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Seven 22nd Contracting Squadron Airmen recently volunteered to provide business mentorship to an Afghan woman.
The Institute for the Economic Empowerment for Women, a non-profit organization, works to connect American business leaders with women in Afghanistan and Rwanda who are looking to start their own businesses. Maj. Mark Wagner, 22nd CONS commander, has been involved with the program for three years.
His first year, Wagner mentored on his own, but once he took command, he decided to involve his squadron in the project as well. In 2016, the team had four members and has now grown to seven.
“I’m very pleased that we have Airmen and civilians who wanted to step up to a challenge and do something different to both further their skill sets as potential deployers and lend a hand to some folks overseas,” said Wagner. “When we deploy, it’s our job to buy goods and services from the local economy to help support the mission. I think it’s better to have a little bit of experience working with companies from this part of the world before you deploy than getting there and trying to figure it out as you go.”
This year, the Airmen were paired with Zuhal, a woman from Kabul, Afghanistan, who is founding the Relief Afghan Women’s Organization. She emailed her business plan to Wagner and the team met to share their thoughts on it.
“We receive a business model from them and we look at that and give it a review,” said Master Sgt. John Flaim, 22nd CONS superintendent and team member. “We can make recommendations on how the business is structured and on the plan itself. In this case, we thought she was focusing on too many things.”
Within IEEW, women compete at the national level and a small group is selected to come to the United States and receive training. Unfortunately, Zuhal did not make the cut.
“Zuhal was not picked up this year,” said Wagner. “She was my first mentee who was not [chosen] to come do training. She’s got a very broad plan and she’s got to hone that down a bit, but she did successfully give her [first] business presentation.”
Through volunteering with this program, McConnell Airmen are able to both guide someone in a developing country to success while enhancing their own skill sets.
“I think it’s a good program, and it’s a good opportunity for us to help someone in a third-world country who’s starting a minority business,” said Flaim. “Being in the contracting squadron, a lot of us try to learn business as best we can. A person starting a business over there doesn’t have the same opportunities that we have.”
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2017 16:34 |
| Story ID: | 230044 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KS, US |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, OH, US |
| Hometown: | WICHITA, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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