|
University of Idaho Professor Romuald Afatchao gets emotional when he thinks about the impact Vandal alumni are making in his native country of Togo.
Payton McGriff’s nonprofit, Style Her Empowered (SHE), expands education and opportunities for women in Togo. Earlier this year, CNN was on campus to feature the U of I alumna and SHE for the CNN Heroes series.
“I come from a big family and a lot of my sisters didn’t have the same opportunities for education that I did,” says Afatchao, who teaches in the School of Global Studies and is associate director of the Martin Institute. “Payton’s idea of empowerment is making a big difference back home. To be able to make connections and see students go on to better lives in my home country – I couldn’t imagine anything better.”
Online voting for CNN Heroes of the Year begins in November and SHE could gain up to $100,000 in prize money, along with more exposure to donors and investors around the world. The organization’s story began in McGriff’s sophomore year at the U of I. She read about the millions of girls outside of the U.S. who have limited educational opportunities and was inspired to help.
McGriff discussed her idea with Afatchao, who founded the Institute for Community Partnerships and Sustainable Development in Togo and has led several student groups on trips to his home country. Less than two weeks after meeting with Afatchao, McGriff was on a plane to Africa.
That first Spring Break trip in 2017 planted the seeds for SHE, which now serves more than 2,000 girls across 21 communities in Togo. The organization provides school uniforms, scholarships, supplies, tutoring and more for girls. SHE also employs 35 women in Togo, who make uniforms and run the organization on the ground.
Even before she met McGriff, Jestine Lackner unknowingly walked in her footsteps. She took George Tanner’s entrepreneurship class, developing a passion for education in underserved areas and excelling in business pitch competitions. After graduating in May, Lackner used her winnings to launch Sustainable Classrooms. With guidance from McGriff and Afatchao, she is now in Notsé, Togo, working in the SHE building as she sets up her operations.
Lackner plans to produce bricks out of recycled plastic waste to build classrooms. Her new recycling machine should be producing recycled plastic bricks by the end of the month. In the meantime, Lackner is busy hiring a translator and meeting with teachers and students in the region to assess needs.
“Combatting plastic pollution is one problem we’re tackling, but some of the students here walk up to 10 kilometers to school each day,” Lackner said. “So the mission is to build a school and remove that barrier to education. I’m being humbled every day just navigating the environment. But, after traveling as a student, I learned a lot about myself and I knew I wanted to do more humanitarian work. I very much enjoy what I’m doing now.”
Both McGriff and Lackner spurned rewarding business opportunities to dedicate their lives to nonprofits. They’ve embraced the uncertainty and daily struggles that come with nonprofit operations to serve communities that are often neglected.
“I didn’t think a nonprofit was the path for me. I was interviewing for jobs and I thought I would eventually get involved in something like that later in my career,” McGriff said. “But after my entrepreneurship class and my experience at the U of I, I thought, I should just integrate this now rather than it being an afterthought at the end of my career.”
Vandals take on complex challenges and offer solutions that inspire communities around the world. We’re proud of our alumni and faculty who lead selflessly and dedicate their careers to empowering others.
|
