It couldn't have been any better!

Ray Reuben Kibet

2^nd year student, Bachelor of Business Science, Financial Economics

Strathmore University

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”  ~ Aristotle.

Listening to the success stories of the alumni of this program as well as their different testimonies as to how their lives have changed since taking part in the Social Entrepreneurship Program is enough evidence as to the truthfulness of the statement above. Indeed, the program has aided in the establishment of some financial security and stability among a good number of its participants enabling them to lead a better quality of life, which in my opinion seems to be the fruit the program was intended to yield.

When I found out about the Initiative, I must say I was touched and challenged at the same time. The thought that somebody somewhere thousands of mile away saw it fit to sit down and attempt to solve  the problems my fellow countrymen just tens of mile away was indeed baffling and amusing. I then decided to apply to be a facilitator as I saw it as an excellent opportunity to serve others in society; a philosophy consistent with the St John’s ambulance mission and of which I have faithfully subscribed to over the past 12 years of my life. I also decide to apply for the experience, exposure and for adventure’s sake.

Before the program commenced, I thought that the program was well structured and that a great deal of effort had been put in to localise and simplify the curriculum. I thought the idea of pili pili chips was good especially because chips is a common food and which the people the program was designed for would relate to easily. I never doubted that the program would work since it was not too technical and foreign. This was after seeing that after examples had been strategically placed to elaborate more on the concepts that seemed foreign and new.

When I was informed that I had been selected to facilitate the program, I was excited since I am naturally adventurous and like to try out new things, meet new people as well as experiences. I did not know what to expect but had resolved to just go with it and let whatever happens to happen.

My thoughts on the dinner we had when we first met were that the food was great. I also liked how the hosts welcomed and introduced us to the team (the icebreakers and all). However, I feel that probably next time the facilitators from Kenya should be guided better on how to identify the Canadian team so as to prevent difficulties in finding each other because I remember Luke had to walk up to  the Dean and ask whether he was Canadian so as to be able to identify the team. This can be done by guiding them on which colour of clothes to look out for etc. In addition, it would help to give guidance as to what time the dinner is meant to end so that people can be able to plan how to get back home.

The program went well during the first two weeks. The time allocated was reasonable and we were indeed able to cover a great part of the resource book. I enjoyed working with Asha, Amy, Mostapha, Tracy, and Jorline. They were quite jovial, friendly and team spirited.

Working in Kibera has taught me a lot; other than the reinforcement of knowledge it has offered, I have also learnt about how life is in the slums as gathered from the conversations I have had with the students. This has made a better person as it has made me count my blessings and strive even more in whatever I do so as to be of help to society. I have learnt to partake in those ventures that not only prompt the individual good but the common good at large.

Given the chance, I would most definitely participate in the program again. I am all about service and therefore if such an opportunity arose, I would ten times out of ten do it again.

The highlight of the program for me was the time when Asha and I walked for such a long distance from Kibera to Langata going to see her student’s barbershop. The journey was arduous, but when we eventually got to see what the student (a past student) was doing as a result of the program, it made the enervating walk worth it. This was the highlight for me.

Honestly, I did not quite put too much thought into what the character and personality of the Canadian group would be like. As I said, whatever they would turn out to be like I was just going to go with it, as I  did not know what to expect though I was prepared for any surprises (no surprises yet).

As for the program, if it were up to me, I would review the resource guide and especially the workbook on the financial plan. There were some material errors in the workbook that confused the students and gave them a hard time understanding the financial statements. I would also include a section of mathematics so that before embarking on the resource book, the students would have some basic knowledge on some mathematical principles that are key while making business decisions. I noticed that not all the students were on the same page especially when it came to computing various financial variables. In addition, I think it would be better for the students to go through the resource guide analysing a common business idea first before later working on their own business idea as a project, which would then be part of the requirements for one to graduate. This would help the facilitators to identify mistakes better as well as enable the students to come up with realistic business ideas. This may require the course period to be longer, probably by a week.

I plan to call the students I have been assisting regularly in order to track progress and help them overcome the challenges they may face during the budding stages of their business. I will also arrange for meetings so that the students can be able to meet up again and share on their experiences as well as the challenges they are facing.

All in all, this has been a wonderful experience and it couldn’t have been any better.