presents
Our Summer 13-14. Impact report
Table of contents Foreword ………………………………………………………………… 3 About AIESEC ………………………………………………………….. 4 The Global Community Development Programme………………….. 5
Outgoing exchange Report A personalised experience…………………………………………..… 6 Our stories……………………………………………………………….. 7 Reaching the student market………………………………………….. 8 Showcasing experiences………………………………………………. 9
Incoming exchange Report Taking it to a new scale………………………………………………… 10 Our stories……………………………………………………………….. 11 Working with NGO partners………………………………………........ 12 Engaging our volunteers……………………………………………….. 13 The way forward…………………………………………………………..14 How you can help………………………………………………………. 15
Every summer has a story.
Foreword
In the past 2 years, AIESEC in South Africa has achieved remarkable results. We sent over 200 South Africans abroad to impact the communities, while gaining skills that complement their academic education. At the same time, we brought almost as many internationals to South Africa, to create change in local communities and to learn what this country can to offer the world. All this was made possible by our 150 members across nine universities and with the endless support of our corporate and alumni partners. My travels and interactions with students have inspired me and showed me how much our organisation has matured. The level of collaboration, growth and drive demonstrated every day by our members and leaders reminds me that we are really working towards a better world and that we are helping to build it. Our generation is the most purposeful, impactseeking and passionate generation of AIESECers. What you are about to read summarises the results of our efforts in the past months: a bigger and better AIESEC. But it is not just about AIESEC, it is about the youth. If you believe the youth is the future, then allow us to work with you. We want to be partners to the government and corporate world, as well as service providers to society. We hope you will enjoy the Summer Impact Report 2013-2014 of AIESEC South Africa.
Siddhart Bali President 13-14. AIESEC South Africa
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About AIESEC AIESEC is the global youth network impacting the world through leadership development experiences. AIESEC has been facilitating youth leadership activities as well as international internships and volunteer experiences for over 65 years, developing a truly global learning environment. With over 100,000 members, AIESEC is the world’s largest youth-run organisation and facilitates over 26,000 international internships a year. In South Africa, we are present in 10 universities and we facilitate over 200 international internships each year. We are BBEE Level 3 contributor and have been operating for 55 years.
Our Vision Peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential
Our presence • • • • • • • • •
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Monash Universtity South Africa University of Cape Town University of Free State University of Johannesburg University of Pretoria Stellenbosch University Rhodes University Wits University
Our BHAG Engage and develop every young person in the world
The Global Community Development Programme
A Global Community Development Programme provides an opportunity for young people to develop entrepreneurial and responsible leadership by creating direct positive impact through an international volunteer experience. We engage with students and recent graduates from any tertiary education institution, providing the platform for young people to connect to the world and give back to communities.
Why for students With this programme, a young person gains access to AIESEC’s value-based platform, and experiences: - A cross-cultural living and working experience - The opportunity to create positive societal impact - Personal development
Why for NGOs We provide international volunteers to South African non-profits, in order to increase their capacity and help them concretely improve on their daily operations. Benefits include - Access to international volunteers. - Flexible project timeline. - Improve soft and hard skills of both learners and staff.
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Outgoing exchange report A personalized experience Leaving South Africa for six weeks is not an easy process, and that is why we strive to provide our students with personalized support. After the registration, all applicants are interviewed to gauge their internship interests. We then help them find the right experience and meet both the hosting NGO and the AIESEC representatives of the other country. Before departure, we assist the applicants with their all visa procedures and prepare them for their cultural experience. After the internship, we help them reflect on their experience and make use of what they learned. Throughout the summer of 2013, our focus on streamlining the internship process allowed us to send 72 students to 14 countries, working on 10 different social issues. The various projects addressed key developmental issues including poverty reduction, women empowerment, health and lifestyle awareness, and cultural understanding. More than ever before, our exchange participants not only created a direct positive impact on society, but also returned to South Africa as more responsible leaders and global citizens.
Performance at a glance
Previous years comparison
Total internships
72
Destinations (countries)
14
Project issues
10
Average Net Promoter Score
38.1
Universities of origin
8
AIESECers managing the process
25
Main destinations
70
72
Summer 2012
Summer 2013
25
Summer 2011
Main issues 15 12
Other, 13
Mauritius, 6
Mozambique, 28
India, 9
Brazil, 15
6
12
11
9
7
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Our stories Every exchange experience is unique, and every participant is different, but we believe in the power of these stories to change the world. One young person contributes to a community far away, engages with the world, and discovers what really matters in his or her life. In other words, the young person becomes more self aware, more confident, more entrepreneurial and more of a leader. It is not only an individual matter, though. Our students go abroad as ambassadors: they represent South Africa to the rest of the world. We create bridges for cultural dialogue, and opportunities for South Africans to re-connect with their national identity while exploring other countries and becoming global citizens.
AIESEC gave me the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Guatemala, living with an amazing host family and working at the God is First English Academy. The experience allowed me to build life-long relationships and grow personally; all while being immersed in a new culture. Travelling through AIESEC is an experience like none other, and I cannot wait to return to Guatemala. Thank you AIESEC! - Larisse Naidoo, University of Cape Town
In my AIESEC journey, I have gained a wealth of experience in selling the AIESEC brand through exchange, from the social impact perspective of Volunteer Internship to the specialized skills of Professional Internships. I learned that understanding your target market and using the right marketing strategy are imperative whenever selling exchange. I feel that I have acquired strong skills and now look to going on exchange myself. - Nobulhe Mabaso, University of Pretoria
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Reaching the students A new brand One of the biggest struggles we had in the past was communicating our value proposition clearly across campuses and across all channels. Our internships target students who want to gain international work experience by helping to improve communities abroad, so we needed to create a clear and concise message for them, without the confusion that sometimes surrounds the explanation of “AIESEC�. For the summer 2013, we created the Travel to Impact brand, communicating our call to action while simultaneously displaying immediately what we offered. Through aligning our branding and messaging across our entities and using a standardized online presence and lead management system we were able to massively improve on the clarity of our communications while allowing our local offices flexibility to adjust the message to their reality.
How students discover us Our reach at a glance Website Google Ads Facebook TTI Facebook AIESECSA Twitter
2,970 unique visitors / month 3,102 clicks, 380,856 impressions / month 259 likes 3,807 likes 1,171 followers
FB 5% Oncampus 15%
OGX Participant 28%
Other 16% Search Engine 14%
Friend 22%
A new brand
Showcasing experiences There is no doubt that in AIESEC our main promoters are our customers, the exchange participants who live amazing experiences. Their stories are powerful and inspirational, so we want to ensure that every participant is able to showcase his/her internship to the world in the most simple and effective way. To achieve this goal, we created a number of sharing tools for effective testimonials. In particular, we created an online tool for our exchange participants to describe their story and share it on social media, and we hosted a number of Re-Integration seminars across the country, providing forums for sharing the experiences with the student community on campus.
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Volunteers bring sunshine to the world
Incoming exchange report Taking the programme to a new scale AIESEC is driven by students and young people, but the power of youth is a vital asset to impact communities and society as a whole. Through the Global Community Development Programme, we allow non-profit organisations to host international volunteers. We give them the opportunity of doing more and better of what they are already doing to uplift our nation. Given its beautiful landscapes, developed economy, and world-class infrastructure, South Africa is a very attractive destination for international volunteers. Our role is to provide them with enriching and powerful experiences, and this year we worked to ensure such quality. We reviewed our partner NGOs to ensure engaging job description and expanded the programme to new cities. The results have been particularly encouraging and we are developing the expertise to largely expand the programme in the future. The best is yet to come!
Performance at a glance Total Internships
Previous years comparison 67
67
Local chapters involved
4
Project issues
4
Average Net Promoter Score
-6
Countries sending students
14
AIESECers managing the process
16
Main destinations
53
8 Summer 2011
Summer 2012
Main NGO partners 14
14
13 10
South America, 14
Asia, 25
Europe, 14 Africa, 15
10
Summer 2013
8
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Our stories AIESEC exchanges are special because they benefit many stakeholders: the interns, the learners, but also the AIESEC members managing the process. Every day, university students in South Africa decide to dedicate their time to help other students go abroad, or to help volunteers work in local NGOs. While doing this, they learn themselves how to manage a business. They grow by helping other people, and they become better leaders as well.
This summer, our empowerment of local offices took a whole new level. From finding the NGOs to airport pickups and reception activities, every step of the exchange was managed by our members on campus. We also ensured that our volunteers had a taste of South Africa and an opportunity to represent their own countries. For those who did not leave the country, this was a unique opportunity to bring the world directly to their footstep.
“My experience in South Africa has been full of challenges and stories of how I overcame those challenges to come out as a stronger individual. I worked towards results in an integrated team experience with individuals from all over the world. I love the country and cuisine and people of South Africa inspired me.� - Jemimah, intern from Ghana
I became VP Incoming Exchange to give back to the community by organising internships for international vulunteers. Foreigners have a lot to offer the South African community, while we can help them as well. Last summer, I learned about different cultures, about my abilities with project management, and I developed my skills. It was an amazing experience that I would like my new team to live as well. - Nicola Walton, Monash South Africa
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Working with NGO partners Co-creation for an effective impact We partner with local NGO’s creating direct positive impact in communities through projects on various issue, with a primary focus on education, literacy, and the environment. We help building capacity of such NGO’s by providing volunteers from different countries and if needed we co-create the projects. We strive to provide people with skills and expertise in the relevant areas, and we run preparation seminars to ensure that the candidates have the right skills and expectations to fully contribute to the project. Our unique culture and value driven leadership always create a positive impact on the NGO and the learners participating in the project, as we interns help building global learning environment.
Our key partners Gauteng
The Bosasa Youth Development Centres (YDC) are unique facilities that have been designed to look after children between the ages of 14 and 17 who are in conflict with the law. They were established in 1995 in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Social Development to move young offenders quickly out of adult correctional facilities and into a safer environment.
Tshwane Home of Hope offers a refuge from prostitution, a safe haven of love, care and hope for girls in crisis. Through love and care, we rekindle the spark of hope in their lives. We value them, and teach them the value of belonging. We mentor and support them, encouraging them to learn successfully. We wean them off the streets and teach them simple skills to earn an income from other method.
We as H.E.R.D Initiative have come into partnership with AIESEC South Africa. AIESEC provides volunteers for us and we make available sites whereby the volunteers perform their duties. The current projects include: the Bosasa project which is a youth correctional centre and Zenzele project which is an informal settlement. Justin O. Uloho, H.E.R.D initiative Chairperson 12
Our key partners – Western cape Cape Town’s street people are very often caught in a trap of substance dependency, unemployment and poverty from which they cannot escape. ECME People On The Street project, together with the wide network of NGOs, and the City’s Social Development Department, works with them to give them a new start in life.
CHOSA places university students, graduates, as well as professionals and retired people who'd like to put their skills and experience to make a positive contribution to community projects and organizations. The projects are active in the following fields: Gender issues, poverty, youth at risk, children at risk, skills development, HIV/Aids and substance related harm.
Engaging our volunteers Volunteers bring life and diversity to the organisation where they work, but at the same time they are travellers and tourists, avid to discover the beauties that South Africa has to offer. To ensure they have a positive experience while in the country, AIESEC members organise reception activities and involve them in their daily work. Activities include: Induction day. Presenting the country, the projects, and the facilities. Global village. Cultural events where each volunteers represents his/her country of origin. Group travels. Opportunities to travel to Gauteng and/or the Western Cape in organised groups.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone
The way forward
Summer 2013 has undoubtedly been a story of success. Our programmes are becoming bigger and better, and we are establishing the right partnerships and brands to allow for sustainable growth in the upcoming years. At the same time, the current scale is nothing compared to where we could be. There are still millions of South African students, as well as thousands of communities and NGOs that we are currently far from. If we want to come closer to engaging and developing every young person in the world, we need to shake off any complacency and strive for a new level of operations. Our will is set and our passion is strong, but some challenges remain ahead. In particular, we still struggle with lack of funds and this limits our ability to fund outgoing internship and cover costs for our incoming volunteers. Also, our links with universities ensure we are present in all major urban areas, but we currently cannot reach the more rural areas of the country, where our impact could be even greater. Luckily, both can be solved over time with a bit of planning and the right support. This summer has taught us that the right structures and mindset make our work easier, and we are starting to see what is possible. We are laying the foundations for a programme destined to be a major force in the South African youth landscape, actively building young leaders while shaping the nation by connecting it to the world. The future is in the hands of the youth. Let’s continue building it.
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How you can help This report was meant to share with you the results of our work and the stories of how we are helping to build the future of South Africa. We hope you found it informative and engaging. More importantly, though, we wish it encourages you become part of our family and start or continue to support our initiatives. AIESEC is about changing the world by generating responsible and entrepreneurial leaders, one experience at a time. Do you want to help us in our cause? Here is how you can support.
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Share the news
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Endorse us
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Refer us to someone you know
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If you are as passionate as we are for youth leadership, and if you believe our work is meaningful, please help us share it with the world. Share this report with colleagues, friends, and networks, especially online.
AIESEC has a long legacy of building the business leadership of this country. If you have benefitted from the platform in the past, or if you have engaged with AIESECers in a positive way, let us know, we would love to hear your story.
Skills development are critical in South Africa, and many organisations operate in this space. If you know someone who can work with us or benefit from our programmes, help us reach out to them.
Donate or partner Maybe you felt that what we do has a clear connection to what you do or what your organisation cares about. If so, let us work together. Collaborations is key to all future success, so feel free to contact us and let’s explore our synergies.
Contact us AIESEC in South Africa NPC Reg No: 2007/011622/08 23 Somerlus, Countesses Ave, Randburg 2194 011 476 5314 southafrica@aiesec.net 15
AIESEC in South Africa NPC Reg No: 2007/011622/08 23 Somerlus, Countesses Ave, Randburg 2194 011 431 2889 southafrica@aiesec.net