So why did I leave Paris? A large part of me didn’t want to leave. I was making great friends there and was quite literally having the time of my life. It seemed almost illegal to have that much fun and be so happy. But I knew as soon as I applied, [...]

Before coming to Swaziland, I had pictured a country in misery – dry dirt roads with shacks that house worn out bodies drawn thin from disease, from AIDS. Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world. A startling 40 % of adults are HIV positive and the average life expectancy has now [...]

BIO: Ling Ling is passionate about the creation and growth of businesses for economic development in Africa and Asia. She has worked both in the public and private sector in business analysis, financial services, microfinance, information technology, systems design, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, microenterprise development, value chain development, and biofuels. Ling Ling has [...]

Founded in 1992 to create employment for women in rural communities across Swaziland, Gone Rural sells beautifully crafted baskets made from locally grown sustainable natural fibers called lutindzi. The company employs approx. 700 women in rural communities across Swaziland, creating sustainable income for these women. Gone Rural has a sustainable development component which acts as [...]

We arrived in Swaziland on July 30th after what seemed like a never-ending journey. With twelve hours to spare in Paris, myself and Dana, one of the other MBAs, decided to venture into the city. We did what you do in Paris: ate crepes and enjoyed a nice glass of wine. From Paris we flew [...]