A cohort of MBA students from the University of North Carolina’s Global Immersion Elective has been in the country as part of its Sustainability and Social Enterprise initiative, exploring how South African businesses and entrepreneurs tackle these issues. The Durban leg was organised and coordinated by The Domino Foundation’s Rowan Phillips and included a visit to a green space for underserved communities, Sisonke City Farm, in the North Beach area. He commented that, while the visitors had also interacted with their University of Durban Westville peers involved in social enterprise development, had learnt about micro recycling plastic waste for use in developing economies, and had experienced how Domino works towards changing communities by changing one life at a time, Sisonke gave the statesiders a hands-on opportunity to experience in a small measure this urban agricultural enterprise.
Sarah Alsen, founder of Sisonke, commented, “We wanted to not only tell our American visitors about providing food security and jobs for the community, our sustainable agricultural practices through composting local food waste, but also to let them literally get their hands dirty by taking part in some of the everyday tasks the regular Sisonke workers undertake. Sicelo Maphanga, a faithful member of the local taskforce, showed the MBAs students how to plant chilli seedlings and demonstrated the art of compost-turning.
Dr. Olga Hawn, leader of the USA party, said: “The Global Immersion Elective is the most interactive and enriching personal and professional growth experience in University's Graduate School of Business programme. Traveling together outside the classroom pushes everyone (including me!) outside their comfort zone and builds reflection, collaboration, adaptability and empathy. Sisonke certainly did that!”
Sarah invited anyone interested in the community-changing operations at Sisonke to contact her at sarah . alsen @ bioregional . com
