Dorcas Amoh Mensah: "Our stereotypical mindsets create labels" #SkollWF2017

Curious about why Africa is still wallowing in poverty and under-development, I decided to pursue a Masters’ degree in Africa and International Development to uncover the puzzle and figure out how I can contribute to the change I want to see on the continent as a child of the land. I am a Ghanaian with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration obtained from Ashesi University College. My time at Ashesi, liberal arts college, unlocked unparalleled opportunities for me which helped me build enormous passion for Africa and its development as well as heightened my interest in social impact. Over the past four years, I have been involved in innovative activities aimed at improving rural education (Starfish Aid) and eradicating child poverty and streetism in Ghana (Future of Africa). With exposure to the business and impact worlds through internships with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Camfed Ghana respectively, I seek a career which would combine business with impact to create sustainable solutions for societal problems. I am also very interested in the economic transformation of Africa, transformational education as well as creating integrity-driven and gender-equal societies. Additionally, I would love a career that provides an opportunity for traveling all over the world as a medium of learning how various societies are internally solving global challenges. My time here in Edinburgh has made me realize I am a foodie and has exposed me to the essence of celebrating diversity in the midst of the world’s uproar against immigration and migration. Here, I co-run a mini food-tasting and fund-raising event aimed at introducing the university community to foods from different cultures and various countries each month. It’s my dream that this would enhance collaboration, mutual-respect and love across all cultures and nations. I love arts and craft and have a special attraction to origami. Changemakers from around the globe and across all sectors gather each year in Oxford, England for the Skoll World Forum to share new ideas, new perspectives, and ultimately, new relationships built on trust and a mutual desire for human progress. Over the span of one week, this community tackles the thorniest challenges through the lens of social entrepreneurship. With their drive, creativity, and leadership, these innovators work tirelessly to create equilibrium change towards a more just, sustainable and prosperous world. The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the premier international platform for advancing entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world's most pressing problems. Our mission is to accelerate the impact of the world's leading social entrepreneurs by uniting them with essential partners in a collaborative pursuit of learning, leverage and large-scale social change. Each year, nearly 1,000 of the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs, key thought leaders and strategic partners gather at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School to exchange ideas, solutions and information. http://skoll.org/skoll-world-forum/