<This post is part of the 40 Day Fast, a collaborative effort by 80 bloggers to draw attention to the world’s great needs hosted by Inspired to Action. Be sure to also check out Leslie’s post today as well.>

Last summer, a group of Burundi refugees arrived in Nashville after spending the last 36 years in a refugee camp in Tanzania after they were forced to flee their war-torn homeland.  They had spent their whole lives living under a ration-based system and had no exposure to a market based economy.  Nevertheless, they were only given government aid for the first three months before they were expected to have learned the language, found a job, and to be able to support their families on their own.  Since they arrived without even knowing the concept of price or even time, this was a pretty daunting deadline with lives on the line.

I’m reading a book right now called The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs, an economic advisor to the UN who boasts of a resume that includes everything from controlling hyperinflation in Bolivia to transitioning the former Soviet Union into the world of capitalism.  The audacious goal he presents in his book – to end extreme poverty by 2025 – is fueled by a simple idea: once someone is able to get on the “first wrung” of the economic ladder, the free market system will naturally allow themselves to become gradually more prosperous over time (see: China, India).  The main objective, therefore, is to remove the barriers that exist – whether geography, lack of knowledge, or disease – that prevent people from taking that initial step.

It’s quite a powerful idea, really, and it has particularly been intriguing me this season, especially when gazing upon the picture that initially inspired the 40 Day Fast.

As I was pondering it, I realized that I’m a part of an organization at Belmont that takes that simple idea and applies it to our local community.  It’s called Students In Free Enterprise, more commonly referred to as SIFE.  Instead of working with countries such as Bolivia and Russia, we instead choose people groups that, for whatever reason, have real or perceived barriers that prevent them from stepping on the “first wrung” and participating in our economic system, whether it be homeless men, Latin American immigrants, women in a rehabilitation center, etc. 

SIFE found out about the scenario that I described above.  Belmont students paired up with the Burundi families and met with them on a weekly basis, guiding them through the basic functions of American life.  Additionally, SIFE students taught a financial literacy class ever week, teaching concepts of banks, checks, ATMs, and taxes.  At the same time, we took what we were learning from the mentoring and financial literacy class and developed a guide for any refugee that would arrive in the future.  All refugee guides that we could get our hands on were in print – a problem considering most of the refugees couldn’t even read.  We decided to put our guide in DVD format, using a refugee that excelled in the class as our main character.  Partnering with SunTrust and Kroger, we completed the “Money and Banking” chapter of the video and are sending it out to over 200 refugee centers around the country.  The DVD is in six different languages and will eventually have six different chapters, each dealing with a different area – from health care to transportation – that directly impacts a refugee in their first days in their new life.

I was able to help out with the Burundi project, but it was actually just one of twelve incredible initiatives we were involved with this year.  Each one targets a group in our local community and aims to deliver a sustainable impact through the transfer of knowledge. We want to partner with the people we work with, letting them meet us half way and own the knowledge themselves.  Our ultimate goal is for them to become teachers themselves, further spreading the impact.  We systematically monitor the progress of each project and come up with an annual report at the end of each year.

So many times I feel like I get caught up in the big problems: aids in Africa, poverty in India, etc., etc. etc. – so much so that I forget that there are needs right around me in my own neighborhood.   So many times I take my wonderful education at Belmont University for granted, not even realizing how much of a gift that it is and how much power that knowledge contains.  So many times I sit back and think that I can’t really make that much of a difference.

But Belmont SIFE challenges all that.  I can honestly say I have never been a part of an organization that has impacted me so deeply.  To see the change in front of me – to see refugees get jobs based on what I had been teaching them – is something that can’t just be replicated.  It’s authentic, it’s moving, it’s real.  And it’s right there in front of you.  You are personally involved in the project – you have a deep relationship with those you are helping.

There’s a lot more details to SIFE, including criteria we have to work under and a world competition of 47 different countries at the end of the year, and you can read up on it if you want.  Now, though, I just wanted to share our story.  We made a documentary of our efforts this year and it highlights 5 of our projects as well as some of our overarching themes we hope to follow.  Please take a look if you can spare a few minutes!

So how can you help?  I’m glad you asked!  There are actually several different ways:

1) If you happen to be a student at Belmont, we’d love for you to join our cause!  Let me know and I’ll get you plugged in.  If you’re a student at another university, check and see if SIFE is on your campus.

2) If you are a businessman or businesswoman, would you consider being on our Business Advisory Board?  It meets 3 to 4 times per school year and advises us on our project selection, progress, and year-end presentation.  If you want, you could also help oversee a project, but that’s not necessary. 

3) If you have any ideas of projects we could tackle, we are always looking for suggestions.  Our criteria are pretty tough to fit into – there has to be a transfer of knowledge and a sustainability factor in addition to fitting the “first wrung” of the ladder theme – but if you know anything or have any connections with a project in the Nashville area, please let us know!

4) Buy our coffee!  We worked with Conexion Americas to develop a free-trade organic coffee brand called Rumba Roast to teach Nashville Hispanics business skills, to provide a revenue stream for Conexion, and to ensure fair wages for growers in Latin America.  You can purchase it online at RumbaRoast.com, Belmont, or Nashville Auto-Diesel College.

5) Support us financially.  All of our projects cost money, and we are always grateful for anyone who is able to help us accomplish our goals.  Please contact gonasj@mail.belmont.edu if you are interested in this option.

Thanks so much!  It is truly an honor to be a part of the 40 Day Fast.  Make sure to check out Leslie’s post as well!