Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Global-I

You've heard us say before that at SAIS students learn inside and outside the classroom. They learn from professors and also from one another. Today, Nicollette Maunganidze, the first student from Zimbabwe to attend SAIS Bologna, will tell us what Global-I, an organization she started three years ago when she was an undergraduate student at Spelman College, Atalanta, GA, aims to accomplish at SAIS.

During my undergraduate studies I became concerned with the inequalities of our world. This awareness encouraged me to start an organization that would help alleviate global inequalities. Thus, Global-I came to life. When I arrived at SAIS Bologna, I decided to continue the work I started in my undergraduate years. I soon found classmates who were eager to help me keep Global-I alive. 

Our mission is two-fold: on one hand we want to raise consciousness of global ills, on the other we want to raise funds to donate to a local or international initiative that encourages self-sufficiency. 

Every year we pick a theme. This year's theme is illiteracy. The events and programming that we will undertake in fulfilling our mission will be centered on raising awareness of different types of illiteracy, as well as fundraising for organizations that help decrease the latter. One such initiative is DessertMANIA, Global-I's inaugural fundraiser. The event took place on December 9 during a special happy hour for prospective students. SAIS students donated desserts from their home countries including Russia, the U.S., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Italy and more. The desserts were sold at a small cost and the funds raised will be given to a local and an international charity. 

DessertMANIA

The next initiative will be SoftwareMANIA - a day where anyone interested can attend workshops to help them improve skills with different software. We'll also do a talent show, a clothing swap and an English Book Club with a local primary school. Each of these events aims at raising awareness of illiteracy as well as raising funds to support the work of local and international non-profit organization. 

Nicollette


Amina Abdiuahab

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