond the cost of the summer internship will go toward funding next year’s internship.
W.E. Do Good’s revenue-generating business model was developed to spread awareness about social issues in emerging economies.
“For a regular business model, you should create a model that gives you an advantage over your competitors,” said O’Connor. “But for a social venture, we’re trying to make a business model that is easy for others to replicate because we are trying to make a bigger impact.”
For more information, contact W.E. Do Good at [email protected].
