AAE’s voluntary group members covers multiple countries and cities across different continents. This support base provides capacity-building programmes, business consultation services, educational resources and so forth to entrepreneurs or small-and-micro enterprises. Service participants serve according to their own schedules, with commitments structured to be flexible.. Tasks can be undertaken based on volunteer availability and are designed to fit around their regular schedules.
- Expert Volunteer: Senior professional on invitation to contribute to special projects such a Mentor, Event Speaker, Researcher etc
- Voluntary Intern: Students nominated by an academic institution
- Service Learner: Student or professional enrolled in the AAE experiential learning training program.
AAE work is mostly virtual and tasks are accomplished through asynchronous collaboration. Utilizing online communication tools, including a Task Dashboard and email, community members support one another pro bono. Volunteers may undertake an agreed number of tasks during term of service. This new volunteering sessions herald a strategic shift from “education/advocacy only” model to a “resource mobilization” for real needs and assignment interventions. Under the AAE Assisted Connections Program, supported enterprises may request for volunteer experts to provide tailored support. AAE facilitates the search and may assist in the task design, supervision and onboarding of the expert.
Experiential Learning Training Program Modalities
AAE provides volunteering students and professionals with practical learning experiences across its operational fields.
- Successful interns/service learners are granted an AAE Completion Certificate (view sample). Exceptional participants are granted the AAE Letter of Recommendation (view sample).
- Prospective Voluntary Interns submit a letter of nomination from their schools as a first application step.
- Completion of the Service Learner Training Program consists of nominal fee for the issuance of the Completion Certificate, which is payable by bank transfer. .
- All participants commit to a 11-15 hour per week schedule, completing all assignments within the selected service period. After completing a task, participants may undertake another task during their active term . If you find any assigned task unsuitable, please feel free to request a change.
- Brief descriptions of recent task published here. Choose tasks that are relevant to your background, professional or learning aspirations. We will send you a detailed task guide before you commence work and provide ongoing guidance, as needed.
- Participants may be assigned to a supported enterprise and may receive additional completion certificates from the same enterprise.
Communication: Communication tools typically used for teamwork communication and collaboration are email and virtual conferences.
- Where a task requires official email communications, an AAE email account will be assigned to you. Please use this account for official communications only and for the avoidance of doubt in the minds of recipients. However, sometimes delivery challenges such as messages being rejected by Hotmail/Outlook due to our sending IP being blocked by their anti‑spam system, may occur. Only, in this case, please use your personal email, instead.
- We encourage the use of a formal communication tone when communicating with others, and we expect all to do the same with fellow volunteers and entrepreneurs whom they may be working with. In an intercultural/international professional setting, the use of formality and politeness can help avoid confusion and misunderstandings. It will also generate good mutual respect with your audience and this will result in effective teamwork . You must be logged in the AAE website to view the contact email addresses of others.
- Sometimes, email messages are delivered to your SPAM folders in error. Please check to be sure you don’t miss messages from AAE.
- AAE usually responds to email mesages immediately or up to 36 hours of receipt. If you don’t get a response within a reasonable time frame, please resend your message.
- Video conferences between two or more users, group and Inter-group level meetings may be arranged.
Task Completion and Reports: Submit weekly updates on all assigned tasks as well as Monthly Progress Reports. Final session reports are expected as agreed, and should be submitted by email. All reports MUST include the department name(s), date of submission and the name of the reporter. The report file should saved in word format and the file name should contain the full name of the reporter.
- Final reports may cover a summary of the work completed. operational observations, project outcomes, or professional development insights. Additionally, while not compulsory, video reports may be used as an additional proof of participation . You may post it on a social media platform and then include the link in the textual report.
- Volunteers/Interns who achieve outstanding performance in their tasks will be issued with Letters of Recommendation in addition to the Completion/Appreciation Certificate.
- Please alert your supervisor during the last week of your session and submit a final session report so that we can Initiate the issuance of your completion letter on time. Volunteers/Interns who are unable to complete task(s) and/or do not submit a final report covering their entire sessions will be deemed “Uncompleted” and may be offered an extension or restart based on sole discretion of the supervisor.
Benefits: Some benefits of serving with us include:
- Contributing to Supporting Sustainable African Entrepreneurship
- Networking
- The AAE Volunteers Directory
- Priority Selection for on-site assignments, when available
- Certificates of Appreciation, Completion and Reference
- Invitations to Training Programs and Development Events