Testimonials: Kevin, Sander & Eunice

We like to introduce you to Kevin, Sander and Eunice. As participants of the New Business Challenge they tell you about their experiences about this exchange program. What did they learn from participation and working together to the innovative solutions? What impact had the challenge on them and what makes the challenge unique according to them? Read it here!

Kevin Wilson
“On a scale of 1-10, I will gladly give the NBC a perfect score of 10. It was an amazing experience. It is a carefully organised programme with a very good purpose. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain international exposure. We made new friends, learnt from knowledgeable Dutch trainers and facilitators, worked alongside Dutch professionals, and got to experience Dutch culture first hand.

This was my first real experience with working in a culturally diverse group, beyond the Ghanaian borders thus it made me appreciate the importance of cultural intelligence and awareness. As a result, I am better at interacting with people from difficult cultures. I find it easier now to respect people’s experiences and viewpoints. I learnt how to throw away old beliefs and biases, and be open to learning new things.

The NBC was unique because the focus was not on competetion, but focussed on coming up with sustainable solutions to our business cases. It was really nice to hear that Allianz Ghana merged our solution with the of the other team to really use it in one comprehensive plan.”

Sander Beeks

“The New Business Challenge offers the amazing opportunity to work on a real life business case, as well as experience Ghana in a unique way. Through the co-operation of the two nationalities, you can really experience what the Ghanaian culture looks like and what it means. This not only learnt me a lot about the Ghanaian culture, but it also made me realize a lot better what the Dutch culture and ways of doing business are really about. Besides that, through the NBC you develop your professional skills like for example idea generation through the workshops that are provided.

Most of all, even though this might sound very cliché, the NBC really was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Most of all because of the true friendships I have made during the trips, of which some without a doubt will last for a lifetime.”

Eunice Dorgbefu

” ‘Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.’ In life in order to make it you need to have ambition and take calculated risks. For me joining the New Business Challenge was a risk I took because I did not know how it was going to be. Now I can say it was incredibly amazing and a great opportunity I gained. I knew what I wanted to achieve, I had ambitions and I couldn’t have figured it out and developed my skills without taking this step, so I will tell my friends to just do it!

This challenge thought me to think as a creative person, it gave me a new perspective to creativity. I was coached through this process and I feel that I am a stronger creative thinker now, because I learnt how to think outside my box. Next to that I helped the company with innovative ideas during this program, I made new friends that I can call family now and most importantly I ended up growing in diverse ways and that made me a whole different person.”