Summer 2013 Interns

We're excited to introduce our new Summer 2013 interns!  Ross, Jamie, Matthew and John will be leaving for Ghana mid May.  A little about these new interns:

Ross Pickett

Major: Finance

Minors: Marketing and Economics

“I was able to briefly participate in the SEED program through the South America study abroad two summers ago.  The experience gave me a great opportunity to apply business skills outside of the classroom in a meaningful way.  I look forward to working on SEED full-time as an intern.  I am excited to see lives changed through business ideas and expanded credit opportunities.” 

Jamie Pickett

Majors: International Business and Economics

“The SEED program aligns perfectly with my future career goals in International Development.  I hope that someday I can be financially stable enough to focus entirely on serving less fortunate people and giving back like the people who have helped me along my way. More than anything, that thought is what motivates me to succeed in school and to push myself academically.”

Matthew G. Miles

Major: Accounting

“The SEED internship seems to be an incredible opportunity to not only gain unique business experience but also a great way to develop teaching skills.  Moreover, after reading Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus I have gained a strong conviction of the benefits of micro lending and now consider myself passionate about the idea and values behind it.  I am very excited to help the poor free themselves from the chains of poverty and create a better life for themselves and their families.”

John Johnson

Major: International Business

Minor: Marketing and Finance

 “I love helping people and hope to do something that will influence the world for good each day…  I want to do this internship because I think it will be a great opportunity to gain some perspective and a wonderful learning experience. I look forward to using my knowledge that I gain through life to help others.”

  

Douglas Paddy

Douglas Paddy is the loan administrator for SEED Ghana.  He has officially worked for the program since September 2012.  He is in charge of finding students for our classes, organizing the classes, interviewing potential loan recipients and is responsible for overseeing collections.  Unofficially Douglas has been working for our program for quite awhile.  He has gone through the SEED class himself and worked to help our students with translating for the classes.  Douglas, with the Abu's, works hard to keep our interns safe while they are in country and plays a large role in the success of our program in Ghana.

Under Douglas's management the program has moved into 5 new areas, all of these areas currently have a 100% collection rate.

Douglas's opinion on working with the SEED program

Douglas was born in 1978 and is now happily married with three children.  Douglas completed senior high school and went on to study Agriculture and Economics at College and pursue different career options.  Between 1999 and 2003 he worked as a Field Assistant with the Ghana Cocoa Disease and Pest Control Division.  He later joined the Ghana Education Service where he taught Agriculture Science.

Throughout his life Paddy has lost himself in the service of others.  He has helped organize people for community labor, doing clean up and voluntary work.  In 2002, with the encouragement from his community, Douglas ran for mayor and was elected.  Douglas is currently the mayor of Akwadum, Akwaduso, Ekorso and Wekpeti.  

During Douglas’s first four-year term in office he was appointed secretary to the Works and Housing Sub Committee of the District Assembly Council.  Paddy has now been re-elected two more times and is in his third term in office.  He still serves as secretary but now on two different sub committees.

Throughout his ten years as mayor, Douglas has contributed a lot to the community.  On water and sanitation projects he has constructed roughly 160 household latrines in four different communities, two institutional bathrooms for schools and ten boreholes providing good drinking water.  Under his leadership three communities have been connected to the national grid that have provided these communities with electricity.  Paddy has constructed four different schools, a health care center, a marketing center and a 15-kilometer road to remote farming communities.

On top of all his work he does in the community, Douglas is furthering his education and will be graduating this May with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

We are very grateful to Douglas for all the hard work he does for the program.  We know our interns are in good hands with Douglas.