Winners give all - Chris Arnot talks to last night's recipients of the business and management awards for students

Tuesday October 14, 2003
The Guardian

The Kibera district of Nairobi, the second largest slum in Africa, is home to squalor and deprivation on a scale that visitors from the first world find almost impossible to grasp. It exists on the same planet as the somewhat sweeter-smelling 8th arrondissement in Paris where the more prestigious brands of the Coty cosmetics company are marketed. Apart from that, there is perhaps only one other tenuous connection between the two places.

And it emerged last night in the unlikely setting of the Chateau Impney Hotel, Droitwich, where the Association of Business Schools presented its awards for business and management students, sponsored by the Guardian. Winner of the undergraduate prize was Annie Freres, 23, a Belgian brought up in Germany, who did her international baccalaureate at Oxford before sending herself to Coventry, home of the Warwick business school, and then to Paris for her work placement. In Coty's export department, she found herself stepping into the elegant shoes of the marketing manager, who was away on maternity leave. It fell to Annie to design a database and produce the company newsletter. "Luckily, I speak fluent French," she says. Luckily, too, she had the chance to take part in international marketing meetings. "There were some great presentations from all over the world," she recalls.

Then there was the public relations work. "I helped with preparing the launch of the Jennifer Lopez range, Glow by JLo," she confides. And did Annie get to go to New York for the launch itself? "Unfortunately not."

At least she had a better time on her work placement than Richard Newey, 38, winner of the postgraduate award. His project was altogether more harrowing. The catalyst for it was the death through breast cancer of a friend, Sarah Hicks. Her husband, Russell, was a fellow member of his MBA course at Bournemouth University business school, and he wanted to set up a charity in her memory. Shortly before Sarah died, she and Russell travelled to Kenya in search of alternative remedies. Sadly, the search failed to prolong her life beyond the age of 36. But her encounters with the street children in Nairobi had a profound effect on her. "Just before she died, she discussed with Russell what could be done to help them after her death," says Richard, who is project manager with a construction company and now the driving force behind a charity called Boo. "That was Sarah's nickname," he points out before going on to stress that he is one of five MBA students involved in the project. "As part of the course we had to do an entrepreneurial unit, and here was a real-life, worthwhile project," he goes on. "It took us six months to set up after extensive feasibility studies. What could we achieve? What were our targets? We didn't want just another charity that would disappear after two years. We decided to make it internet-based, low-cost, no frills. No collection boxes. No unnecessary stationery. The emphasis had to be on sustainability."

Boo is still waiting for recognition from the Charity Commission. "The application has been lodged for four or five months, so it should happen any time now," Richard insists. "Already we have 100 or so donors signed up, and we hope to raise at least £50,000 a year through corporate donations, sponsorship of individual children or payroll giving." Monthly donations direct from salaries on pay day, in other words. If and when the Charity Commission acknowledges Boo's existence, every £7.80 donated will be rounded up to £10 through Gift Aid tax relief. Then the government will add another 10%.

Richard felt obliged to see for himself the condition of the Kenyan street children. After all, their plight had done so much to move a woman who could have been forgiven for concentrating on her own troubles. So he went with Russell on what he calls a "weekend break" to Nairobi. "We spent three days in the slums of Kibera," he says.

"I'd been climbing in Nepal before, but I'd never seen poverty like this. It was very humbling and made us more determined than ever to do something for those kids. I remember going into a school with volunteers from a charity called Vision Africa. The children gave us a 20-minute singing and dancing performance that was just mind-blowing. It was so full of energy. Yet just outside the door there was crap and deprivation everywhere.

"I remember somebody saying to us: 'They don't want to be given fish; they want to learn how to fish.' Education is the key to that. We're already sponsoring half a dozen children to continue their schooling beyond the age of 10 and, through Vision Africa, we're building some new classrooms north of Nairobi."

No prizes for guessing where Richard intends to put his £3,000 award for being business and management postgraduate student of the year. "There were four other people involved," he reiterates, "and we've agreed that the money will be donated to the charity."

Annie's £3,000 prize for winning the undergraduate section will also be put to good use. She is currently working at her parents' designer childrenswear company near Dusseldorf but, come January, she is off to Chile with a youth development charity called Raleigh International. "At first we'll be working on conservation and environmental projects in the national park," she explains. "Then we move on to work on the infrastructure in small towns - building community halls and that kind of thing. The prize-money will come in very useful for fundraising and buying all the kit I'm going to need." And after two and a half months in Chile? "I'm thinking of going on to Ecuador to do some teaching." By that time, the export department of a giant perfume company in the 8th arrondissement could well seem a very long way away. Same planet, different world. "I know I was very lucky to be sent there on my work placement," she muses. "But I learnt a lot while I was there. At business school everything is theory. In practice it's never quite like that. There are always miscommunications, or time-lags, or the problems caused by someone important not turning up." But at least there was always the most beautiful city in Europe to enjoy after work, I suggest. "Paris isn't the cheapest city to live in," she says. "But, yes. There are so many sights you can take in by just walking round. You can enjoy the place without much money."

www.boo-charity.org