-Coaching Update
-Challenges Worldwide signs enterprise deal with Botswana
-Former Google chief invests in PharmaSecure
-Challenges Assignments

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The talk was part of a set of guest lectures from people designed to drive interest in other ways of doing business. To inspire and to give the students a taste of what it’s like to do business in the real world.

My talk was split between discussing various types of input such as aid, volunteering, business and assistance. I spoke to the students about our Challenges Business model and used various case studies  to illustrate how we work in developing countries, and highlighted some of the difficulties of working in rural (and urban) emerging markets.

I discussed the concept of Aid, how while certain Aid projects are good and beneficial, others can also be very damaging to a countries infrastructure and various businesses.

As an alternative I explained how Challenges uses a business model based on developing businesses to create jobs and income for communities. We looked at examples of how investment, done responsibly and sustainably, supported by Challenges Worldwide can help to create strong companies and communities which will provide the return that is needed to ensure people keep investing in the developing world.

The main aim of my talk was to encourage the students to think about ways in which business can work alongside the third sector and really help people in developing countries.

If you would like to learn more about Impact Investment you can read more on our website at http://www.challengesworldwide.com/  

For further reading : http://bit.ly/oPDXiK

 One of the world’s best known business leaders Steve Jobs was responsible for revolutionising the technological world with the creation of the iMac, iPod, iPad and Iphone Jobs has changed the lives of many and  the way we interact with the world.

Barack Obama praised Jobs work and contributions , “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it”.   

 Steve Jobs work significantly changed the world and everyday lives of many individuals and businesses. In a time of rapid technological progression consider how developing counties are experiencing their own revolution.

 Technology continues to expand its markets into many developing countries around the world. Local people have benefited from the use of mobile phones in a number of ways, which are generally much cheaper and more widely available than landlines. More than half the world’s population now owns a paid mobile phone and nearly a quarter has access to the internet, and these numbers are still on the increase.  

 Most of the countries in the developing world have skipped fixed-line infrastructure and leapfrogged directly into mobile technology. Currently mobile technology is the predominant mode of communication in the developing world. Mobile phones help to strengthen social ties among communities and create opportunities for small local businesses to network to a larger market than previously.  

Mobile phones have also created a change in the way that local and international organisations conduct their operations making communication easier, quicker and more accessible.  

Consider the impact of mobile phone technology in developing countries:

-          How much do mobile phones contribute to greater financial incomes and employment opportunities?

-          How do mobile phones affect people in developing countries and our relationship with them?

-          Does global communication through mobile technologies and internet access create a positive impact on the   world?

-          What problems can new technologies create in developing countries and what regulations need to be introduced?

Challenges Worldwide worked alongside Oxfam on the RESWA programme, providing the project with an exceptional volunteer with over 40 years of experience in development planning. Our volunteer worked across the five countries for four months with an indepth follow up and documentation of the project on returning to England. He remarked on Challenges Worldwide describing the organisation to be a ‘unique one which seems to attract a certain type of individual: independent, capable and self-confident’.

Challenges Worldwide programmes and volunteers like this across the globe, working for sustainable futures in developing countries by positively changing the way in which activities and project delivery is conducted. Challenges Worldwide has a network of 15,000 people each an expert in their field. At any time more than 100 professionals stand ready to be deployed wherever their knowledge and experience is required. If you have business or professional experience and would like to make an imapct on a low income country, boost your own prospects and credentials and experience something truely unique contact Challenges Worldwide to see what we could offer you.

Find out more information by visiting our website at www.Challengesworldwide.org

That is why our business coaching programme is the core of what we do. Our professional volunteers help unlock the potential of new SMEs or social enterprises by lending a helping hand just when it is needed most.

Their challenge is not to take over a business, but to work alongside the owners and employees to help make the business grow. Their assignment could be developing a business plan to attract finance for a new recycling company in Mexico City, or working on a sales strategy for a brick making company in Tanzania.

Whatever it is, it will make a real impact, which is why our returning volunteers always speak of the personal and professional satisfaction that a Challenges assignment brings them. 

Even having to hurricane proof your apartment, as one of our Belize volunteers is doing right now, can add a new skill to your CV.

And our work contributes to the elimination of poverty. As leading African businessman Dr Mo Ibrahim argues wealth creation is key to unlocking “the great potential of Africa, its youth, natural resources, land and markets.”

Last month 12 people signed up for a Challenges’ assignment and our applications team, Dave and Alex are busy matching each of them to a role.

This latest intake of volunteers range from several lawyers, to a lecturer in gender studies and a project manager.

We are always looking for new people to join our network of volunteers willing to  spend a few months working in a developing country on an assignment that will make a lasting impact.

Why not get in touch via apply@challengesworldwide.com today to find out how you can use your skills to help end poverty.

The entrepreneurs and small-business employees growing their companies are every part as much of the story of the continent as those suffering terribly in East Africa.

African Alternative Energy Solutions Ltd (AAES), a company based in Uganda and assisted by Challenges Worldwide volunteers, is making strides in the alternative energy market.  With a challenging backdrop of worries over food and water supplies, this Ugandan business is growing and improving the lives of many in turn.

AAES facilitates the supply of renewable, green energy in Uganda, focusing on solar power, inverters and their ground-breaking ‘Car Power Stations’.  The company has recently signed an agreement with the Ugandan National Water and Sewage Corporation, allowing its over 2000 employees to buy alternative energy products favourably under a Corporate Employee Benefit Programme.

The Car Power Station recharges specially fitted batteries in car boots while the engine runs.  It harnesses the otherwise wasted energy created by the car engine’s alternator and, depending on model, takes only one to one-and-a-half hours to charge.  The stored electricity can be used to power lights, laptops, televisions and charge phones once the car is home, allowing those who have bought it to do more and make more of their time.

The story of AAES is a compelling one and reinforces the fact that Africa brims with potential. If you are a professional services expert or in business and would like to contribute to Africa’s economic growth by sharing your skills and knowledge please get in touch with Challenges Worldwide. Email info@challengesworldwide.com

Businesses find it hard to succeed in this challenging environment. They are unattractive options for investors and governments struggle to raise significant tax revenues, compounding the situation as they then lack the resources to sustain the infrastructure for businesses to flourish.

Challenges’s contribution to breaking the cycle of poverty is to intervene at an economy’s weakest point – business development.

The United Nations estimates that there are 120 million SMEs that account for:

• 90 oer cent of global business
• Up to 60 percent of employment
• 30 percent of manufactured exports

Yet, while SMEs account for 51 percent of GDP in high-income countries, they account for less than 16 percent in low-income countries.

Developing countries are rich in ideas and entrepreneurial aspirations, but because of poor infrastructure, weak public services and little or no business support, businesses struggle to grow – choking off the potential for increased employment and higher tax revenues.   

This is where Challenges makes a real and lasting impact.

We focus our efforts on supporting enterpreneurs and businesses, providing them with the services of our expert volunteers.

This business coaching and support can unlock a company’s full potential – to make money and expand – thus creating those elusive jobs and tax revenues which in turn benefit the whole country.

Our programme is different from volunteering in an orphanage or refugee camp, but by targeting SMEs, we think we can help provide the key to prosperity for businesses and developing countries

We find this very exciting and if you do too, get in touch to find out how you can help unlock the world’s potential.

Email your CV to info@challengesworldwide.com to join our growing network of international volunteers.

Do you need time to gather your thoughts?

It is quite possible that even the most dedicated professional will need to take some time out to gain a bit of perspective.  A Challenges assignment can give you time to think, realise what you are passionate about and clarify your position about where you want to be and what you are currently doing.  You are not wasting time either, as you will be learning about a new place, a new culture and new skills while overseas which will add to your UK employability.  Many UK employers are also happy to see their employees take time out for a worthwhile project such as a Challenges assignment.

Are you starting to see the early warning signs of ‘burnout’? 

Hectic timetables take their toll.  Professionals can experience stress, exhaustion and tension from the pressures of everyday life.  While a Challenges placement is still undoubtedly hard work, the change of scenery and the rewarding and fulfilling nature of the work you do overseas can reinvigorate you to come back and achieve greater things.

Are you driven to see and change the world?

“You must be the change that you wish to see in the world.”  How many times have you read this oft-quoted phrase of Ghandi?  Well maybe it’s time to take inspiration from this fridge-magnet citation if you do want to make a difference.  Our volunteers are placed in selected organisations where they can have very real and lasting impacts.  This can be a “once in a lifetime” experience which changes your preconceptions.  What’s more, you also get a chance to travel and see very diverse places in order to complete the assignment.  After all, in the wise words of sociologist Margaret Mead “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Do you feel it’s time to re-skill or skill-up?

A Challenges assignment can also be the catalyst to transform your career, whether you want to start working internationally, you are looking for a career change or simply a boost up the career ladder.  The skills and experience which a placement can give you will make you stand out from the crowd and grow your own self confidence. 

Challenges Worldwide is also a delivery centre of the Chartered Management Institute, so you could also gain a Certificate in Management Consulting Essentials (CMCE) or Chartered Manager status through us to compliment the transferable soft skills which you will undoubtedly pick up and exemplify during your assignment such as adaptability and cultural sensitivity. 

So, if you feel that you fit some of the above criteria what are you waiting for?  Contact our applications team via apply@challengesworldwide.com.