Creighton expands global partnerships in Togo
In the small West African nation of Togo, Creighton University students, faculty and leaders are creating academic partnerships, serving others in need and building relationships that inspire hope.
Most recently, Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, during a visit to Togo’s capital of Lomé, signed an agreement with the president of the University of Lomé to share academic resources and develop joint projects.
“This is an expression of our connection to Togo, and opens up opportunities for collaborative research, knowledge-sharing and meaningful cultural exchanges between faculty and students at both universities,” Fr. Hendrickson said.
Global partners in hope
While in Togo, Fr. Hendrickson met with Ian Vickers, founder, president and CEO of the Omaha-based Global Partners in Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clean water, healthcare and renewable energy in West Africa, with a focus on improving the welfare of women and children.
In addition to Togo, Global Partners in Hope operates programs in the West African nations of Benin and Mali and is looking to expand into Côte d’Ivoire.
Vickers, who also teaches international management part time in the Heider College of Business, has welcomed Creighton faculty and students from Heider, the College of Nursing and the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions to assist in the organization’s efforts in Togo.
Student service in Togo
In May, a group of six nursing students from Creighton’s Omaha and Phoenix campuses, along with four occupational therapy students, traveled with nursing, occupational therapy and pharmacy faculty members to Togo for two weeks of cultural immersion and service.
They talked with school children about the importance of washing their hands and brushing their teeth; gave CPR, choking and emergency care demonstrations at community events; worked alongside staff in the clinic and surgical suite; and bonded with locals through soccer, dancing, card games and other activities.
“Students gained valuable insight into the challenges and strengths of global healthcare and partnerships,” said Jennifer Jessen, EdD, RN, associate professor in the College of Nursing. “We know this experience has inspired them in ways that will influence their future practice, helping them become healthcare providers who lead with compassion, empathy and a commitment to justice.”
Opening new horizons and perspectives
Members of the Creighton delegation that visited Togo recently with Fr. Hendrickson included Heider Dean Anthony Hendrickson, PhD, and his wife, Deb, along with Creighton graduate Raoul Djidjoho, BSBA’26, and rising senior Brooke Nast. Djidjoho and Nast are both from the Heider College of Business.
“Creating this relationship with the University of Lomé is one more example of Creighton’s expanding global engagement, initiated under Fr. Hendrickson’s leadership and vision,” said Dean Hendrickson. “The lives of our students are challenged and transformed with courses taught by professors with unique experiences and faculty-led trips that open new horizons and perspectives. Students and faculty are living the Jesuit charism of ‘men and women for and with others’ as they ‘go forth and set the world on fire.’”
Djidjoho, a native of Benin, West Africa, who earned his bachelor’s degree in international business in May, interned at Global Partners in Hope as an assistant project manager. Nast, a double-major in business intelligence and analytics and marketing, has served as a business analyst and marketing intern for Global Partners in Hope.
