In June 2006, Intervarsity MBA Ministry ventured into the Central African Republic, one of the poorest countries in the world, for an engagement with Integrated Community Development International (ICDI), a  ministry focused on water-well drilling, orphan care, AIDS education and prevention, Christian education radio broadcasting and micro-enterprise development. The project aimed to help guide ICDI's micro-enterprise initiatives.

 

 Local Children

 

The Central African Republic is located in the center of the African continent, 300 miles north of the equator.  It is south of Chad, west of Sudan, north of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), and east of Cameroon.  With a population of 3.7 million, CAR is one of the poorest countries in the world and represents one of the most underdeveloped regions of Africa.

 

Engagement:  Situational Analysis and Business Plan Development

 

Integrated Community Development International is a relatively new non-governmental organization (NGO).  It was incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization, registered in the state of Indiana, in 2004.  ICDI is a non-denominational Christian organization with a vision to address the needs of communities through community development programs.

 

The primary purpose of the project was to understand the climate for enterprise development, as well as shape ICDI's micro-enterprise initiatives in the CAR. The team interviewed about 140 people working in business, education, goernment and non-government organizations, and the church. We also interviewed villagers and village leaders to understand the unique economic challenges of village life. The final deliverable was an economic assessment of the country and next steps for ICDI's micro-enterprise development program. 

 

The Team: Integrating work and faith

The Coram Deo Consulting team consisted of two students, Susan Tseng from Harvard Business School and Ilka Montross from Vandabilt University's Owen School of Management.  Other team members included John Terrill, Intervarsity's Director of Professional Schools' Ministry, Francis Friend, Urbana Operations Manager, and Al Erisman, Director for the Center of Integrity in Business at Seattle Pacific University.

 

 

 

The team - John, Susan, Ilka, Al and Francis

 

"As a team, we gained so much from our time in the CAR. The country has a rich cultural history. Worshiping and celebrating with the Central Africans was a gift that we will not soon forget. It is a country that remains hopeful, teaching us much about trust and faith amid the daily struggles of life and work. The CAR is also a country with many courageous and gifted leaders ... They fight for what is right, and they lead valiantly with limited resources and support. Providing a rich environment for the integration of Christian faith and business and the power of economics to enrich the lives and bring healing, a mission project focused on enterprise development left our team with a much deeper sense of how our vocations in business are an integral part of God's plan to bring economic, social and spiritual vitality to communities around the world."

 

- John Terrill and Al Erisman

 

Read the full article by John and Al.

 

Biographies of the team members

 

Ilka Montross. Ilka is a a recent graduate from Vanderbilt University’s MBA program in Nashville, Tennessee.  Ilka spent 6 years in technology and management consulting prior to business school.  She will be moving to New York City to join Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management division.She is a proficient French speaker, and holds a bachelors degree in marketing and international business from Baylor University.

 

Susan Tseng. Susan is currently the Program Director in Wellpoint’s corporate program office, in New York City.  Susan has previously held positions in marketing, finance, consulting, and operations at large healthcare and consumer products companies.  She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MPH in health policy from Columbia University, and a bachelor in chemistry from Cornell University.

 

John Terrill. John is National Director of Professional School Ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, in Madison, Wisconsin.  Prior to joining IVCF, John worked in banking and human resources consulting.  He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University), and a masters degree in Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

 

Al Erisman. Al is Director of the Center for Integrity in Business, and Professor at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington.  Also editor of Ethix magazine (www.ethix.org).  Al spent 32 years at The Boeing Company, the last 11 of which as Director of R&D for information technology and mathematics.  He holds a PhD in applied mathematics from Iowa State University.

 

Francis Friend. Francis is Operations Manager for Urbana ’06 (InterVarsity’s 21^st Student Missions Convention) in Madison, Wisconsin.Francis spent 3 years in Nigeria helping a student ministry with computer support and conference planning.  He also has experience in business insurance sales, has traveled through now 10 countries in Africa, and is highly proficient in French.  He holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University.

 

 

 

With local women