As an update to a prior post entitled “MBAs without Borders” (MWB), it has been brought to our attention through NextBillion that Agora Partnerships, in collaboration with MWB, has launched a fellowship program that aims to address issues of long-term management, specialization, expertise, and sustainability in the social enterprise sector:
The Agora Fellows program is a new initiative by Agora Partnerships to bring extraordinary entrepreneurial talent directly into developing world small businesses during their critical growth phase. Agora Fellows are management, finance, and development professionals who work in-country for 4-6 months to assist the leadership teams of Agora portfolio companies in setting up managerial processes and executing the business plan.
The Fellowship’s strength lies in the mutual transfer of skills and knowledge between a skilled, specialized professional and the Fellow. For this year’s Fellowship cycle, Agora has partnered up with Bambuccusa, a Nicauragua-based organization:
Bambucasa uses sustainable techniques to harvest bamboo and convert it into affordable building materials for both the high and low-ends of the housing market. Nicaragua has an estimated deficiency of over 500,000 homes for a rapidly-growing, young population, a pressure which could be alleviated by the readily-available supply of bamboo as a reliable and inexpensive building material.
The Fellowship program is currently looking for 1 MBA to “support Agora Partnerships’s work on the ground for 4-6 months at a time”, starting April 1, 2008. To apply for this opportunity, go here. Although this Fellowship program is not directly affiliated with India, we at ThinkChange India believe the program has the potential to contribute meaningfully to the social enterprise sector, and encourage you to apply.
Other related programs of interest include the Acumen Fund’s Fellows Program and MBA Enterprise Corps.
