academics for development - folder partners
DESCRIPTION
Academics for Development is a non-profit student organisation that enables students to have social impact in developing countries and improve their skills and knowledge in a bidirectional and durable way. If you're interested in our projects, events or what we can mean for your company, please find more information in this folder.TRANSCRIPT
AFD. About Us Academic commitment to development, durability and excellence
Academics for Development was founded in 2013 in Leuven to offer students an opportunity to use
their academic knowledge, exchange it and put it into practice in a purposeful and durable way. AFD
is a non-profit student organisation that finds its inspiration in the increasingly popular movement that
sees student entrepreneurship and consulting as a vital part of a student’s education. Through it we
want to provide practical experience and professional skills complementary to the academic program
and necessary to kick-start a professional career. AFD does this by organizing both projects and events.
Our core activity is the organisation of social impact projects in developing countries in cooperation
with high quality project partners such as companies, NGO’s or local entrepreneurs. We provide
students with challenging projects on which they work in multidisciplinary teams of 4 to 5 during the
academical year. Our student population is drawn from more than 11 different faculties and
backgrounds, such as the faculty of Economics and Business, Social sciences, Law, (Bio-)Engineering,
Medicine and many more. Professional support in the form of an experienced coach, advice from
professional external partners and a helpful projectpartner is provided to guide the students through
their projects and help them meet deadlines and achieve a qualitative result.
Our second activity is organizing informative events around social entrepreneurship to inspire and
help a broader background of people. These events take the form of interactive lectures and
workshops that can be used as education and training for our members to help them improve the
quality of their projects and provide them with creative and innovative ideas. With speakers such as
Karel van Eetvelt, Michel Bauwens, Jeanne Devos and Piet Colruyt, our events also provide the ideal
opportunity for students to network during the reception at the end and find potential employers or
inspiration for a job opportunity.
Quality is what we stand for. AFD is a dynamic organisation guided by a board of eight highly
motivated students from over five different academic backgrounds. They are supported by a structure
of coaches, entourage and legal advisors to make sure that every aspect of the organisation performs
optimally. Last, but not least, we recruit a team of dedicated students that is willing to work for a full
year to crack a problem, that stands out in motivation, qualities and experience, and that delivers real
impact.
AFD. Connects!
AFD wants to bring students, the developing world and companies together in a unique way. Why?
Because:
1. Students lack practical and international experience in addition to their theoretical
education.
2. Companies are looking for a way to participate in durable entrepreneurship, and are
additionally always interested in ambitious and entrepreneuring students.
3. Developing countries ask for durable solutions, with a focus on the local community.
AFD. & Your Company? Realising the change you want to see, together!
We believe that a partnership with AFD offers the opportunity to engage in:
By supporting our organisation through a structural partnership, we provide tangible social
impact and durable solutions for real needs.
As a partner you enjoy publicity among a large background of 3rd bachelor and master
students during our events and workshops, with our members, and towards the almost ten
faculties that incorporate our projects.
Our partners get the possibility to reach out to a large pool of ambitious students across more
than 11 different disciplines with a proven dedication and professional business experience
acquired during an AFD project.
AFD is officially supported by the K.U. Leuven and the faculty of Business and Economics.
AFD selects students based on a passion for excellence and the presence of relevant abilities.
AFD projects are imbedded in the curriculum of already over 8 faculties, with others to follow
soon.
AFD is looking for structural partnerships that can many different forms. All our partnerships will be
tailored to your needs and the specifics of your company.
You can financially support the organisation or a specific project. Your money will have a direct,
durable and lasting social impact.
Support our projects by providing helpful workshops, speakers for events or professional
feedback for our students and their projects.
The organisation could use professional legal, actuarial, organizational and structural advice
and guidance to provide an even better service.
AFD. Projects Think social, live durable, exchange your knowledge!
AFD aims to have real social impact with its projects. As a consequence the companies that we found, the business plans we make, the consulting we provide and the lobby work we do, always start from a social entrepreneurial standpoint. We aim to make projects (self-)sustainable in the short and long-term, by basing ourselves on local needs and incorporating them into the creative process, making every invested euro a durable and (ever)lasting one.
AFD bases its projects on local needs, demand and opportunities to provide the community
with a qualitative service tailored to their culture and habits. A company founded last year
during one of our project called Sénérgie, offers, for example, sells Pico Solar Home Systems to
the rural population of Senegal. All our student consulting is always provided to them pro bono.
AFD sets great store by working with the local culture and population, and sees diversity and
inclusion as a possibility to strengthen the projects. They thus start by locally anchoring
themselves to ensure a successful integration. Therefore we also stress and believe in including
local entrepreneurs and partners, causing a bi-directional knowledge exchange, in contrast to
the one-way mindset that is still too often found in this sector.
Aquared is a social cooperative entreprise established in 2013 based in Accra, Ghana, linked to the international Red Cross it provides water distribution in Ghana and aims to provide clean water for everyone. AquaRed Ghana is part of AquaRed Globe established in 2013 and based in Belgium. AquaRed has the vision to empower all
world citizens to let water cross their
countries through a simple choice within
their daily lives. When you already buy water
in bottles or sachets, and when the price of the water is comparable to the competitors, why
then should you not buy AquaRed? Because when you buy AquaRed, you help solving all water
related problems and you help Bottom of Pyramid market segments resolving their basic water
needs, thus giving all world citizens access to healthy, drinking water. Therefore AquaRed sells
drinking water, produced and distributed by local partners, in African countries and reinvests its
profits back into the communities.
AFD. Projects Think social, live durable, exchange your knowledge!
The challenge for the AFD students is of a supply chain, awareness and franchising nature. For the
distribution of the water, Aquared uses the Red Cross posts in Ghana, and is building up to over 500
distribution points in Ghana. Efficient distribution to all of these points is a challenge with roads that
are not always reliable and a large geographic area that needs to be covered and serviced. AFD
students will try to logistically and operationally optimise the distribution and organisation, while at
the same time building a roadmap to implement the Aquared structure into another African country
and organizing an awareness campaign to support the ‘Water Reference Center’.
Baobab Express is an organization of public
transport in Benin founded by the K.U.
Leuven spin-off Materialise. The objective is
to provide clean, safe and affordable
transportation for rural residents and
training Beninese entrepreneurial drivers.
The Baobab Express does has three
important features:
1. The bush taxi model, between the
major cities, but with a detour to take
rural passengers.
2. Lines with regular services.
3. Effective connection with local
markets, schools and could be used as
hospital transport.
Baobab Express operates in a franchise model, after a year the busses can be rent by chauffeur-
entrepreneurs, who would like to start their own line and then become responsible for their own
transportation and income. Organising the Baobabo Express transportation network efficiently
provides a major operational management and logistic challenge in a country as Benin with flooding
roads, an unscheduled and untrained existing public transport system and a large and remote
geographical area that has to be covered.
AFD students need to optimize this company and create a franchising model to implement Baobab
Express in other countries in Africa. Providing the student not only with a challenging comparative
study between different African Countries, but also a logistic challenge in franchising a public
transport company. Apart from these core tasks, they should think of ways to stimulate local
entrepreneurship further within the Baobab Express model and network.