Land of Opportunity - Retrospective

Just over a week has passed since returning to the United States from my 4-week IBM Corporate Service Corps (#IBMCSC) assignment in #Senegal, and the comforts of home and the love of my family have allowed me to remininisce fondly on the unforgettable experience - of great new friendships forged, of the deep pride and appreciation in IBM whose very fabric enables such global corporate citizenship, and ultimately of the mark our team indelibly left upon the livelihood of the many Senegalese our work touched.

The recognition for our work has been especially touching.  Our brief commitment to the people of Thiès, Senegal has since been recognized by key community and international leaders, including the Vice Mayor of Thiès, Yankhoba Diattara, and the US Ambassador to Senegal, Lewis Lukens.


Thomas Dong, IBM, Yahkoba Diattara, Vice Mayor of Thiès, and Lewis Lukens, US Ambassador to Senegal (left to right) following the press conference in Thiès, Senegal, November 16, 2012.

Following our press conference, the Senegalese Press Agency published a fantastic piece Lewis Lukens salue le soutien d'IBM aux collectivités locales de Thiès (French) which was picked up by numerous media outlets throughout Senegal and Africa.  Other local papers, including Le Quotidien and La Tribune (below) published their own stories describing the impact on the various non-government organizations (NGO) we partnered with during our stay and of the social responsibility demonstrated by IBM and our 14-member international team of experts.

Now it was IBM's new focus and commitment to Senegal that originally led to the selection of this site for this latest CSC initiative, and the importance of our work was also well-publicized by IBM in this recent press release (ibm.com).  It was great to see the international pick up by the likes of The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Street, The Financial, Equities, Yahoo! Finance, etc.!

But more than anything, it is heartwarming to hear the deep gratitude expressed by our clients.  As I reflect in this final posting on my CSC assignment, I would be remiss to not express my own gratitude to M. Souleymane Bassoum and the entire team at Agrécol Afrique.  You welcomed us like family, and allowed us to grow culturally and professionally. It was a true win-win.  I can say that I honestly enjoyed sharing my expertise and sincerely hope that our team's guidance and recommendations will have a lasting impact on your business. 

In particular, I look forward to the day that the eco-teranga brand is launched and becomes a nationally recognized brand in Senegal.  I can only hope that when I return to Senegal, I will see the brand and logo I designed in stores throughout Senegal - knowing that more profoundly, I have helped you to create a sustainable social enterprise that has helped combat poverty throughout Senegal by raising and guaranteeing the income of organic farmers throughout Senegal, while creating countless jobs via the widespread distribution of your eco-teranga products.

Your IBM team of Thomas Dong, Rajesh Agarwal, and Nami Matsumoto remain committed to your success and we keenly look forward to your updates as each milestone in our recommendations are met.  And while this is but the end of a beautiful chapter in all our lives, the great story of your success is just beginning.

Beautiful Senegal sunset captured at Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary

The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.