Leadership Initiatives Students Creating Change

Dear Amazing Leadership Initiatives Donor,

Our incredible teams in the International Internship Program have dedicated their time and effort over the past few months to immerse themselves in the local culture of Bauchi, Nigeria and build strong relationships with our partners in Nigeria to approach a number of issues faced by the community.

In the International Business Internship Program, our devoted teams have partnered with 41 small business owners in Bauchi to help streamline their business processes. Teams conducted regular calls with their business partners over Skype in order to establish a strong working relationship and approach issues faced by the business collaboratively. Teams first focused on ensuring their partner’s financial tracking system was as accurate as possible, and are currently working to create advertising and microgrant proposals for their business partners to reach more members of their communities. These proposals, once approved, will enable our business partners to begin to grow their businesses and become pillars of their communities.

In the International Advocacy Internship Program, teams worked with a project coordinator in Bauchi, Nigeria, to learn more about a variety of issues facing the community, such as corruption and human trafficking. Teams developed a community survey to learn more about community perception of these issues and are currently developing community workshops to improve community understanding of these issues in a way that may enact positive change.

In the International Public Health Internship Program, teams have worked to increase their knowledge about a variety of public health issues in the community, such as tuberculosis and under-immunization. Teams in this program also developed a community survey to gauge the community’s understanding of and ability to respond to these issues. Teams are currently working to develop community workshops in order to educate people in the community about these health issues and steps people in the community can take to improve their own response to these issues.

Additionally, Leadership Initiatives is beginning work on three community development projects in rural areas of Bauchi, Nigeria. In the Inkil community, plans are underway for the construction of a new school building that will allow educational opportunities for local children and foster a brighter future. In the Gwallagan Mayaka community, efforts are focused on the installation of a borehole, a system that will provide clean and accessible water to residents, addressing a fundamental need for health and sanitation. In the Guru community, a culvert bridge will be constructed that will foster connectivity to other communities and allow access to vital services during the rainy season. These projects underscore Leadership Initiatives' commitment to empowering communities, driving sustainable development, and creating lasting positive change.

On behalf of everyone at Leadership Initiatives, thank you for everything that you have done. We all truly appreciate your donation and support for our organization. Everyone at Leadership Initiatives would love to have you more involved in our organization if you would ever want to help us grow our programs or learn more about ways that you can assist. Please contact Executive Director Marshall Bailly at mbailly@lichange.org if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments!

Sincerely,

The Leadership Initiatives Team