Volunteer Opportunity: 6-12 weeks in Kigali, Rwanda

Our Opportunity: A New Business Accelerator to Stimulate Job Creation

African Entrepreneur Collective (AEC) is a new, innovative solution to systemic unemployment in Africa. While many organizations promote entrepreneurship through training, business plan competitions or incubation, few of these interventions actually lead to job creation. 

AEC’s ideology is powerful: equip existing entrepreneurs, people who have already demonstrated success at a small scale, and support them to grow their enterprises to create jobs for others in their communities.

Founded in Summer 2012, AEC identifies young entrepreneurs with existing enterprises and accelerates their growth by providing a comprehensive suite of business education, mentorship, technical support and access to affordable capital.

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African Entrepreneur Collective’s Global Mentor Program brings experienced professionals from around the world to guide Rwandan entrepreneurs through the challenges of operating a business. You’ll work one-on-one with a young innovator, improving their enterprise, teaching him or her new skills, and, ultimately, contributing to job creation in Rwanda.

Mentoring with AEC is not the typical volunteer commitment. You will not dig wells with college students or build a small school with a high school youth group—we are in the business of growing businesses.

While we are a non-profit organization, African Entrepreneur Collective is a far cry from charity. AEC works with the best and brightest of Rwanda. You’ll spend your sabbatical or vacation supporting some of the country’s top young innovators growing their companies.

Impact: We’ll pair you with a mentee that needs your specific experience so that time in Rwanda is spent using your expertise to provide a sustained impact to their business.

Experience: Coaching young entrepreneurs in a developing country will allow you to test your professional skills in a new environment and use them to overcome new challenges.

Network: You’ll collaborate with other mentors (current and past) to make the most of your time with your entrepreneur, and meet a variety of professionals in the SME community.

The Ideal Global Mentor

• Graduate degree in a relevant field or an undergraduate degree with 2-3 years of experience
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, and/or training others preferred
• Interest in emerging markets and the developing world
• Experience abroad—in developing countries especially—preferred
• Independent working, problem solving, critical thinking, patient optimist
• Commitment to going the extra mile to create lasting impact
• Open to new experiences and understanding of different cultures

To learn more about previous mentors, click the link below:

http://www.africanentrepreneurcollective.org/mentors.html

AEC will provide you with free lodging in our spacious, seven-bedroom guesthouse in a safe and well situated neighborhood. Our in-country staff will assist you in getting situated in the city and learning new customs.

To apply for AEC's Global Mentors Program, please email your resume and a brief letter of interest to AEC's Founder and Executive Director, Julienne Oyler, atJulienne@africanentrepreneur.org. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and preference is given to early applicants.