Carolina Alumni Review - March/April 2008

Students
Poverty in Kenya Unites Students
UNC, Duke, Bennett College form base for first student-led U.N. endeavor

When Brittany Fletcher transferred to UNC in fall 2007 as an African studies major, she wanted to get involved with a student organization that cared about the same issues she did. She found it in the Millennium Village Project, a United Nations effort to fight extreme poverty in Africa.

“I quickly learned that the students involved in this organization are not only passionate, but true activists, in that they work to translate their passion into direct action,” said Fletcher, now a junior and the internal coordinator and general director of the project. “By working with these students, I found my place at Carolina and a cause which gives meaning to my college experience.”

Fletcher and other UNC students have teamed with counterparts at Duke and Bennett College in Greensboro for the first student-led effort to partner with a Millennium Village since the U.N. commissioned the program in 2002. Headed by international economist Jeffrey Sachs, the project works directly with villages in Africa struggling against disease, poverty and isolation to provide affordable, sustainable solutions.

UNC became involved with the project in 2005, when a group of students was seeking ways to fight poverty. Through the help of alumni such as Leonard Kaplan ’ 49 and his Greensboro-based Toleo Foundation, they found their focus.

“Leonard gave seed money to all three institutions so that they could get started, and then they kicked off at all three institutions,” said Cathy Levinson, executive director of the Toleo Foundation. “There was a tremendous amount of passion the students felt about trying to raise money for people who live on less than $1 a day.”

In 2006, Duke and Bennett College joined UNC to coordinate efforts. “Our alliance aims to show that students from different backgrounds and from different circumstances are interested in uniting together to tackle the problem of poverty,” said Shegufta Shefa Sikder, co-coordinator of the project and a senior at UNC.

Each school was allotted $5,000 of the money from Kaplan, with the rest going toward collective costs. Sikder said the money was used for startup costs, such as brochures, T-shirts and planning for the bigger fundraising campaign.

Partnering with a Millennium Village in Africa requires an investment of $1.5 million. With the help of donors and student groups on campus, the project has raised more than $1 million; participants are trying to wrap up the rest by May. If successful, the universities will work with the Millennium Village of Marenyo, Kenya.

Students from UNC, Duke and Bennett College involved with the Millennium Village Project met with international economist Jeffrey Sachs, second row center, who is leading the United Nations program, when he visited campus last fall.

Junior Caitlin Winwood, public relations director for the project, got involved in 2006. “The passion and hope of the students running the group was contagious, and the comprehensive nature of the project allowed me to explore every aspect of development,” she said.

The partnership has sponsored events such as public lectures, news conferences and debates on campus to inform and inspire other students. It offers more information about the effort and solicits donations on its Web site, www.ncmvp.org. The project also has worked for endorsements by other campus groups. “We believe that we share a common goal of poverty alleviation, and thus it makes sense for us to work together,” Sikder said.

Kenya has been facing turmoil stemming from December’s disputed presidential election. Sikder said the group has been monitoring the situation, which has reinforced the need for efforts such as the Millennium Village Project.

“We have been corresponding with the facilitating NGO, Millennium Promise, on the situation on the ground,” she said. “As of now, no staff members have been hurt, and they are working in the areas of Sauri and Marenyo to quell the spread of violence. The situation is definitely rocky, but with the recent peace negotiations, we are optimistic that the project can continue successfully. We believe this instance underscores the need for poverty alleviation for democratic stability and transparent governance.” ■