Why the SEED Program Rocks

The SEED program was not my first choice for an international internship. I served a mission for my church in South Korea and I wanted to find an internship there. When I could not find an internship in Korea I did not know what to do. I had always thought the SEED program was interesting so I decided to apply.  I am so happy that I did. I feel that I have learned so much. Being an intern has improved my business skills and understanding; it has opened my eyes to the problems a less developed country faces, and it has helped me network with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Any student would benefit from this internship. I know that the SEED program will continue to grow and that more USU students will get the opportunity to have this wonderful experience. It is a great opportunity and I have learned more than I ever expected.

The SEED program improved my business skills and understanding of business principles in many ways. It has also taught me initiative. The program is still young and the interns are expected to do certain tasks but often do not have specific direction on how to accomplish them. If the interns want to accomplish anything, they must take initiative. Working in Africa is also difficult at times; often the simplest task will take hours. The SEED program has taught me that no matter the problem, I must find a way to get the task done. I have learned the basics that every business needs in order to operate successfully and have been able to apply the business principles that I learned in school in order to help our students. I have increased my productivity and ability to problem solve. Loan qualification, collection tactics, and teaching methods are a few examples of what I have learned.

I have been able to see how lucky I am to live in a developed country. I have been given so much that I take for granted and it has been a wonderful opportunity to come here to Ghana and see what the people are struggling with. Inconsistency in water and power are more disruptive to everyday life than I could have ever imagined.  But I have learned from the Ghanaians to take what is given and make the best of it.

The SEED program has given me a wonderful opportunity to network here in Ghana. I have met so many wonderful people and feel that if I ever needed contacts here in Ghana I would have plenty.  There are so many opportunities here and so many wonderful people.

Currently...

All the interns are writing up business plans for our students that went through the interviews with Douglas and Stephen. We have been working hard to finish them because we want to see our class members receive loans, and our time in Ghana is coming to an end. They have all worked hard and we have become good friends with our class members. The hardest part has been telling some of the class members that they did not qualify. We hope that they will still be able to apply what we have taught in class so that they can improve their businesses.  Business plans have been a challenge because no matter how in depth we try to get people to explain their business, most of them do not understand what we are looking for.  Records are almost never kept and even though many students say they remember what they sell, when we ask specific questions they don’t know the answers. This forces us to estimate and it and get frustrating at times.  However, it is fun to see the plans come together.  Learning the basics of these simple businesses will be a great foundation for any future job any of us interns will have.