“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” It is this Chinese proverb which inspired CESR alum Justin Dart to help a man in Ghana realize his dream of going to college.
“The whole idea of the project came from the phrase ‘Teach a Man to Fish’ and focuses on empowerment--giving someone worthy a chance,” says Justin, who created the Teach a Man: Wisdom fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.
During his Semester at Sea in the spring of 2012, Justin became close friends with a 27-year-old street vendor in Ghana named Jey. Sleeping on a bench at night with a tarp for a blanket, Jey had done really well in high school but didn’t have the funds to continue his education and was now living hand-to-mouth selling handmade bracelets and necklaces to tourists.
“When I met him, I quickly developed a deep respect for Jey; he was smart, down-to-earth, and most importantly, trustworthy,” says Justin. Jey confided in Justin about his dreams to go to college for afforestation, an agricultural degree.
Upon Justin’s return to the U.S., he was determined to find a way to help his friend in Ghana. Within four months Justin crafted a video, developed a marketing plan and budget forecast, came up with perks for contributors (custom printed t-shirt & Jey's handmade bracelets), and built relationships with both a University of Ghana professor and a Dutch volunteer who could help with the application and enrollment processes.
To date, Justin has far exceeded his initial goal of $3,800 to pay for Jey's tuition, housing, and miscellaneous educational costs. Instead, he’s raised close to $7,000. Part of that money came from Justin’s participation in CESR’s Stampede Week last spring, where he competed in the Sustainability Showcase and his “Teach a Man” project took home $1,500 for first prize. He applied the winnings directly to Jey’s expenses.
Jey is now in his third semester of college at the University of Ghana in Accra. He’s done well in his classes and continually reminds Justin how much he's enjoying school. Jey will soon embark on a four-month internship-like program to Akosombo (a small town in the South Eastern region of Ghana), where he will gain hands-on agricultural training and put what he’s been learning in the classroom into action.
Looking back, Justin says, “CESR’s Business Applications of Social Responsibility was the first course to introduce me to the idea of leveraging the tools of business for some greater social or environmental purpose. That simple idea did a lot to change the way I now look at business.” Having graduated this past May, Justin plans to move to San Francisco in a couple weeks and is currently interviewing and applying for positions with Tesla, Google, and Yelp.
“With regards to my career, I'm looking to put myself on an international trajectory. After my Semester at Sea, I realized very quickly that I want to live and work abroad (ideally in Cape Town) for at least 5-10 years of my career,” says Justin.
He and Jey continue to exchange emails every couple of weeks and even speak on the phone every once in a while.
Watch the video of Justin’s and Jey’s story here.