Katja Nordwig is supporting the CHANCEN International team since September. As the executive assistant, she supports CHANCEN International founder and CEO Batya Blankers in the areas of fundraising and project management and is currently organising a crowdfunding campaign for CHANCEN International, which starts on the 15th of November. In the interview, she talks about the planned campaign, mountain biking in Africa and her wish for a meaningful job.
Dear Katja, welcome to the team! Chemistry and beverage industry, the Netherlands and South Africa, founding your own company and back to university – you already experienced a lot before coming to us! Tell us a little about the time before CHANCEN eG.
Thank you, I am very happy to be part of the CHANCEN eG team.
I grew up in Berlin and completed my first studies at Freie Universität. After that I wanted to gain new experiences and went abroad: first Amsterdam and then South Africa. There I worked for many years in the innovation and supply chain management in large international companies of the chemistry and beverage industry.
But you didn’t stay there…
No, after some time I started questioning the social impact of my work and started looking for new challenges. Firstly, I went back to university and did a Master’s degree in sustainable development and during that time I worked as a consultant for some sustainability projects. I was able to help with the development of an Agrarian supply chain. With this project, we managed to double the income of several thousand African small-scale farmers. I was also engaged in the development of a south African Agritech start-up. Hence, I am quite familiar with the challenges that social start-ups face.
Besides that, I enjoy being adventurous with my mountain bike and I am curious about the world. Thus, I had the chance to discover some countries of the African continent on my bike. By doing this I was able to get some close insights into how the people live.
Since almost a year now I am back in Berlin and I want to work in an innovative surrounding with a sustainable approach. Here at CHANCEN International, I can combine this with my appreciation for Africa.
Surely CHANCEN International differs quite a lot from your past professional stations. What are you experiencing so far working in our team?
Different from larger firms that I have worked for, there is a broader scope of tasks. In a start-up, there always is a lot to do. This makes the work more varied and leaves room for creation.
Other things are rather similar. I always worked supporting projects and I think that it is important to convert ideas into realistic plans and then implement them step by step.
One of your main tasks is fundraising. What does CHANCEN International need the money for and where is it supposed to come from?
CHANCEN International is offering ISAs in Africa now. The more money we collect, the more students we can offer a place of study to. In order to do this, we want to activate different sources: foundations, as well as single people, international Development organisations and impact investors, are relevant to us.
Any small contribution helps us to reach our goal: education and following the participation of many well educated Africans in the local economy.
More specifically you are organizing a crowdfunding campaign for this cause to collect 20.000 € until the end of the year for university places in Rwanda. What exactly are your tasks?
The challenge of a campaign is the coordination of many different tasks. It is about making a video, organising events, looking for great prizes, writing texts, activating our community…
Thankfully we are a committed and capable and I am sure that we will build a successful campaign.
Thank you very much for your answers and insights and we are very excited about the start of the crowdfunding campaign on the 15th of November 2018!
