Community service project ‘08

Ashesi students designed a simple, well-received basic business class to help former child soldiers grow their micro-ventures and gain the skills they’ll need for their difficult resettlement process.

The former child soldiers from Liberia are living in a refugee camp in Ghana, were able to develop practical, immediately usable skills to help scale up their micro-enterprises and subsistence gardens.

Ashesi students know that these former child soldiers will need practical skills to earn a living and to help rebuild their society. So several students traveled to the Liberian refugee camp outside Accra, where, working in partnership with Mediators Beyond Borders and other aid organizations, they set up a one-week class in simple business fundamentals. The former child soldiers found the skills practical and immediate usable for their micro-enterprises and subsistence gardens

They participants gave such enthusiastic feedback that Mediators Beyond Borders has offered to help Ashesi seek funding to extend the program.

The Ashesi student volunteers have kept in touch with the Liberians as they have returned home, and hope to travel to Liberia to continue working with the same organizations to provide more skills to help these former child soldiers become productive citizens.