There is an old saying that goes: “when you travel, you cry twice: first when you arrive, and then again when you have to leave”. I’ve never found this saying very realistic until I visited Uganda.
I’m Flavia Cau, and in June, I had the chance to participate to an internship with E4Impact Foundation in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. I heard about the possibility of having such experience during my last year at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. In that moment, I realized that it was my chance to have a different experience rather than the usual curricular internship proposed by the University. Indeed, what E4Impact offered me wasn’t just an internship but a life experience.
While working as a Business Coach Assistant at the MBA that E4Impact organizes in partnership with the Uganda Martyrs Universiy, I’ve realized the great need for African students to benefit from high-quality education, which allows them to access the same possibilities that we have in Europe, so they can make themselves competitive globally.
The MBA is responsible for training young entrepreneurs and supporting them in transforming their business idea into a realistic business plan. Many African countries are now the fastest growing economies in the world and it is estimated that by 2050 a quarter of the world’s consumers will be African. Working with entrepreneurs in that context has been a very stimulating and inspiring experience that has allowed me to explore other aspects of my studies with a different approach and a new mindset.
My experience ended with the last weeks of research for my thesis work, which made my stay in Uganda even more magical. By targeting street vendors, I had the opportunity to talk with the local population and to spend my days among the markets and the lively streets of Kampala. By doing this, I got in touch with the culture and customs of the place, which fascinated and conquered me. Getting in touch with very different people, allowed me to grow humanely, to learn, to put aside my mental constructs and to open myself with curiosity to new cultures.
Flavia Cau