'Women helping women': Happiness Project pairs NSCC students with female entrepreneurs in Tanzania
Halima Joy Mbita is passionate about cooking -- a passion she will soon travel halfway around the world to pursue.
The student from Tanzania recently earned a scholarship studying culinary management at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) this fall.
“I’m really honored to get the opportunity,” said Mbita in an interview with CTV Morning Live Wednesday.
“I can’t wait to learn the Canadian culture, the Canadian food and everything. I can’t wait to be with you all.”
She is currently working alongside 14 NSCC students and staff who are in the African country as part of the college’s Happiness Project -- an entrepreneur program in partnership with a Tanzanian college to help women there gain economic stability.
“Our Happiness Project is about women helping women,” said NSCC accounting student Jennifer MacLean.
As part of the project, NSCC students and 21 of their local counterparts are working in groups designing small businesses to be implemented on campus to raise funds and support local entrepreneurs.
“We made our business plans yesterday, and we are actually implementing those businesses and they are open today. They will be open today and tomorrow for services,” said MacLean.
From water filtration plants to banana farms, the group has been visiting women-run businesses in the area.
“We are learning from each other to hopefully raise the standard of living for everyone involved,” said NSCC faculty member Stephen Barrett.
“It’s really special. It’s a great opportunity for both our students and the students here. We’ve learned so much, our students have learned a ton, and we continue to learn beyond what we originally expected.”
Barrett says it will be an honour to have Mbita come and study at NSCC.
“We’ll have to take her out and show her some local restaurants,” said Barrett.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.