So much more
By Taylor
We leave in a few days for Brazil. Up until now, this trip has seemed so far into the future and I cannot believe it is finally here. As we add the finishing touches to our presentation, pack for all the different activities, and check the weather, it is feeling more and more real.
I am eager to meet the team we have been working with. After each call we have with them, I feel more connected, to them as people, but also to their cause. I can tell they care so deeply about the work they are doing, and it makes me want to go above and beyond for them. I anticipate being there in person and seeing the work they are doing in real life will strengthen that desire.
Most of my work experience is in the corporate sector and I came to BU for the social impact program, searching for a way to bridge my background, gain new skills, and ultimately pivot into the social impact sector where I can work for a mission driven organization. Working on this small project has reinforced that longing and made it even more clear that this is what I need to be doing. What a relief that I am on the right path.
On our first call with the team, they compared themselves (their model) to SolarCity. They make solar energy more accessible by leasing solar panels to people who cannot afford to buy them. That is where the similarities end, because their model creates so much more value than SolarCity.
Every piece of their work is so thoughtful and community oriented. They hire locals in the community to install the solar panels, generating economic stimulation and empowering individuals to try a different career path, providing their own energy source. As they install these solar systems, they are lowering monthly bills for the families, increasing their disposable income. They are also conducting educational programs for the children in the community – teaching them about the benefits of solar.
We have come up with some impact measurements for the group, in hopes of attracting more funding and making a statement that they are creating a substantial impact in the community. I look forward to meeting with them and drilling down even further how they can take advantage of these measurements.
I cannot wait to see the work they are doing in real life, learn more about the neighborhoods, culture, and history. I think this visit will be unlike any of my other international travel because I have been seeing the country and culture through a business lens, rather than through the eyes of a tourist.
I am also looking forward to visiting Brazil in general. I think I have been so focused on the project that I almost forgot about all the ancillary activities that come with traveling to a new country. I have been practicing my Portuguese on Duolingo and am embarrassed to say my accent has far from improved. If anyone else we meet in Brazil is half has nice as the team we have been working with, I think I will be fine, even if my accent is awful.