So, our microfinance conference ended a few days ago. It was interesting, and it gave me the feeling that it was something monumental in this country's future. The word "entrepreneur" means so much more to me now than it did before this conference and trip in general.
At one point during the conference, my mom was asked to be a speaker, and Ryan and I decided to volunteer to be a part of the presentation as well. We had 15 minutes in total to explain YouthGive and the Africa trip we are on. It was during the plenary session, which consisted of around 800 people, from all over South Africa and even other countries in the world. As I walked up to the podium, I could feel the energy in the room, which made me feel exhilarated and nervous all at once. Ryan and I each spoke for about 2-3 minutes each, but once we were both done, we felt proud of ourselves. During my speech, I explained how a delegation of us from YouthGive had met Mbogeni, the COO of the organization hosting the conference at another conference on microfinance in Washington DC in September. I went on to explain us being invited to the conference, and what we were focusing on during our trip. Ryan discussed our plans to create digital curriculum using the Flip cameras to show what positive change is taking place in Southern Africa.
The conference taught me a lot, and I hope to use what I learned to empower my peers when I get back to the US.