Social entrepreneurship is currently the biggest new brand in my home country, Libya. Many attempts have been made so far to establish a prosperous entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs in Libya. However, we are still facing many challenges as the concept of social entrepreneurship is new. Based on the experience I gained from my fellowship with LearnServe and the Legacy Professional Fellows Program in the US, I will establish the foundation of a thriving ecosystem to teach young university graduates how to bring a sustainable change to their communities in Libya through social entrepreneurship. Our long-term goal is helping young people to be entrepreneurs, changemakers and forwarded-thinking citizens in Libyan society.
To me, international exchange is very important for social entrepreneurship because it gives entrepreneurs a good opportunity to network, share experiences and exchange ideas. International exchange is especially beneficial for entrepreneurs from developing countries because it is the means by which they develop their entrepreneurial mindset, experience new work models and gain exposure to new cultures.
My fellowship with LearnServe was one of the most fruitful opportunities for professional development I have ever had in my career. This opportunity made me reflect deeply on and adjust my understanding of social entrepreneurship. It has instilled in me a new entrepreneurial mindset that focuses on both bringing social change and making a profit. I have gained pertinent knowledge and skills in social entrepreneurship that will definitely help me develop my entrepreneurship programs and projects in Libya.
I also had the great opportunity to learn more about LearnServe’s “Seeding Social Innovation” program, which is a curriculum dedicated to teaching middle and high school students how to bring a social change to their communities through social entrepreneurship. That curriculum was very systematic and powerful, and it inspired me to start designing my own curriculum for an entrepreneurial program in Libya.
All of the LearnServe activities I took part in, such as the LearnServe Hackathon, volunteer trainings, after-school sessions, sales meetings, community meetings, and mentoring sessions, provided me with hands-on skills that I really need for developing a strong entrepreneurial mindset. All in all, my fellowship with LearnServe was priceless and I really owe this opportunity to the LearnServe staff who were very helpful, cooperative and resourceful. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my supervisor in the fellowship Lauren Jordan for everything she did to support me. I would also like to express my gratitude to the US Department of State and Legacy International for hosting me in the Legacy Professional Fellows Program.
Hamza Muftah
Legacy Professional Fellow in Residence with LearnServe International