When international commerce and policy graduate student Jacob Sitati came to Valparaiso University from Kenya, he wanted to gain business knowledge he could take back home to benefit people in his native land. This fall, the co-founder of Vision for Kenya has learned first-hand how the global business world can serve and be served by individuals with special needs.

“My experience at Valpo is equipping me with skills and knowledge that I have been able to put into practice in activities I am involved in both at a public policy level and non-profit level,” says Sitati. “I am leveraging my skills, connections and access to facilities and resources here at Valpo to position initiatives back in Kenya that can help people.”

Sitati is one of several international students enrolled in Valpo’s “Nonprofit Organizations” course this fall offered through the master’s program in international commerce and policy. He and his classmates are working directly with the Valparaiso-based nonprofit Opportunity Enterprises, learning how people with physical and mental challenges can help businesses improve their operations, and how work experiences can help those individuals develop as productive members of society.

“It is my hope that I can continue to expand partnerships with Valpo to various institutions in Kenya, and provide a leadership and strategic role in improving peoples lives,” says Sitati, who plans to pursue a degree at Valpo’s School of Law beginning next fall. “I am impressed by the Valpo community’s atmosphere for higher learning, the professors here bring unique perspectives into class, and I believe I’m getting an education that puts me in a good position to transfer these ideas to my home country and help people.”

Sitati is now using his knowledge to complete a nonprofit plan for Vision for Kenya, which  solicits and distributes medical equipment and supplies to medical facilities in remote regions of the country.

“I am taking the practical approaches that I am learning in class and directly applying them in the governance of our newly-created organization,” says Sitati. “The material and practical experience gained from Valpo and the OE team have been vital in giving me tools and ideas to help make Vision for Kenya a viable organization.”