Tuesday, October 16th, 2012...4:14 pm

Spark Ventures Seeking MBA and MBA-IEP Interns in Zambia

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Spark Ventures is a nonprofit, international development organization based in Chicago. Spark partners with existing grassroots organizations serving vulnerable children in developing countries by providing partners with human resources, strategic guidance, training opportunities, and financial capital. For the past five years, Spark Ventures’ main partner has been Hope Ministries, based in Ndola, Zambia, which cares for almost 350 rural primary school children. Through Spark’s assistance, Hope provides free education, a daily meal program, and health care. Hope also runs an orphanage, located next to its primary school, offering 24/7 care.

In 2010, Spark Ventures raised over $100,000 and invested it into the development of a commercial poultry farm in Lusaka, Zambia, in order to assist Hope Ministries in initiating a commercial level income generator. The goal is that, upon scaling the farm, a substantial the portion of business profits that are currently sent to offset the expenses of Hope’s school and orphanage, will grow to be adequate enough to cover the operations of not only the farm but of the growing school and orphanage as well. With a substantial amount of assistance from Spark Ventures, Hope currently runs and manages the school, orphanage, as well as the poultry farm in Lusaka.

Opportunity: At present time, Spark Ventures is actively planning to scale the poultry farm to raise and sell double the amount of chickens that the current operation is conducting. In the process of doing so, both Hope and Spark would like to bring on a business and environment oriented intern to conduct the following:

• Environmental assessment of current farm practices, to determine areas and practices that could be modified to be more environmentally sound and lead to increased output and/or increased cycle profitability;

• Environmental assessment of Hope’s land, much of which is not being fully utilized, and a determination of what crops could be cultivated

• Creation of a collaborative strategic report with specific recommendations including investment needed and timelines for farm expansion, along with recommended environmental initiatives and an assessment of environmental best practices

Time of project: January 2013. Some of the Spark Ventures team will be on the ground in Zambia and would assist the intern in finding lodging, transportation, etc.

Ideal candidate: MBA-IEP or MBA student

Would report to: Lucy Jodlowska, Director of Partnerships (MIIS MPA-MBA, 2010&2011)

To apply: Please send resume and cover letter, detailing all relevant education and experience, to Lucy Jodlowska, at ljodlowska@sparkventures.org

 



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