Throughout the summer, SEAD interns will be sharing with us stories and experiences from their summer internships. Today's post comes from Megan McCarroll.  Megan participated in the Duke Global Health Fellows Program based out of Geneva, Switzerland.  She tells us about the work she did with the International Organization for Migration and her visit to the Human Rights Council.

I tried to begin my internship in Geneva with as few expectations as possible. I failed, of course, but my efforts have allowed me to be as open as possible to the myriad of perspectives and opinions surrounding the United Nations. I began my internship with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on June 2, so I have now been here for one month. I am interning in the migration health division under the Senior Policy advisor for migration health.  She is one of those “larger than life” people—trained to be a pediatrician in the Philippines and began working in a refugee camp for the IOM, has worked in war zones and now works in the headquarters while traveling to countries in the midst of crisis to address major pressing health issues, such as a cholera outbreak in a refugee camp. While it is awesome to be working for such an interesting person, she has been away on mission for most of this month. She was in Iraq for a week, then South Sudan for 2 weeks, and now she is heading to Zimbabwe at the end of next week! She says (and I am hoping) that she will be staying in Geneva for the rest of the summer after Zimbabwe, so we’ll see… 

As for my duties as an intern, I have written two IOM position papers—one general paper on HIV and migration and the other on HIV in emergency settings—which will be used as advocacy tools for IOM staff and various officials in the field, and I made an info sheet on HIV as well. I do not have much of a background on migration health, so there has been a steep learning curve while doing research and liaising with staff in regional offices around the globe. Some of points that have stuck most with me:

• Migration is a loaded word with a negative context, causing migrants and mobile populations to face issues with stigma. 
  
• There are many different kinds of migrants— immigrants from particular countries, emigrants in overseas work, ethnic minorities, internal migrants, victims of exploitation and abuse, and irregular migrants and displaced persons, though they are often clumped into one category when making global policy. 
  
• National policies often forget to include migrants in their strategic health plans, especially in emergencies. 
  
• Migrant populations + HIV = Stigma x 2   
  
• Migrants are good for a host country/community. The common stereotype is that they are “carriers” of disease and steal away jobs from local people. These ways of thinking affect national policies and local attitudes. 
  

Several weeks ago, I participated in a two-day departmental retreat that really helped me gain insight into how a headquarter organization functions. Some of the main issues discussed were: 

• The need to harness information systems to produce quality data 
  
• Visibility—IOM’s role within the UN, relationship with UNHCR, and distinguishing its role as the lead organization for migration 
  
• The need to strengthen coordination between IOM divisions and departments, UN organizations, and other sectors 
  
• The need to establish a Migration Governance Conceptual Framework to improve the organization’s focus, strengthen communication within the IOM and partners, and identify cross-cutting issues. 
  
• Lack of human resources—headquarters staff cannot be experts in every part of the world so they are always sprinting to keep up

I also had the opportunity to attend meetings at the Palais des Nations during the Human Rights Council in June. I was sent to take notes in meetings specifically addressing migration and/or health but I also got to attend a few that interested me personally. The Palais is a huge maze of fancy buildings and rooms and it is very hard to navigate (a symbol of UN bureaucracy?). For the Human Rights Council, country Ambassadors typically led the meetings, while other member states had country cards that they would raise when wanting to make a point. Watching countries argue over wordings of resolutions was both fascinating and mind-numbing. The politics surrounding migration created subtle tensions between certain countries, but on the surface, the mood was mild and the pace was extraordinarily slow. That, I believe, is one of the more frustrating aspects of the UN system. Last week I heard a U.S. diplomat say that Americans are obsessed with efficiency and forget that global policy has to move slowly to affect real change. Change does not happen in a couple weeks or months. It often entails major shifts in ways of thinking about a problem. Today during a talk from the World Health Organization, the speaker stated, “better to walk together slowly than to run ahead alone.” I know that I need more time to reflect on this statement and see where it lies in relation to my values and where I see my future self in the global policy field.   

Throughout the summer, SEAD interns will be sharing with us stories and experiences from their summer internships.  Today's post comes to us from Pablo Ramos who has been interning with salaUno in Mexico.  SalaUno operates a network of eye clinics in Mexico that aims to provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality eye care to low-income populations.  Pablo shares his observations on how salaUno's mission drives the entire company towards success.

I spent two months of my summer working at salaUno. The company is a fantastic Mexican startup, built by young, kind-hearted entrepreneurs who see beyond building a profitable business. The company’s core activities are focused on helping the underserved population in Mexico and the company’s mission of Eliminating Needless Blindness in Mexico is adhered to by everyone in the company. In fact it is part of the reason the company has been able to attract great talent from young individuals and external consultants. Witnessing this work culture had taught me three main lessons from salaUno.

Hard work will always be rewarding. For some time now, I have been looking for the perfect moment to launch my own company.  Now I realize there is no such thing as “the perfect moment”. I may come out of my MBA highly indebted, using that as an excuse to wait for better timing but later I may have kids and the same thing will happen. Working at salaUno made me realize that no matter what the circumstances are, with hard work and a good team everything is possible. After losing support from the federal government to subsidize cataract surgeries, salaUno lost a significant revenue stream that could have taken the business down. Nevertheless, hard work and perseverance made salaUno find new avenues to keep growing. I am certain these avenues will take salaUno beyond what they imagine.

Building a great team is of utmost importance. I was thrilled to see all the talent that salaUno has been able to attract due to its amazing mission. This mission allows salaUno to attract plenty of young, qualified individuals that are doing a great job and impacting the company’s future for the better. I also realized the value of a well-diversified top level management team. Both founders of salaUno have very similar careers and while they have been able to manage and grow the business for 3 years now, I believe they need to include someone with medical expertise in top-level management. Working in healthcare involves so many specific details that having this expertise will very helpful. As a business man, one can think a lot of things are possible but when dealing with people’s lives having this expertise at this level in the organization is imperative.

Businesses with a social mission are a reality.  This is the most important lesson that I got out of my experience. SalaUno reached breakeven after only two months of operations.  Today it is a company that employs over 80 people and impacts thousands of lives by providing accessible eye care to everyone. By aligning the company’s mission with its profitability, the company will make more money as long as they do more surgeries and impact more people. Aligning interests and incentives for employees is not a simple feat and I believe that it is a key feature of salaUno’s business model: increasing profitability and impacting more lives with growth hand-in-hand.

Overall, working with salaUno was a great experience. I was able to see firsthand how startups are run, all the challenges they face and how they need to be solve, but most importantly that being a successful social entrepreneur is possible!

Throughout the summer, SEAD interns will be sharing with us stories and experiences from their summer internships.  Our first post comes to us from Michael McNeil who participated in the Duke Global Health Fellows Program.  Based in Geneva, this internship gives students the opportunity to learn from a variety of global health-related organizations over the summer.

In four days my family and I will be returning to the United States after a whirlwind European adventure. Adventure is the only word that can adequately describe the incredible experience and opportunity that I gained as a member of the 2014 Duke Global Health Fellows Program.

This program allows students from around the country an opportunity to be involved with an eight-to-twelve week internship with a variety of international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) based in Geneva, Switzerland. Along with this internship is a weeklong course directed by Dr. Anthony So entitled “Health Policy in a Globalizing World”. In this course we receive a series of seminars and lectures by a variety of health professionals in multiple international organizations around Geneva as well as multiple site visits of several of those organizations. 

Every summer, IPIHD selects an elite group of MBA students from the Fuqua School of Business to go into the field to work internships with their innovators.  This year we're excited to have four of their interns working with SEAD innovators over the summer.  Join us for a peek into the work the interns have been engaged in so far this summer.

Tim Morilla, a second year MBA, is working with salaUno in Mexico.  SalaUno operates a network of eye clinics in Mexico that aims to provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality eye care to low-income populations.   

Cristina Arellano, a second year MBA, is working with SughaVazhvu in India.  SughaVazhvu operates a system of Rural Micro Health Centers (RMHCs) that provide critical healthcare to impoverished, remote villages that traditionally have not had access to the healthcare they need.

Wonjae Lee, a recent Fuqua alumnus, is working with North Star Alliance in Kenya.  North Star Alliance converts shipping containers into Roadside Wellness Centers (RWCs) strategically placed alongside transport corridors to provide medical services to migrant populations such as truck drivers and sex workers.

John Emami, a recent Fuqua alumnus, is working with Jacaranda Health in Kenya. Jacaranda Health operates a system of affordable, comprehensive maternity clinics that provide maternity care for 1/5 the cost typically found in private hospitals in Kenya.

Jose Magaña Paredes, a second year MBA, is working with IPIHD innovator Medica Santa Carma in Mexico.  Medica Santa Carma provides affordable prevention and treatment of kidney disease to low-income populations in Mexico.

This year marks the Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) inaugural year of their HESN Summer Internship Program.  The program gives students from the HESN Labs, including SEAD, the opportunity to bring their talent to the US Global Development Lab and USAID.  Duke is being represented in the program by four outstanding students that are providing a wealth of experience and ideas to their internships.  Throughout the summer these interns will be providing the SEAD blog with insights into the work they are doing for USAID and the developing world.

Meet our HESN interns and get a peek into the work they are engaged in after the break!

USAID's Higher Solutions Education Network, of which SEAD is a part, has announced their 2nd annual student photo contest.  The photo contest is open to all students in the HESN network, which includes all Duke students.  The grand prize for the contest is a free trip to San Francisco this fall to attend TechCon 2014!

"As summer rolls in and you head off to work in local communities, conduct research in labs, participate in design summits, and more, please make sure to capture the ways you’re changing development by using science, technology, and innovation. HESN’s goal is to foster a growing, global community of students, innovators, and entrepreneurs tackling change through innovative projects, and we’ve always believed this community stands apart through your creativity and your passion." 

We encourage everyone to submit your photos over the summer, whether you have an internship in the field, or working on an internship in the lab, and everywhere in between.  Show the world how you are making a difference with innovation and social entrepreneurship.

For more information about the contest, please visit their website.  Photos from last year's contest can be seen on their Flickr site.

Good luck, everyone!

Katie Guidera, recent graduate in the Duke Global Health program, was co-chair of the SEAD Student Advisory Council and cofounder of the Malaria Awareness Program (MAP) in South Africa.  Her work with MAP has been recognized by Ashoka U and the Clinton Global Initiative University.  Katie's hard work and initiative also helped SEAD develop programs to get students involved in social entrepreneurship on campus.  Recently Katie shared with us her thoughts on SEAD, social entrepreneurship, and her plans for the future.  Congratulations, Katie, on your graduation!  We know you will continue making an impact in the world.

A fellow classmate recently described social entrepreneurship to me as a ”reimaging of the liberal arts education”. He explained that engagement in social entrepreneurship presents an opportunity to prepare students for a life of meaning and purpose, and that it does so through teaching personal, professional, and intellectual skills that empower students to be leaders across almost any field. My experiences working with Duke’s Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator at Duke (SEAD) over the past two years have led me to believe that this is the case. These experiences with SEAD have allowed me to reimagine and reinvent my own Duke education.

Throughout the development and growth of my own social venture, One Sun Health, I have had the opportunity to learn from students, staff, and innovators who work with SEAD. The members of the SEAD Student Advisory Council (SAC) in particular have provided a significant amount of guidance as I’ve worked through challenges common to social entrepreneurs – launching a website, applying to grants, and incorporating as a legal entity. However, it is the less tangible forms of mentorship that my peers have provided that have most inspired and impacted me.

As a member and co-chair of the SEAD SAC, I have been able to connect with ambitious students across Duke’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. These students have worked tirelessly to increase the social entrepreneurship and global health conversation on campus. They have worked to inspire students by designing case competitions and workshops. They have worked to engage students by imagining alumni networking tools and mentored research opportunities with SEAD’s global innovators. SEAD SAC-inspired activities like these have helped us to form a family of students and faculty who share common goals of innovating change globally, and have ultimately made our campus a more colorful place to work, study, and live.

My time with SEAD has helped me to discover my passion for working at the intersections of global health and social entrepreneurship, encouraging me to continue to expand One Sun Health in South Africa this summer and pushing me to explore the public sector next year as a business analyst with Accenture Federal Services. Beyond this, I hope to follow the footsteps of many of SEAD’s amazing innovators, leading the creation and growth of new health systems models and healthcare products in the developing world. I have come to see social entrepreneurship not only as a reimagining of the liberal arts education, but also as a reimagining of our ability to generate powerful, sustainable change in the world.  SEAD has created a community that stands at the forefront of this reimaging process at Duke, and I am forever thankful to have been a part of it.




Learn more about Katie's work with MAP here.

The undergraduate certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) is designed to provide students with a pathway to pursue a rigorous cross-disciplinary study of innovation and entrepreneurship that will be complementary to any major and will enable students to be innovative and entrepreneurial in their of pursuit of knowledge in service to society. The certificate requires an in-depth course of study examining the theories of innovation and entrepreneurship, coupled with hands-on practice in both areas. Innovation and entrepreneurship are, by their very nature, areas of cross-disciplinary inquiry, so the certificate will draw on theory, contexts, and methods from across the disciplines.

To earn the certificate, students must successfully complete the following requirements:

1. One course in each of these four areas (specific courses eligible for the certificate are outlined in the Courses section):
   1. Gateway—Innovation, Ideation, and Design
   2. Keystone—Strategies for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
   3. Elective —Further Exploration in Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship
   4. Capstone—Ideas into Action
2. Two thematically-related experiential learning activities. One of the experiences must exceed 300 hours, with the other exceeding 150 hours
3. Creation of a public facing e-portfolio

All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) has launched its second round of competition to unearth and champion solutions to improve child literacy. Through both a grant competition and a software-themed prize competition, ACR GCD aims to catalyze the creation and expansion of innovations and programs that leverage the transformative power of technology to leapfrog existing challenges and empower children to read. 
In Round 2, the All Children Reading Partners seek strategies that employ technology in three focus areas:  mother tongue instruction and reading materials, family and community engagement, and children with disabilities.  Approximately three awards per focus area will be made, with a total of $900,000 available under each focus area, and with the flexibility to make more or less awards.

Along with the grant competition, ACR GCD is hosting Enabling Writers, a $100,000 prize competition aimed at finding technological solutions to improve reading skills for children in developing countries. Enabling Writers seeks to spur the development of software that easily allows authors to write and publish materials to help primary school children in developing countries learn to read in mother tongue languages. In the first round of the prize, three finalists will be awarded $12,000 each and offered feedback to improve their submissions for field testing. The technological solution that best enables local writers to quickly and easily create appropriate and interesting texts that follow tested reading instruction methodologies, and provide the optimum reading and learning experience for early primary school children, will win the $100,000 grand prize.

To learn more about the Challenge and to apply, go to AllChildrenReading.org or follow them at @ReadingGCD on Twitter. 

Deadline: May 2, 2014

The Student Media Grants Program is an annual photojournalism grant awarded to students interested in using innovative methods to research and chronicle issues facing fragile and conflict-affected nations. Interested students should submit a proposal by May 14, 2014, that outlines their intended use of grant funds, with details about locations to be visited, issues to be studied, how the funds will be used and any special needs. They should choose an international development area that reflects issues of food insecurity, health, education, land tenure, poverty, and other issues faced by people in fragile and conflict-affected nations. Students can earn up to $5000.  
During their experience, students will be required to accomplish the following:
- Show three-month engagement (minimum) with international development issues through Extension activities, internships, student research, etc.
- Write a series of blog postings for the ConDev Blog during their experience, and document their chosen subjects through photo and/or video journalism that draws attention to conflict and development issues.
- Publish or exhibit the results of their work in a form of refereed media with the possibility of publishing with Texas A&M University Press.

To learn more and apply, visit: http://condevcenter.org/smgp-2014-open-for-proposals/

Deadline: May 14, 2014

Michigan State University's Global Center for Food Systems Innovation intends to issue a Request for Application (RFA) in April, 2014. The goal of this RFA will be to create innovation in the global food system by finding, incubating and evaluating new and potentially disruptive knowledge and technology based solutions to development challenges, with an emphasis on problems deriving from population growth, climate change and urbanization. GCFSI will provide funding of up to $2,050,000 through three levels of grants in one RFA.

To learn more, visit: http://www.crdfglobal.org/grants-and-grantees/current-funding-opportunities/2014/03/06/advance-notice-for-rfa--msu-gcfsi-food-systems-innovation-grants-2014

Deadline: June 25, 2014

What technological innovations are required to make brackish water desalination more efficient and less expensive in rural and remote settings? What are the key barriers to small-scale innovation in this space? How do you ensure innovations meet the needs of smallholder farmers? We’re challenging private industry, entrepreneurs, academics, other donors, NGOs, and you to weigh in and improve the design for the next call for the Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge for Development: The Desal Prize.
 
The Desal Prize, the second "call" under the Securing Water for Food, aims to develop cost-effective, energy efficient, and environmentally sustainable small-scale desalination technology that provides potable water for humans, as well as water appropriate for livestock and crops in developing countries.  Up to $500,000 in prize money and $75,000 in seed money will be awarded to individuals or organizations through the Desal Prize.

Currently, exciting discussions about the prize criteria regarding the size of the prize purse, the competition design, the technology performance and specifications, and what to do with brine waste discharge are taking place on our website. Join us and your feedback will help us create a prize seeking innovative, accessible desalination technologies in developing and emerging countries.
 
Application opens later this year. Learn more at www.thedesalprize.org and by following @securingwater on Twitter. 

As the school year comes to a close, we ask for your help in planning and improving SEAD for the 2014-2015 school year!  Your input helps us design workshops, support classes, coordinate the Symposium on Scaling Innovations in Global Health, and more.  The survey should take about five minutes to complete.  Whether you have attended SEAD events this school year or not, we want to hear from you!

We're also pleased to announce that photos from the 2014 Symposium are now available on the site!  Check them out here.