University of Michigan / Global Scholars Program
The Global Scholars Program (GSP) at the University of Michigan is passionate about addressing social justice issues and dedicated to improving the world. In light of these goals, the Global Scholars Program decided to reach out to Inkululeko, an organization who shares similar beliefs and values, for a partnership. In the fall of 2019, the partnership between us, GSP students, and Inkululeko began. We assisted Inkululeko in researching and contacting different universities, companies, organizations, etc., regarding interest in sponsoring or sending attendee to Inkululeko’s upcoming summer immersion trip. While we helped to spread the mission and beliefs of Inkululeko to different organizations across the United States, we also gained many important life skills through this cooperation, as well as a deeper understanding of the importance and value of education.
In the winter semester, we continued to help with Inkululeko’s outreach efforts by managing their social media accounts, such as Facebook and Instagram. For us, this partnership and cooperation with Inkululeko was an incredibly valuable learning and developmental experience. We were able to have first-hand experience working with a NGO for the first time, as well as learn to appreciate and be thankful of the resources we’ve had to be where we are today. Below are a few words from our members regarding this partnership:
Arif A: “Working with Inkululeko was a great learning experience. At first, it was hard to understand what was required from us, but with time we were able to understand our role and I learned how I personally can contribute to the group. It was a very rewarding experience to work with Inkulukeo and GSP knowing that our work was to help make a difference in the world for the better. We worked with Jason Torreano, as he helped us through the internship answering any questions we had and guided us through the process.”
Jacob H: “This was my first time working with a non-profit organization but found it to be quite enjoyable as I was enriched with new information. It was amazing to see how much Inkululeko does for their community as well to see how much we can help given how far we are. It goes to show that distance shouldn’t stop a person’s contribution to an organization. My favorite part was how engaged we were able to be with the social media for the organization.”
Jessica C: “First, I was unaware of this non-profit organization but, working with Inkululeko was a great experience! The working relationship was very amicable as Mr. Jason Torreano, our internship supervisor, assisted us with any questions and/or concerns we had for our assigned tasks. I enjoyed using social media as a way to connect and spread the word about this organization as I am fascinated with what this organization does to help students that have unfortunate circumstances.”
Justin M: “The past few months working with Inkulueko have been amazing. It was inspiring to see the work they do in their community. In addition, it was amazing to know that our CG and the GSP community was able to make an impact on an organization and their community thousands of miles away. That had to be my favorite part-- knowing that we helped a community that is halfway across the world. We used our social media knowledge to increase awareness and gain exposure. My experience with Inkulueko will be one I talk about for a long time.”
Suki Z: “Education has already been an important topic for me and it was an honor to partner with Inkululeko this past school year to pursue a mission that is so significant. As a first-generation college student in my family, I understand how difficult it can be to strive for post-secondary education or have a steady position in the workforce, therefore it was inspiring to work with an organization like Inkululeko who genuinely cares about their students and helps them in any way possible.”
Tiffani I: “As a member of CG4, I think I can speak on everyone’s behalf when I say how honored we are to have worked with Inkululeko. We were able to learn a lot about outreach and the movement to provide sturdy, sustainable education for children around the world regardless of their circumstances. The most memorable part of this experience was our social media project and being able to spread the message of Inkululeko through the platform; It was very inspiring to see all the photos of the students whose lives were positively impacted by Inkululeko’s work. I am very thankful to have worked with Inkululeko over the course of this year and I cannot wait to see how they’ll change things in the future!”
All in all, we are all incredibly appreciative and grateful to be able to work with Inkululeko this past school year. We admire the work they have done and continue to do,and hope that more people will be aware of the dedication they have towards their students. It is people like them that are making the world a better and more accessible place for everyone and we are honored to have been able to work with them this past school year.