After completing the SE101 project on the ground in Kenya, I packed my bags to go on exchange at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and finish my Sauder MBA requirements abroad. I felt like this was a great opportunity to further expand on my International Business acumen and broaden my experience as a whole. I planned on taking a few courses in Social Entrepreneurship (SE) and Sustainability at CBS and the timing coming from Kenya to the classroom could not have been better. The CBS SE course offered a dynamic look at how Web2.0 (Social Media and User-driven content platforms like facebook, twitter etc.) is being used by Social Entrepreneurs to generate not only interest and support, but also Social Innovation.
Reflecting on what organizations like MYC4, and Kiva are doing with Web2.0, I started to see a need to integrate more social media into the SE101 strategy. While MYC4 and Kiva allow users to actively engage in (near) direct lending to those in need, this has a limited impact on capacity building. Their model is effective for generating funds because of the nature of their social media use - providing those-in-need place to connect with those-with-funds and vice-versa. Nevertheless, their overall use of Web2.0 is rather static, providing a means for information dissemination not idea generation or knowledge transfer. Since SE101 is not a financier (at this point), this model connecting 'investors' directly with our students is not useful. However, in our effort to build capacity on the ground, we do need to raise funds to deliver our program - in effect we need to be connected to donors and sponsors in the same way these other platforms connect those-in-need to those-with-funds. The difference between our models creates a question of impact: Will an exchange of funds alone successfully grow the recipient's business and drive durability or would on capacity building be a more effective stabilizer in the long term?
I'm not sure anyone has the answer to this question. What I can say is, after spending time in Kenya on SE101 and looking into the primarily negative return on investment (ROI) for the social media based funding platforms, I feel capacity building is the better way to equip those in need. By teaching our students the business skills needed to actively research, estimate, project, and plan their ventures, we are creating real value and equipping them with the skills that not only benefit the actual entrepreneurs of our class, but challenging those that are not the entrepreneurial type. Moreover, while in the classroom, we are creating a diverse and dynamic network of individuals with ideas and drive and connecting them to their future employees, service providers and customers - real social networking.
I believe there can be a better use of Web2.0 resources from existing organizations. What might this look like? Well, Kirby, an SE101 Project Coordinator and Content Strategist for the Business Objects Community on the SAP Community Network, has been developing an online community for our students and student teachers to collaborate and communicate in a similar way to Facebook. This means SE101 can offer our students online post-program support and real time access to Sauder business school students and their knowledge. This is capacity building and what I see as the future benefit of Web2.0 in social development.
Social Media in many ways rests on the laurels of Crowdsourcing, essentially outsourcing tasks to a community and leveraging mass collaboration to reach an ideal result - think monkeys typing on typewriters. While SE101 is developing the typewriter to integrate its Kenyan and UBC students, we also need to inform the public about what we are doing (static) and engage our potential donor networks (dynamic) to help fund our efforts. This is where SE101's integrated use of blogging, Facebook, and Twitter come in. We hope that by using social media we can enhance our venture, engage our stakeholders and generate more significant donations. Only time will tell if using these channels will be more or less effective than traditional fund raising efforts. Ideally, if we could exceed our annual 'project' need and start generating greater income from donors, this would ultimately provide us with a greater ability to create long term ROI in the form of successful, sustainable development in Kenya. Until then, we hope we can at least use these channels to further document and legitimize our existing successful efforts and future goals.
Please feel free to engage SE101 through any of our available Web2.0 channels (blogging, Facebook, and Twitter) or by email, telephone, telegraph, snail mail or carrier pigeon. The point being, we want you to engage us, we have a lot of incredible stories to share with you and we want to show you how your support will make a lasting difference.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Part 3 - The Way Forward
In part 1 and part 2 of a 3-part blog about Social Entrepreneurship 101: 2009, I discussed the program details and micro-finance options. In this final part of the blog, I share with you the 5-year plan for the SE 101 program.
After four years, while we have a comprehensive and well-tested curriculum for teaching how to write a business plan, we realize that SE 101 could not JUST be about UBC students travelling to Kenya or other African country to co-teach business planning. It is important to have a sustainable and scalable program.
In lengthy discussions with our local business partners and associates, we mapped out a 5-year vision to establish an (youth) entrepreneurship center, jointly supported by the Sauder School of Business and a Kenyan educational institution. The center would have the mandate of teaching youth how to write business plans, providing access to loans at reasonable interest rates, incubating and supporting businesses, conducting research, and providing for-fee consulting and executive education services (to sustain the center’s operations). The Sauder School of Business will take part in student and faculty exchanges, but the majority of the operations will lead by local partners.
In the more immediate future, we will be dividing the program into pre-core, core, and post-core segments. The pre-core program will help interested program participants develop their ideas, gain experience running a business, and learn basic business skills. The core program will continue to teach business planning but will focus on those participants who have had some demonstrated entrepreneurial experience. Clearly, not everyone can or should be an entrepreneur and therefore we must focus our efforts on those individuals who have the highest chance of success. By training and supporting these individuals who have shown a passion and talent for entrepreneurship, we aim to launch businesses that can provide jobs to other community members. Finally, the post-core program will teach intermediate and advanced business skills training. Throughout all the programs, SE 101 will bring in mentors and advisors from the local business community to provide guidance to current and past program participants. In fact, the first post-core program is currently running at our sites, run by our local coordinator, Barlet Jaji.
We have big plans for the SE 101 program, with many details to be worked out, tasks to be completed, and people to speak to, but we are truly excited about the opportunity to have a positive, sustainable impact on (youth) unemployment in Kenya. I will continue to provide updates on our progress and welcome any feedback or suggestions for what we can do to make this vision come to fruition.
Part 2 - Micro-Finance
Part 1 - What a Difference a Year Makes
After four years, while we have a comprehensive and well-tested curriculum for teaching how to write a business plan, we realize that SE 101 could not JUST be about UBC students travelling to Kenya or other African country to co-teach business planning. It is important to have a sustainable and scalable program.
In lengthy discussions with our local business partners and associates, we mapped out a 5-year vision to establish an (youth) entrepreneurship center, jointly supported by the Sauder School of Business and a Kenyan educational institution. The center would have the mandate of teaching youth how to write business plans, providing access to loans at reasonable interest rates, incubating and supporting businesses, conducting research, and providing for-fee consulting and executive education services (to sustain the center’s operations). The Sauder School of Business will take part in student and faculty exchanges, but the majority of the operations will lead by local partners.
In the more immediate future, we will be dividing the program into pre-core, core, and post-core segments. The pre-core program will help interested program participants develop their ideas, gain experience running a business, and learn basic business skills. The core program will continue to teach business planning but will focus on those participants who have had some demonstrated entrepreneurial experience. Clearly, not everyone can or should be an entrepreneur and therefore we must focus our efforts on those individuals who have the highest chance of success. By training and supporting these individuals who have shown a passion and talent for entrepreneurship, we aim to launch businesses that can provide jobs to other community members. Finally, the post-core program will teach intermediate and advanced business skills training. Throughout all the programs, SE 101 will bring in mentors and advisors from the local business community to provide guidance to current and past program participants. In fact, the first post-core program is currently running at our sites, run by our local coordinator, Barlet Jaji.
We have big plans for the SE 101 program, with many details to be worked out, tasks to be completed, and people to speak to, but we are truly excited about the opportunity to have a positive, sustainable impact on (youth) unemployment in Kenya. I will continue to provide updates on our progress and welcome any feedback or suggestions for what we can do to make this vision come to fruition.
Part 2 - Micro-Finance
Part 1 - What a Difference a Year Makes
Monday, November 2, 2009
Part 2 - Micro-Finance
Continuing from Social Entrepreneurship 101 - 2009, Part 1, Professor Nancy Langton and I met with a number of micro-finance institutions and banks in Nairobi, Kenya over the summer.
Group Lending Model
I learned more about the group-lending circle model in which up to 20 members guarantees the loans to individuals in the group. Each member takes turns borrowing money and once he/she pays back the money, another member is able to borrow money. If one member defaults on the loan, no other loans are disbursed until the outstanding loan is repaid. In the end, this model helps to build a credit history for each participant and reduces the need for collateral in that some MFIs perform spot checks of small business assets. For the first loan, the group must pool their savings to cover 100% of the loan, which can be a maximum of 20,000 KSH or about $260 US. Furthermore, all loan recipients must take a 3-day training program on leadership, loan management, recordkeeping, group dynamics, marketing, and business fundamentals. Even more important than basic business training to demonstrate credit-worthiness is actual experience running a business. For those without demonstrated entrepreneurial experience, they must start up and run a micro-business for up to six months before they can qualify for loans. If they eventually qualify for a business loan and their business fails, at least they will have the micro-business to fall back on. Once all the pre-requisites have been met, loan proceeds are typically distributed in 4 weeks. Thereafter, MFI representatives try to meet with loan groups on a weekly or bi-weekly basis but the sheer number of groups makes regular monitoring difficult.
Another Funding Model
Even with these methods to reduce credit risks, loan interest rates can climb close to a crippling 30% and likely contributes to the near 30% default rate (the economic downturn has also played a large role). We spent hours ruminating the possibilities between ourselves and with our Kenyan business associates about other ways to reduce risk, and therefore, provide loans @ lower interest rates to SE 101 participants with viable business plans. One model is a shared ¼, ¼, ¼ model where a local partner (such as a church or school), MFI, and the Sauder School of Business could each deposit a fixed sum of money (for example, $1,000) as security deposits for the loans. The remaining ¼ of the loan would need to be covered by the qualified borrower. We pitched this option to a few MFIs and while in principle they support the idea, we are still awaiting word from the respective decision-makers.
A potential drawback of this model is that those entrepreneurs who are not affiliated with one of our partners could be tasked with raising 1/2 or more of the loan as collateral. A key part of the risk reduction is a community group vouching for the character of the applicant. In rural areas there are a strong community bonds, but in the urban areas we need to find a surrogate community support system for a changing population.
Another way to help reduce loan risk is to help MFIs and banks train their staff in business planning, in order to help them properly evaluate the plans submitted by their clients. Furthermore, we could help them learn how to properly monitor and evaluate a business, to deal with issues early on before they threaten the viability of the business. Currently, many financial institutions simply lack the in-house knowledge and training. Many small business clients are evaluated based on "presence of simple assets", with monitoring sporadic at best. We could collaborate with the financial institutions to identify effective ways to monitor businesses effectively, given the limited resources. In return, not only could SE 101 clients be given lower interest rate loans, but also non-SE 101 clients.
A question to our readers: What other ways are there to reduce loan risk in urban areas of developing countries?
5-year Plan
We spent considerable time in Kenya developing the major parts of the 5-year plan. I’ll describe the plan in my next blog.
Group Lending Model
I learned more about the group-lending circle model in which up to 20 members guarantees the loans to individuals in the group. Each member takes turns borrowing money and once he/she pays back the money, another member is able to borrow money. If one member defaults on the loan, no other loans are disbursed until the outstanding loan is repaid. In the end, this model helps to build a credit history for each participant and reduces the need for collateral in that some MFIs perform spot checks of small business assets. For the first loan, the group must pool their savings to cover 100% of the loan, which can be a maximum of 20,000 KSH or about $260 US. Furthermore, all loan recipients must take a 3-day training program on leadership, loan management, recordkeeping, group dynamics, marketing, and business fundamentals. Even more important than basic business training to demonstrate credit-worthiness is actual experience running a business. For those without demonstrated entrepreneurial experience, they must start up and run a micro-business for up to six months before they can qualify for loans. If they eventually qualify for a business loan and their business fails, at least they will have the micro-business to fall back on. Once all the pre-requisites have been met, loan proceeds are typically distributed in 4 weeks. Thereafter, MFI representatives try to meet with loan groups on a weekly or bi-weekly basis but the sheer number of groups makes regular monitoring difficult.
Another Funding Model
Even with these methods to reduce credit risks, loan interest rates can climb close to a crippling 30% and likely contributes to the near 30% default rate (the economic downturn has also played a large role). We spent hours ruminating the possibilities between ourselves and with our Kenyan business associates about other ways to reduce risk, and therefore, provide loans @ lower interest rates to SE 101 participants with viable business plans. One model is a shared ¼, ¼, ¼ model where a local partner (such as a church or school), MFI, and the Sauder School of Business could each deposit a fixed sum of money (for example, $1,000) as security deposits for the loans. The remaining ¼ of the loan would need to be covered by the qualified borrower. We pitched this option to a few MFIs and while in principle they support the idea, we are still awaiting word from the respective decision-makers.
A potential drawback of this model is that those entrepreneurs who are not affiliated with one of our partners could be tasked with raising 1/2 or more of the loan as collateral. A key part of the risk reduction is a community group vouching for the character of the applicant. In rural areas there are a strong community bonds, but in the urban areas we need to find a surrogate community support system for a changing population.
Another way to help reduce loan risk is to help MFIs and banks train their staff in business planning, in order to help them properly evaluate the plans submitted by their clients. Furthermore, we could help them learn how to properly monitor and evaluate a business, to deal with issues early on before they threaten the viability of the business. Currently, many financial institutions simply lack the in-house knowledge and training. Many small business clients are evaluated based on "presence of simple assets", with monitoring sporadic at best. We could collaborate with the financial institutions to identify effective ways to monitor businesses effectively, given the limited resources. In return, not only could SE 101 clients be given lower interest rate loans, but also non-SE 101 clients.
A question to our readers: What other ways are there to reduce loan risk in urban areas of developing countries?
5-year Plan
We spent considerable time in Kenya developing the major parts of the 5-year plan. I’ll describe the plan in my next blog.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Part 1 - What a Difference a Year Makes
Youth unemployment is a significant problem in Kenya, where almost 60% of the population is under the age of 35. The country’s GDP per capita is US $375. Kenya’s economy is currently dependent on agriculture, but youth are moving to urban areas in large numbers. Therefore most new entrants to the labor force must choose between working in small-scale enterprises and being self-employed. These factors have led to high levels of youth unemployment. It is estimated that 64% of unemployed people in Kenya are youth.
An effective way of addressing the challenge of unemployed youth is to help them develop their skills in entrepreneurship and small business development. Business literacy helps young people to envision ways of getting out of poverty and doing something to help themselves and their communities, and eventually ensuring sustainable economic self-reliance. Furthermore, the language of business is universal and a tool for communicating and exchanging both products and ideas. It opens people to the world of markets, and promotes exchange and interaction.
Social Entrepreneurship 101: Africa
The Sauder School of Business, through a student initiative, designed the Social Entrepreneurship 101: Africa (SE 101: Africa) program to help Kenyan youth develop small businesses. Based on a program designed by Sauder faculty, and piloted with residents in the downtown eastside of Vancouver (the poorest neighborhood in Canada), SE 101: Africa was first delivered in August 2006 to Kenyan youth. The project helped Sauder faculty and students understand how to effectively exchange knowledge and ideas across cultural borders. Through extensive research and support from the Sauder community, the students involved in SE: 101 Africa designed the course to be practical, applicable, and sustainable in the local context.
How I Became Involved
It was in 2008, while I was in my MBA program at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia (UBC), that I became involved in the Social Entrepreneurship 101 (SE 101): Africa program in Kenya. I wrote a series of blogs about my experiences teaching a three-week business planning class to a group of 35 aspiring youth entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kenya. In re-reading the blogs, I more fully appreciate how far the program has come along. Indeed, what a difference a year makes.
What a Difference a Year Makes
Upon returning to Vancouver, Canada last year, Professor Nancy Langton and I met with the Dean to discuss the program achievements. While he was pleased with the progress, he wanted to see an expanded three to five year business plan for the program (now that the program had been running for three years) before giving the go-ahead for the 2009 program. We then spent the next few months developing the SE 101 business plan, and presented it to the Dean in December. He liked what he saw in the business plan and consequently allowed us to proceed with the 2009 program.
Professor Langton and I started recruiting the 2009 Sauder team in January and eventually selected a team of 5 undergraduate and 5 MBA students. Starting in February and continuing to July, the team developed and executed fundraising business plans, reviewed, refined, and taught the curriculum, and presented topics about Kenya. Fundraising is always a challenge, and more so this year given the economic downturn but with some creativity and perseverance, the team managed to meet its goal. In late July, we arrived in Nairobi en masse with a mixture of giddish anticipation, trepidation, and clarity of purpose. The first weekend was spent finalizing arrangements and meeting the Strathmore University students who were co-teaching the program at three locations: Kibera (the largest slum in East Africa), Friend’s Church (just outside Kibera), and International Christian Center (also in Nairobi).
Social Entrepreneurship 101: Africa, 2009 Program
I spent the first few days at different sites to help ensure the program got off to a good start, and while there were some issues with the resource materials and logistics, the UBC and Strathmore University student instructors ramped up remarkably well and quickly. I was impressed by their enthusiasm, breadth and depth of knowledge, and creativity in delivering the curriculum to over 80 student participants. Judging from the participant feedback we received at the end of the program, I was not alone in my assessment.
While the team was teaching the business-planning program, Professor Langton and I met with a number of micro-finance institutions and banks, during which we received a crash course about micro-finance. More about what we learned in my next blog.
An effective way of addressing the challenge of unemployed youth is to help them develop their skills in entrepreneurship and small business development. Business literacy helps young people to envision ways of getting out of poverty and doing something to help themselves and their communities, and eventually ensuring sustainable economic self-reliance. Furthermore, the language of business is universal and a tool for communicating and exchanging both products and ideas. It opens people to the world of markets, and promotes exchange and interaction.
Social Entrepreneurship 101: Africa
The Sauder School of Business, through a student initiative, designed the Social Entrepreneurship 101: Africa (SE 101: Africa) program to help Kenyan youth develop small businesses. Based on a program designed by Sauder faculty, and piloted with residents in the downtown eastside of Vancouver (the poorest neighborhood in Canada), SE 101: Africa was first delivered in August 2006 to Kenyan youth. The project helped Sauder faculty and students understand how to effectively exchange knowledge and ideas across cultural borders. Through extensive research and support from the Sauder community, the students involved in SE: 101 Africa designed the course to be practical, applicable, and sustainable in the local context.
How I Became Involved
It was in 2008, while I was in my MBA program at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia (UBC), that I became involved in the Social Entrepreneurship 101 (SE 101): Africa program in Kenya. I wrote a series of blogs about my experiences teaching a three-week business planning class to a group of 35 aspiring youth entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kenya. In re-reading the blogs, I more fully appreciate how far the program has come along. Indeed, what a difference a year makes.
What a Difference a Year Makes
Upon returning to Vancouver, Canada last year, Professor Nancy Langton and I met with the Dean to discuss the program achievements. While he was pleased with the progress, he wanted to see an expanded three to five year business plan for the program (now that the program had been running for three years) before giving the go-ahead for the 2009 program. We then spent the next few months developing the SE 101 business plan, and presented it to the Dean in December. He liked what he saw in the business plan and consequently allowed us to proceed with the 2009 program.
Professor Langton and I started recruiting the 2009 Sauder team in January and eventually selected a team of 5 undergraduate and 5 MBA students. Starting in February and continuing to July, the team developed and executed fundraising business plans, reviewed, refined, and taught the curriculum, and presented topics about Kenya. Fundraising is always a challenge, and more so this year given the economic downturn but with some creativity and perseverance, the team managed to meet its goal. In late July, we arrived in Nairobi en masse with a mixture of giddish anticipation, trepidation, and clarity of purpose. The first weekend was spent finalizing arrangements and meeting the Strathmore University students who were co-teaching the program at three locations: Kibera (the largest slum in East Africa), Friend’s Church (just outside Kibera), and International Christian Center (also in Nairobi).
Social Entrepreneurship 101: Africa, 2009 Program
I spent the first few days at different sites to help ensure the program got off to a good start, and while there were some issues with the resource materials and logistics, the UBC and Strathmore University student instructors ramped up remarkably well and quickly. I was impressed by their enthusiasm, breadth and depth of knowledge, and creativity in delivering the curriculum to over 80 student participants. Judging from the participant feedback we received at the end of the program, I was not alone in my assessment.
While the team was teaching the business-planning program, Professor Langton and I met with a number of micro-finance institutions and banks, during which we received a crash course about micro-finance. More about what we learned in my next blog.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
SE101-2009: Kenya--Memories
A look back at some of the highlights of the trip to Kenya, with song and photos. Nyambura Gichuki is singing with some of her fellow students from the ICC site. Mike Rimoin, one of the UBC team members, accompanies on ukulele.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
You want the good news or the bad news first?
As the only SE 101 participant to not receive their luggage in Kenya, I think I have a unique point of view from which to tell my story. I have yet to receive my bag from KLM or any sort of compensation.
Being in Nairobi for 3 weeks with little more than the clothes on my back, put a definite twist on the trip. I was able to find the things I needed and my fellow SE 101 girls (and oddly the guys too!) were all more than willing to share their stuff with me. Also, I can confirm that the once locally “famous” Woolworths and Bata are still going strong in Kenya!
This added challenge certainly put things into perspective for me. I felt as though being in Nairobi and being a part of SE 101 forced me to let go of the reliance I had on those items in my luggage. After all, they were just “things” and many of our SE 101 students had never seen such “things” in their lifetime. I had so much to be thankful for… I was in Kenya, with an awesome team of friends, with a mission to educate and mentor. And I had my health… or did I?
The second twist was a weeklong run in with Salmonella. NOTE to self and reader: Never eat garlic cheese bread in Africa! This was the most debilitated and humiliated I had ever known myself to be. But I was NOT going to let it ruin my chance to go on safari! Again, NOTE to self and reader: Do NOT go on safari with salmonella! Enough said.
Being back in Vancouver has allowed for many chances to reflect with friends and with myself. Many ask about my trip and it’s so hard to keep their attention beyond the lost luggage and salmonella. But after you get past those events, you’ll see that I truly had a profound experience – not all of it was good, but when is it ever ALL good?
I had my doubts about what role we were playing. I had become so close to many of our students and I was afraid of letting them down. It is quite overwhelming when these “kids” share their hopes and aspirations with you. Few had misconceptions of aid work and thought we would be funding their business plans. Even though we told them from the very first day that we were “educators and not lenders”, it was tough to see the disappointment in their faces. However, the greatest experience was witnessing the growth in each student over the three weeks. Hopefully the student realized the value in this growth - even if it was not monetary.
I feel so privileged and grateful to have been a part of their growth, as both an educator and as a friend.
Being in Nairobi for 3 weeks with little more than the clothes on my back, put a definite twist on the trip. I was able to find the things I needed and my fellow SE 101 girls (and oddly the guys too!) were all more than willing to share their stuff with me. Also, I can confirm that the once locally “famous” Woolworths and Bata are still going strong in Kenya!
This added challenge certainly put things into perspective for me. I felt as though being in Nairobi and being a part of SE 101 forced me to let go of the reliance I had on those items in my luggage. After all, they were just “things” and many of our SE 101 students had never seen such “things” in their lifetime. I had so much to be thankful for… I was in Kenya, with an awesome team of friends, with a mission to educate and mentor. And I had my health… or did I?
The second twist was a weeklong run in with Salmonella. NOTE to self and reader: Never eat garlic cheese bread in Africa! This was the most debilitated and humiliated I had ever known myself to be. But I was NOT going to let it ruin my chance to go on safari! Again, NOTE to self and reader: Do NOT go on safari with salmonella! Enough said.
Being back in Vancouver has allowed for many chances to reflect with friends and with myself. Many ask about my trip and it’s so hard to keep their attention beyond the lost luggage and salmonella. But after you get past those events, you’ll see that I truly had a profound experience – not all of it was good, but when is it ever ALL good?
I had my doubts about what role we were playing. I had become so close to many of our students and I was afraid of letting them down. It is quite overwhelming when these “kids” share their hopes and aspirations with you. Few had misconceptions of aid work and thought we would be funding their business plans. Even though we told them from the very first day that we were “educators and not lenders”, it was tough to see the disappointment in their faces. However, the greatest experience was witnessing the growth in each student over the three weeks. Hopefully the student realized the value in this growth - even if it was not monetary.
I feel so privileged and grateful to have been a part of their growth, as both an educator and as a friend.
Hello from Copenhagen
Hi Everyone!
It’s been a little over a month since we left Kenya, and I have been reflecting a lot on our experiences there. I miss the friends I made there and hope to get to see them again someday. Shifting from Nairobi to Copenhagen was a pretty heavy culture shock. I found myself getting strange looks when I would run across the wide boulevards here, as though I’d never seen a crosswalk! Also it took a while before I stopped addressing everyone on the street with “Jambo”!
One experience that I have been reflecting on is trying to help our drivers and students, the Mouti brothers, find a technological solution to the devastating energy shortages that were threatening to destroy their cyber-café and cell phone businesses in Kibera. The severe droughts that Kenya was experiencing during our stay there not only resulted in regional water shortages and crop failures, they also strained Kenya’s hydroelectricity production. While the downtown region had electricity 24/7, the outlying regions including Kibera were faced with scheduled blackouts three days a week from 6am to 6pm, which doomed any business that relied on electricity to function (cell phone charging, cyber cafes, barber shops, some restaurants, even the local movie theater). We worked with our amazing, charismatic and very fun drivers and students, Fred and Peter Mouti, to figure out how they might be able to purchase a battery charger/power inverter to allow them to charge batteries at night and allow their businesses to operate during the day. Our discussions brought to light a wide range of opportunities and challenges relating to energy in Kibera. If the Mouti brothers could get a loan to install the system, they might eventually have the opportunity to sell electricity to their neighboring businesses, to charge batteries for local homes (apparently many homes in Kibera use car batteries for lighting and even TV), to provide battery charging or jump-starting services for the local mechanics, and to apply for a government grant to install solar panels. On the other hand, investing in this equipment and operating when others couldn’t brought the risk of theft, retribution from competing businesses, and the possibility of having to pay bribe money or get shut down by local authorities.
Since we’ve left, I’ve learned that the power is back up and running around Kibera, but if the situation changes, I’m glad that the Mouti brothers have a backup plan in their pocket- especially since cyber cafés and cell phone shops provide a very necessary service in the community: connecting people to information and to each other.
Working with the Mouti brothers has inspired me to learn more about energy systems in the developing world, and I am excited to have the opportunity to travel to Cairo next month to volunteer for the non-profit group Solar C3.I.T.I.E.S: "Connecting Community Catalysts Integrating Technologies for Industrial Ecology Systems." I will be helping this amazing group build solar water heaters, biogas digesters, and water filtration systems in Cairo's Zabbalen "Garbage City".
Here at Copenhagen Business School I am currently taking classing relating to social entrepreneurship and business strategies in the developing world. Being able to draw on my experiences with SE101 has made my learning experience here much more rich and relevant. I have had a lot of classmates from universities and business schools around the world ask me how they can get involved in programs similar to SE101. If anyone reading this has suggestions for them, please let me know!
It’s been a little over a month since we left Kenya, and I have been reflecting a lot on our experiences there. I miss the friends I made there and hope to get to see them again someday. Shifting from Nairobi to Copenhagen was a pretty heavy culture shock. I found myself getting strange looks when I would run across the wide boulevards here, as though I’d never seen a crosswalk! Also it took a while before I stopped addressing everyone on the street with “Jambo”!
One experience that I have been reflecting on is trying to help our drivers and students, the Mouti brothers, find a technological solution to the devastating energy shortages that were threatening to destroy their cyber-café and cell phone businesses in Kibera. The severe droughts that Kenya was experiencing during our stay there not only resulted in regional water shortages and crop failures, they also strained Kenya’s hydroelectricity production. While the downtown region had electricity 24/7, the outlying regions including Kibera were faced with scheduled blackouts three days a week from 6am to 6pm, which doomed any business that relied on electricity to function (cell phone charging, cyber cafes, barber shops, some restaurants, even the local movie theater). We worked with our amazing, charismatic and very fun drivers and students, Fred and Peter Mouti, to figure out how they might be able to purchase a battery charger/power inverter to allow them to charge batteries at night and allow their businesses to operate during the day. Our discussions brought to light a wide range of opportunities and challenges relating to energy in Kibera. If the Mouti brothers could get a loan to install the system, they might eventually have the opportunity to sell electricity to their neighboring businesses, to charge batteries for local homes (apparently many homes in Kibera use car batteries for lighting and even TV), to provide battery charging or jump-starting services for the local mechanics, and to apply for a government grant to install solar panels. On the other hand, investing in this equipment and operating when others couldn’t brought the risk of theft, retribution from competing businesses, and the possibility of having to pay bribe money or get shut down by local authorities.
Since we’ve left, I’ve learned that the power is back up and running around Kibera, but if the situation changes, I’m glad that the Mouti brothers have a backup plan in their pocket- especially since cyber cafés and cell phone shops provide a very necessary service in the community: connecting people to information and to each other.
Working with the Mouti brothers has inspired me to learn more about energy systems in the developing world, and I am excited to have the opportunity to travel to Cairo next month to volunteer for the non-profit group Solar C3.I.T.I.E.S: "Connecting Community Catalysts Integrating Technologies for Industrial Ecology Systems." I will be helping this amazing group build solar water heaters, biogas digesters, and water filtration systems in Cairo's Zabbalen "Garbage City".
Here at Copenhagen Business School I am currently taking classing relating to social entrepreneurship and business strategies in the developing world. Being able to draw on my experiences with SE101 has made my learning experience here much more rich and relevant. I have had a lot of classmates from universities and business schools around the world ask me how they can get involved in programs similar to SE101. If anyone reading this has suggestions for them, please let me know!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Are we so different?
After a one year hiatus from teaching, I was at it again, this time in Kenya. Prior to beginning the MBA I was a secondary school teacher. I chose to leave teaching, not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I wanted to do more. I wanted to have a broader reach beyond the classroom and implement positive change in our world. I feel that the SE101 experience has signaled the start of that challenge for me.
On the first day of class, I was amazed how much it felt like the beginning of a new school year at home. I think this is because people have the same basic wants, desires and dreams and that spans across cultures. The students were eager to meet us and to learn new concepts. They were motivated to improve and better themselves and their community. They have a desire to succeed and recognize the need for education and effective tools to meets their goals. These motivations are not unique to slums in Africa.
Halfway through the trip, Nancy asked if I was experiencing culture shock. I thought about it, and responded, “no, I don’t think so, but I think I will when I return home”. This was partially true. I actually began to feel the culture shock in the days before I left. I began to really conceptualize many of the differences between the students and their lives in Kibera, and my life, as I know it in Canada. It is true we have the same desires to learn, provide for our families, and to achieve success in life. The difference is how do we define it and how do we achieve it?
In Kibera there is tremendous opportunity for improvement and what we consider to be very little in Canada has the opportunity to go a long way in Kenya. But it is not as easy as just providing the capital or the resources to implement change. This type of aid has proven largely unsuccessful in Africa over many decades. The people who are going to change the slums are the people who live in the slums. It was Barlet, the director of the St. Aloysius School and a profoundly dedicated and inspiring community leader, who said to me one day, “It is not you or I that will change Kibera and make it a better place. It is these students. They live in the community, it is their life and they are the ones that will change it.”
The value of the SE101 program is that it provides the education and the tools to facilitate the participants to achieving their own goals. I saw first hand the power of education to provide not only the tools, but also the confidence to utilize their knowledge to pursue their goals. Their success is ultimately their own responsibility and within their hands. But we have the opportunity through programs like SE101 to support, educate and facilitate participants to achieve their own their successes. And in helping others find success’s I too have begun to find the success I’m looking for.
Thank you to the wonderful team of instructors at St.Al’s. Brian, Marvin, Jason, Nadia, Mike and Christy for your commitment and passion to deliver the best program possible and to share your own education with others. It was a joy to work with you.
Thanks to the participants at St. Aloysius School for inviting us into your community, sharing your dreams and aspirations and allowing us to learn together with you.
Thank you to Nancy for the support on the ground and of course providing such an amazing and inspiring opportunity for us at Sauder. I look forward to seeing many great successes from SE101 as the program moves forward.
And…. Special thanks to Barlet Jaji, for sharing your passion and tireless commitment to youth and community development. You are an inspiration.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Broilers or Layers?
One of the greatest parts of living and working in Kenya is that no two days are ever alike, and no two conversations are ever alike. Every time you think that you have established a daily routine, Kenyans are quick to throw you a curveball. This makes even the simplest activity, such as going grocery shopping, a challenging and fun experience. There are times when going to pick up a jug of milk becomes a full day activity!
The classroom where I worked was no different. I was working at the Friend’s Church site along with Sarah and Amanda. We had the privilege of working with 3 outstanding Strathmore students, Boniface, Sam and Steve. They had worked with SE101 before, and really helped us along in the moments of pure panic when you realize that you have to teach a class of 30 bright students about the creation of cash flow statements!
One of my favorite conversations I remember having with the class happened when I was facilitating a presentation by one of the students. The student was planning on setting up a small shop to sell chickens, and I figured that this would be a very simple example to present to the class. Everything was going well, until one of the students at the back said “broilers or layers?” This led to a spirited discussion that lasted more than an hour as I learned a little bit more about the distinguishing factors between broiling chickens and laying chickens. For example, you would never broil a laying chicken, because the meat wouldn’t taste good. Also, they mature at different ages, and in order to run a successful business you would need to stagger when you buy your chicks in order to ensure an adequate supply of both.
I never would have thought that a chicken business would be that complicated!
That was just one of the many examples of why my time in Kenya was so great. The people that we got to interact with, and the experiences that we had, will stay with me for a long time.
I still remember Patrick's words as he spoke loud and clearly on the podium during the graduation day. "I have a dream that in 10 years' time Kibera will see no trace of poverty. It will stand for prosperity, happiness, and orderliness. God has a place for me here and I will do as he guides me....." The moment he said these words I knew it was not just some random words he scribbled on paper last minute for the sake of presentation. I knew it was from the bottom of his heart and believed with no doubt that he will be a catalyst for that change.
I cannot begin to describe how privileged I feel to have been a part of these students' lives in the past three weeks. Most students in my site at St. Alosius, Kibera, were in 19-23 age group and they are orphans from hiv/aid inflicted parents. I worked with 30 students at a site in Kibera
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Oprah for a month
Whenever someone asks me, “How was your trip to Nairobi?” I find it extremely difficult to think of a response that will capture the depth of my experience. I always knew that I wanted to volunteer in a third world country at some point in my life, but I could have never imagined that it would have such a heavy impact on me.
I was teaching at the St. Aloysius site in Kibera along with Mike, Christi and Joanna. Our students were all around the same age as me, so I found it pretty easy to socialize and a joke around with them just like I would with my friends back home. Although there were obvious differences between us, I was surprised by how similar certain behaviors were accross cultures. For example, the students teased each other in the same way, were competitive when playing games, and the girls were often doing each other’s hair or gossiping about their love lives. On the first day of class, we asked our students to brainstorm some of the social issues in their communities and identify where a business opportunity was possible. This activity made me realize that they were not at all oblivious to the issues within their community. In fact, they were well aware of the problems and could provide us with detailed information about the root causes. The challenge became coming up with a solution that would engage the residents of Kibera and allow them to make a profit at the same time. Some students believed that this was impossible to do, and referred to other businesses that had failed while attempting a similar idea in the past. However as the weeks went on, they began to realize that this wasn’t impossible and became very passionate about their ideas – some to the point where they refused to modify anything that was clearly unrealistic (eg: not paying themselves for 6 months in order to have a large positive cash flow statement!), but that soon changed as well.
I really enjoyed watching each group’s progress and each student’s confidence grow after grasping a new concept. Moreover, I was inspired by the strength and positive attitude that the students had demonstrated every day, despite having come from such difficult backgrounds. Through reading their profiles provided by the school I learned that some of the students in my group had been badly abused, had recently lost a loved one, or were raising their younger siblings on their own. However when they came to class they seemed to put all of this aside. Their smiles and willingness to learn would make it impossible to guess the hardships they had once endured. When it was time for the final business plan presentations, I felt like a proud parent watching my group stand up before the class and share their idea! I was so pleased to see how far they had come and it assured me that they had been paying attention during our lessons. After spending three weeks together, it was really hard for me to say goodbye to the students, who had become my new friends.
Since coming back home I have been in touch with most people from my group through email. They have been updating me on their personal lives as well as their progress with the business plan. I have also been fundraising to purchase a waterproof tent that St. Aloysius can use to hold future workshops in, as our classes were held in the backyard under an old tarp (which blew off on the last day!). The trip was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It really opened up my eyes to some harsh realities of the world that I had only ever read about or seen on TV. Having a physical presence in Kenya offered a whole new perspective, and has inspired me to continue volunteering overseas. Joining the SE 101 team was one of the best and most rewarding decisions I have made in my life thus far.
I was teaching at the St. Aloysius site in Kibera along with Mike, Christi and Joanna. Our students were all around the same age as me, so I found it pretty easy to socialize and a joke around with them just like I would with my friends back home. Although there were obvious differences between us, I was surprised by how similar certain behaviors were accross cultures. For example, the students teased each other in the same way, were competitive when playing games, and the girls were often doing each other’s hair or gossiping about their love lives. On the first day of class, we asked our students to brainstorm some of the social issues in their communities and identify where a business opportunity was possible. This activity made me realize that they were not at all oblivious to the issues within their community. In fact, they were well aware of the problems and could provide us with detailed information about the root causes. The challenge became coming up with a solution that would engage the residents of Kibera and allow them to make a profit at the same time. Some students believed that this was impossible to do, and referred to other businesses that had failed while attempting a similar idea in the past. However as the weeks went on, they began to realize that this wasn’t impossible and became very passionate about their ideas – some to the point where they refused to modify anything that was clearly unrealistic (eg: not paying themselves for 6 months in order to have a large positive cash flow statement!), but that soon changed as well.
I really enjoyed watching each group’s progress and each student’s confidence grow after grasping a new concept. Moreover, I was inspired by the strength and positive attitude that the students had demonstrated every day, despite having come from such difficult backgrounds. Through reading their profiles provided by the school I learned that some of the students in my group had been badly abused, had recently lost a loved one, or were raising their younger siblings on their own. However when they came to class they seemed to put all of this aside. Their smiles and willingness to learn would make it impossible to guess the hardships they had once endured. When it was time for the final business plan presentations, I felt like a proud parent watching my group stand up before the class and share their idea! I was so pleased to see how far they had come and it assured me that they had been paying attention during our lessons. After spending three weeks together, it was really hard for me to say goodbye to the students, who had become my new friends.
Since coming back home I have been in touch with most people from my group through email. They have been updating me on their personal lives as well as their progress with the business plan. I have also been fundraising to purchase a waterproof tent that St. Aloysius can use to hold future workshops in, as our classes were held in the backyard under an old tarp (which blew off on the last day!). The trip was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It really opened up my eyes to some harsh realities of the world that I had only ever read about or seen on TV. Having a physical presence in Kenya offered a whole new perspective, and has inspired me to continue volunteering overseas. Joining the SE 101 team was one of the best and most rewarding decisions I have made in my life thus far.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Students and Friends
As I was preparing to travel to Kenya and teach, I was unsure of the relationship we would have with our students and how they would perceive us. Would they be receptive to what we were teaching, would they respect us, understand what we were teaching? However upon arriving in Nairobi and beginning the program, I realized my concerns were unnecessary.
On the first day of class, it was apparent that all our students were excited to be there and eager to learn from us. They were extremely respectful of us in the classroom and enthusiastically listened to our workshop lectures and participated in discussions. During the first week of classes, the students were hesitant to open up and share their ideas voluntarily, however as we got to know each other better, we found ourselves having to cut off the discussions to avoid running out of time!
The fact that we were foreigners did not create a barrier in developing friendships with the students, but in fact strengthened them. As we shared our different experiences and learned about one another’s cultures through small group discussions and hanging out after class, our friendships deepened. Although we had completely different life experiences we found that we had quite a bit in common.
One specific experience that meant a lot to me involved a particular student from our teaching site that a few of us became quite close to throughout the three weeks. She shared her story with us, and we were able to see where she lived and the building she was planning on starting her business in. This tangible evidence of her goals was inspiring, and as we watched her draw ever closer to them through the business planning processes during our program, we were able to help her expand her ideas as we had a real feel of her dream.
By the end of the three weeks of class, we had become close with almost every student, which made graduation an exciting but also very sad day. It was heartening to see our students be well on their way to starting their businesses. Their eagerness to apply the concepts and knowledge we had taught them and their confidence in their own success made us very thankful to have been a part of the process. It was the last time we would see many of them, so we were not only saying goodbye to our students, but also our friends.
--Sarah GaleMonday, August 31, 2009
Teaching is Hard Work!
Hi, I'm Les, A Sauder MBA candidate. I was stationed at the ICC site along with two UBC BCom students, Rob and Candy, and two Strathmore students, Celestine and Emma. My experience in teaching in Nairobi has been fantastic. Coming here, I was expecting to have to work much harder to help our students grasp the concepts in a business plan, but what I have found is bright, receptive, eager and hard working students. While their business acumen needs work, they don't have to stretch far to attach their business ideas to concepts like Market Research, Supply Chain Analysis and Cash Flow forecasting. Their abilities make our days more interactive and productive than I ever imagined.
Having the capability is only half the challenge. Cramming the business knowledge they need into 3 weeks means some long days. It takes a lot of practice on their part and flexibility on our part to keep pace with our jammed curriculum. It also took a number of early morning and late afternoon one-on-one sessions to keep everyone up to speed. This individual attention wouldn't be possible without the teacher-student ratio we are so lucky to have. The one-on-one sessions really helped adapt each individual plan to the model we set out in the curriculum. As we said in class, internationally we may speak different languages, but the language of business is international. Building these business plans to a world-wide standard means that our students will be able to plan effectively and look for the right financing should they want to take their ideas from plan to practice. As student-teachers, we were fortunate enough to have worked on the curriculum ourselves, editing and adding to what had been developed in previous years. This allowed us to really support each other while also being able to effectively deliver specialized tutoring.
I feel like my fellow teachers were incredible resources to our students. Candy's BCom focus was on Marketing and she was instrumental in helping our students refine their marketing plans with top notch surveys and analysis and really amazing branding for each plan. Rob's focus is in Finance and he really knew how to deliver his knowledge effectively to the students in a fun and functional way. The added bonus of having our Strathmore partners was not only a Kenyan context, but incredible Accounting skills.
One of the most exciting pieces of this experience is really how much I feel I have learned from my students. They have opened my eyes to life in Nairobi, taught me new ice breakers and helped me see how much of an opportunity there is in Kenya to bring knowledge and skills to the people who can use it most, but who have not been privileged to have the UBC education I have. Helping to support their efforts to create a stronger Kenya for themselves and their future generations is an experience I will never forget.
--Les Robertson
Les mopping the floor of the ICC classroom, one of the daily "teaching duties."
Having the capability is only half the challenge. Cramming the business knowledge they need into 3 weeks means some long days. It takes a lot of practice on their part and flexibility on our part to keep pace with our jammed curriculum. It also took a number of early morning and late afternoon one-on-one sessions to keep everyone up to speed. This individual attention wouldn't be possible without the teacher-student ratio we are so lucky to have. The one-on-one sessions really helped adapt each individual plan to the model we set out in the curriculum. As we said in class, internationally we may speak different languages, but the language of business is international. Building these business plans to a world-wide standard means that our students will be able to plan effectively and look for the right financing should they want to take their ideas from plan to practice. As student-teachers, we were fortunate enough to have worked on the curriculum ourselves, editing and adding to what had been developed in previous years. This allowed us to really support each other while also being able to effectively deliver specialized tutoring.
I feel like my fellow teachers were incredible resources to our students. Candy's BCom focus was on Marketing and she was instrumental in helping our students refine their marketing plans with top notch surveys and analysis and really amazing branding for each plan. Rob's focus is in Finance and he really knew how to deliver his knowledge effectively to the students in a fun and functional way. The added bonus of having our Strathmore partners was not only a Kenyan context, but incredible Accounting skills.
One of the most exciting pieces of this experience is really how much I feel I have learned from my students. They have opened my eyes to life in Nairobi, taught me new ice breakers and helped me see how much of an opportunity there is in Kenya to bring knowledge and skills to the people who can use it most, but who have not been privileged to have the UBC education I have. Helping to support their efforts to create a stronger Kenya for themselves and their future generations is an experience I will never forget.
--Les Robertson
Les mopping the floor of the ICC classroom, one of the daily "teaching duties."
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Teaching in Kenya - the good, the bad and the ugly
Now that the trip is winding down, this is a good chance to reflect on what we came to this continent to do - teach.
A typical day:
At our particular site, located in the International Christian Centre (we called it the ICC), a typical day started when we walked into the classroom at 8:15am. Class has a soft start at 8:30, and officially begins at 9:00. Most days, we'll arrive to find that a few students are already in the classroom, quietly working on their business plans. We help these early birds with their questions as we wait for everyone else to arrive.
Class starts with attendance and some opening remarks - we talk about everything, from an upcoming soccer (sorry - football) game with the other two classes, to an overview of what material we'll cover that day, to some comments about current business topics. Everyone is usually looking sleepy (particularly us instructors, since our guesthouse doesn't offer any coffee!), so we will often do a few stretches. Then the class begins in earnest.
From 9:00 until about 10:45, one or two instructors will cover the day's topic, which may be anything from completing a cash flow statement, to branding your company, to writing your company's mission statement.
At 10:44, everyone's ear is cocked to listen for the moment when one of the instructors will announce that it's TEA TIME! At our site, we have bread, butter, and tea set up for our students. To say the students 'enjoy' their tea would be a gross understatement... they waste no time in leaving their financial statements in the dust as they all clamber around the table for a snack, while shouting and chatting in Swahili.
After tea, we play a game (or more like we try to play one game but it usually turns into four...) to get everyone energized again. Then it's back to the books. We usually spend the afternoon on a new topic, like revenues and expenses, or proper market survey techniques. Everyone is encouraged to get as involved as possible, so we often have students coming up to present their ideas or offer feedback. If it's a particularly complex topic, we'll split into three breakout groups (our group is called the Safari Skewers!), at a ratio of two instructors to six students, to discuss the concept further.
At 2:30pm, we wrap up the class and clean up the room. Many of the students often stay behind until 3:00 or 3:30pm to ask us questions about their business plans. All six of us instructors - from UBC and Strathmore University - meet after class to discuss what went well / not so well, and to discuss the next day's lesson plan. Then it's time to head back to our guesthouse so we can start it all up again the next morning!
Three weeks in a nutshell
It's been a memorable three weeks of teaching. Every day was fun, nerve-wracking, random, exciting, disastrous, and always, always an experience to remember. Here are some of the good, bad and ugly moments:
- The bad: One of the toughest challenges we had - aside from dealing with a lack of electricity and running water on some days - was convincing some of the students that their business idea was simply not feasible. It's a terrible thing to see the light go out from someone's eyes when you tell them they have to rethink the plan that they are so passionate about... but as the days went on, it was encouraging for us to see the students thinking more critically and coming up with creative solutions to make their businesses more feasible.
- The good: Seeing our students become leaders. We hosted an event where all three sites came together to network and play a hearty game of football, and it was heartwarming to see some of our shyest students take the initiative and lead the other students from all the sites in a round of icebreaker games. This was in spite of the fact that on Day 1 and 2, one of our students was so shy, his peers had to physically drag them into the classroom and judo-chop him into a chair before he would stay. Seeing him stand strong in front of his peers on the last day of class, proudly presenting his business idea, was a profound moment - one that brought tears to every instructor's eyes (the guys will complain the room was too 'dusty').
- The ugly: Seeing some of the silly bloopers from students (bloopers that, truth be told, we must've made as well when we were junior students), like accidentally thinking variable cost was actually 'valuable' cost (as in jewellery)... or wondering why they couldn't get customers by "being physically aggressive"... or questioning why they had to make a profit...
To say the last three weeks were a walk in the park would be a complete lie. There were times when we wanted to kill our students... and we're sure there were times when they definitely wanted to kill us!
But as we kept emphasizing in our classroom, we're a family. And so, we were all there for each other on graduation day, when each student walked across the stage to get his or her certificate, in celebration of what they had achieved.
The family doesn't end here - we look forward to keeping in touch with our students, and helping them along with their business ideas.
A typical day:
At our particular site, located in the International Christian Centre (we called it the ICC), a typical day started when we walked into the classroom at 8:15am. Class has a soft start at 8:30, and officially begins at 9:00. Most days, we'll arrive to find that a few students are already in the classroom, quietly working on their business plans. We help these early birds with their questions as we wait for everyone else to arrive.
Class starts with attendance and some opening remarks - we talk about everything, from an upcoming soccer (sorry - football) game with the other two classes, to an overview of what material we'll cover that day, to some comments about current business topics. Everyone is usually looking sleepy (particularly us instructors, since our guesthouse doesn't offer any coffee!), so we will often do a few stretches. Then the class begins in earnest.
From 9:00 until about 10:45, one or two instructors will cover the day's topic, which may be anything from completing a cash flow statement, to branding your company, to writing your company's mission statement.
At 10:44, everyone's ear is cocked to listen for the moment when one of the instructors will announce that it's TEA TIME! At our site, we have bread, butter, and tea set up for our students. To say the students 'enjoy' their tea would be a gross understatement... they waste no time in leaving their financial statements in the dust as they all clamber around the table for a snack, while shouting and chatting in Swahili.
After tea, we play a game (or more like we try to play one game but it usually turns into four...) to get everyone energized again. Then it's back to the books. We usually spend the afternoon on a new topic, like revenues and expenses, or proper market survey techniques. Everyone is encouraged to get as involved as possible, so we often have students coming up to present their ideas or offer feedback. If it's a particularly complex topic, we'll split into three breakout groups (our group is called the Safari Skewers!), at a ratio of two instructors to six students, to discuss the concept further.
At 2:30pm, we wrap up the class and clean up the room. Many of the students often stay behind until 3:00 or 3:30pm to ask us questions about their business plans. All six of us instructors - from UBC and Strathmore University - meet after class to discuss what went well / not so well, and to discuss the next day's lesson plan. Then it's time to head back to our guesthouse so we can start it all up again the next morning!
Three weeks in a nutshell
It's been a memorable three weeks of teaching. Every day was fun, nerve-wracking, random, exciting, disastrous, and always, always an experience to remember. Here are some of the good, bad and ugly moments:
- The bad: One of the toughest challenges we had - aside from dealing with a lack of electricity and running water on some days - was convincing some of the students that their business idea was simply not feasible. It's a terrible thing to see the light go out from someone's eyes when you tell them they have to rethink the plan that they are so passionate about... but as the days went on, it was encouraging for us to see the students thinking more critically and coming up with creative solutions to make their businesses more feasible.
- The good: Seeing our students become leaders. We hosted an event where all three sites came together to network and play a hearty game of football, and it was heartwarming to see some of our shyest students take the initiative and lead the other students from all the sites in a round of icebreaker games. This was in spite of the fact that on Day 1 and 2, one of our students was so shy, his peers had to physically drag them into the classroom and judo-chop him into a chair before he would stay. Seeing him stand strong in front of his peers on the last day of class, proudly presenting his business idea, was a profound moment - one that brought tears to every instructor's eyes (the guys will complain the room was too 'dusty').
- The ugly: Seeing some of the silly bloopers from students (bloopers that, truth be told, we must've made as well when we were junior students), like accidentally thinking variable cost was actually 'valuable' cost (as in jewellery)... or wondering why they couldn't get customers by "being physically aggressive"... or questioning why they had to make a profit...
To say the last three weeks were a walk in the park would be a complete lie. There were times when we wanted to kill our students... and we're sure there were times when they definitely wanted to kill us!
But as we kept emphasizing in our classroom, we're a family. And so, we were all there for each other on graduation day, when each student walked across the stage to get his or her certificate, in celebration of what they had achieved.
The family doesn't end here - we look forward to keeping in touch with our students, and helping them along with their business ideas.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Goat’s blood sausages and sheep brains – not for the faint of heart
“Maybe if I have a taste of the goat liver, and then go back to the sheep brain, the brain will taste better...”
“Just eat the potatoes, it’ll help cover up the taste of the sheep tongue...”
By now you must be wondering how we managed to get ourselves into this situation.
(We’re in the second week of classes teaching social entrepreneurship to Kenyan youth, and classes are in full swing. Since one of my esteemed colleagues is preparing a blog entry about our teaching experiences so far (and about how great our students are!), I happily leave that topic to him.)
This past weekend, after an exhausting yet gratifying five days of teaching, our group went off to explore more of this magnificent country.
The SE101 team spent all of Saturday on a day trip to the Rift Valley, organized by Mickey, a longtime friend of the program. After making a stop at an excavation site of Richard Leakey’s, where we learned all about homo habilises and erectuses (to the snickers of our immeasurably mature male students), we made a stop at a village in Kikopey region, and indulged in their natural hot springs.
This is the village where Mickey has evidently spent countless hours to help rebuild, after Kenya’s post-election violence. The chief of the village welcomed our visit by graciously ordering the slaughter of a goat and a sheep, so we could all partake in a traditional Kenyan lunch.
It was a cultural experience, to say the least! Some of the foods were delicious, and some were hair-raising in their looks and taste. All the same, it was a privilege to be able to meet with these friendly locals, and we were floored by their level of hospitality.
To wrap up the tour, we stopped by Lake Elementaita, one of two lakes in the Rift Valley that flamingos can call home. What a sight – the flamingos seemed to stretch on for miles and miles, as we were treated to a sunset view of the lake. It was also a sobering part of the trip, though. Thanks to the drought, which has affected so many people in Kenya, the lake had shrunk to half its size, and the surrounding ground was cracked and brittle.
After the tour, it was off to the next activity: Nancy had arranged for our entire team to go to a rather unique event – a goodbye party for a Kenyan high school student who will soon be entering Sauder as a first year student! The parents had stumbled across the SE101 website, and contacted Nancy to invite us to their son’s goodbye gathering. It was a real treat to be able to visit their home, meet their friends and family, and share our tips about life at Sauder. And of course, no Kenyan party is complete without a sampling of the traditional brew, drunk out of hollowed horns! (Note: they are very hard to grip)
We all had a blast during the weekend, and with that now behind us, we’re off to a great start to the SE101 program!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Value of SE101
In this video, Barlet Jaji compares the value of SE101 to other entrepreneurship programs available in Kenya. His experience has been that SE101 gives participants a deeper knowledge and the practical skills needed to effectively run a business.
Over the past few months, the SE101 team has been working on updating the Resource Guide that Barlet shows in the video. For me, working on it was an opportunity to reflect on my entire Sauder MBA experience. Textbooks came off the shelf, and even my study notes from the Integrated Core came out of hiding. To strengthen the impact of the Resource Guide and to improve the effectiveness of the UBC and Strathmore students in delivering the content, Nancy Langton has also created an Instructor's Manual. Much like the SE101 program, the Instructor's Manual provides practical, step-by-step instructions for success and demonstrates the high level of support available to the participants.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Interview with Barlet Jaji
In the previous post, Nancy wrote about the SE101 pilot project at St. Aloysius Gonzaga School and the work of Barlet Jaji, the school's director of post-graduate training. I found his words in this video to be both inspirational and inspired. The students in the program have faced such deep personal tragedies, and yet, with the help of Barlet and SE101, they are learning to make a better future for themselves and for their community.
As I tucked my own children into bed tonight, Barlet's words echoed through my mind. I am thankful that there are people like Barlet who are willing to develop and empower those that are so vulnerable, fulfilling the dreams of the parents that these students have lost.
Friday, August 7, 2009
St. Aloysius--Rising to the Challenge
This year we are running a pilot project for SE101 at St. Aloysius Gonzaga School which is in Kibera (the largest slum in east Africa, and the second largest slum in Africa.) The photos show our "classroom," an outdoor area, covered loosely by an awning, which does not protect us from rain (we can move indoors in that event). It can be slightly chilly, and you'll notice the students bundled up. Our teaching "technology" involves a blackboard, chalk and flipchart paper.
St. Aloysius was created to give hope and support to AIDS orphans. All of the children who go through the school have lost one or both parents to AIDS (if one of the parents is still alive, that parent must have AIDS in order for the child to be enrolled in the school).
It is a tragic situation for these young people--to have lost one or both parents, and to have watched both of their parents be so sick. They have had to grow up quickly, and learn to care for themselves, rather than to be parented. I'm sure it makes the students on the UBC team realize how fortunate their lives have been by comparison.
Our contact at St. Aloysius is Barlet Jaji, who first started working with SE101 in 2007, when he co-taught with some of the team at the Bahati site. We met again last summer, where I learned that Barlet was working at St. Aloysius as the director of post-graduate training for students who had finished their O level (the equivalent of high school) at St. Aloysius. Barlet is passionate in his commitment to helping young people not only survive, but also to thrive.
With that in mind, he asked me at the beginning of this year if I would consider working with him through SE101 to help inspire some of the school's graduates to tackle social challenges in the slum through business opportunities. We agreed that it would be a pilot project because we'd previously been emphasizing individual businesses, and that we would take what we learned from this year's pilot project to make an even better project next year. I was excited to be presented with such an opportunity, because it closely fit the mandate of SE101, which is to empower youth so that they can try to break their cycle of poverty. The pilot project meant we would be working with the poorest individuals in Nairobi, trying to help them with the chance to succeed. It also meant taking the first steps towards helping individuals figure out how to help their community.
The challenge for the UBC and Strathmore students working at the site is to show these young students that they really want to help them, and that the help is unconditional. In society's emphasis on short-term goals (is everyone happy right now?) it is too easy to overlook that true impact does not happen in a day, a week, or even a month. It is the cumulative lessons left behind that can be reflected on over time. Our team has the opportunity to inspire these young people for a life time. I am eager to see how they rise to this challenge.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Nairobi – first sights, first thoughts
It’s been a few days since our team’s arrival in Nairobi, and since then, it’s been a whirlwind of activity!
Because I enjoy shooting myself in the foot (that is the only explanation I have), my trip from Vancouver to Nairobi consisted of a gruelling 40-hour journey that spanned four flights, and included a bizarre overnight stop in the Middle East where a local girl invited me on a walk with her dog along with her husband (or maybe she was walking her husband along with the dog).
Christi took the same arduous route through the Middle East, Rob, John and Jo stopped through London and did a 5-hour power tour through the city, Amanda, Sarah and Nadia went through Seattle and Amsterdam, Les flew through New York and Zurich, touring along the way, and Mike went to LA for a couple days to visit family and then to London and Nairobi. Mike arrived Thursday night and stalked the halls looking for any team member who might have been lingering in the guesthouse. He eventually gave up and made friends with the animals...
On the first official day (Friday), our team met for a dinner. Since we had all taken wildly different routes to get ourselves to Nairobi, it was a relief to see everyone again in Nairobi and all in one piece. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for our respective luggage pieces – two of our team members suffered from lost luggage. One of the two is still tracking her piece down, which is drifting somewhere between Seattle and Nairobi at this very moment.
On Saturday, we spent the morning at the Maasai market. It’s a fantastic, bustling destination of tourists, locals, and friendly/hard selling/energetic/aggressive stand owners who give new meaning to the word ‘persistent’. Nancy (our professor) gave us a quick Bargaining 101 session, and an hour later, we emerged from the market hoisting a few select art pieces. In the afternoon, we met with our student partners at Strathmore University for the first time. For those unfamiliar with the program, each UBC student pairs up with a Strathmore University student to teach the business curriculum over three weeks. That night, the Strathmore students invited us out to enjoy the best of Nairobi nightlife. They were incredibly welcome, made us feel very comfortable, and showed us a great time in an evening that included copious amounts of fried chicken.
We spent all of Sunday touring the three sites that our group would be teaching at. First we visited St Aloysius School in Kibera (east Africa’s largest slum). St Aloysius is a school for youth orphaned by AIDS. This is the location where the team will be running the social entrepreneurship pilot project. This site will be focusing on developing enterprises, which will in turn help the community and the individual starting the business. We had the pleasure of meeting Barlet (the school’s principal) who described a bit about his background and the school.
- Candy, Rob, Mike, Christi
Because I enjoy shooting myself in the foot (that is the only explanation I have), my trip from Vancouver to Nairobi consisted of a gruelling 40-hour journey that spanned four flights, and included a bizarre overnight stop in the Middle East where a local girl invited me on a walk with her dog along with her husband (or maybe she was walking her husband along with the dog).
Christi took the same arduous route through the Middle East, Rob, John and Jo stopped through London and did a 5-hour power tour through the city, Amanda, Sarah and Nadia went through Seattle and Amsterdam, Les flew through New York and Zurich, touring along the way, and Mike went to LA for a couple days to visit family and then to London and Nairobi. Mike arrived Thursday night and stalked the halls looking for any team member who might have been lingering in the guesthouse. He eventually gave up and made friends with the animals...
On the first official day (Friday), our team met for a dinner. Since we had all taken wildly different routes to get ourselves to Nairobi, it was a relief to see everyone again in Nairobi and all in one piece. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for our respective luggage pieces – two of our team members suffered from lost luggage. One of the two is still tracking her piece down, which is drifting somewhere between Seattle and Nairobi at this very moment.
On Saturday, we spent the morning at the Maasai market. It’s a fantastic, bustling destination of tourists, locals, and friendly/hard selling/energetic/aggressive stand owners who give new meaning to the word ‘persistent’. Nancy (our professor) gave us a quick Bargaining 101 session, and an hour later, we emerged from the market hoisting a few select art pieces. In the afternoon, we met with our student partners at Strathmore University for the first time. For those unfamiliar with the program, each UBC student pairs up with a Strathmore University student to teach the business curriculum over three weeks. That night, the Strathmore students invited us out to enjoy the best of Nairobi nightlife. They were incredibly welcome, made us feel very comfortable, and showed us a great time in an evening that included copious amounts of fried chicken.
We spent all of Sunday touring the three sites that our group would be teaching at. First we visited St Aloysius School in Kibera (east Africa’s largest slum). St Aloysius is a school for youth orphaned by AIDS. This is the location where the team will be running the social entrepreneurship pilot project. This site will be focusing on developing enterprises, which will in turn help the community and the individual starting the business. We had the pleasure of meeting Barlet (the school’s principal) who described a bit about his background and the school.
- Candy, Rob, Mike, Christi
Thursday, July 30, 2009
And they're off!
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing Jon, Jo and Rob leave for Kenya.The departure had a few of those very human moments that we all experience from time to time, from dashing back to deal with a milk carton, to a really bad parallel parking job (in my defense, I usually drive a much smaller car).
There were also some reminders of what this is all about, and those glimpses into the promise of the next few weeks were inspiring. From refining the plans for measuring the impact of SE101, to discussing how to best document recommendations for next year’s team, it was clear that the group is committed to a positive and sustainable future for the participants and the program.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Safari njema!
Bon voyage , Safari njema (in Swahili) to everyone heading off to Kenya next week!! While the team’s real adventure is just about to begin, those of us that have been helping out with the program but are not going to teach in Kibera now have a chance to reflect on this experience. When I heard about SE101 back in January, I asked Nancy to be involved with the project even though I could not go to Kenya as the timing of the trip conflicted with the start of the fall semester of my MBA program, which I will be completing on an exchange term in Hong Kong. I wanted to contribute to the program development with my background knowledge of social entrepreneurship, and at the same time was hoping that this would be a learning experience for me. As usual, we get what we wish for, and being involved in SE101 has been as valuable as any of the MBA courses I have taken throughout my program.
When we were working on the program development, we were asked to “teach” one of our workshops to the rest of the group to practice what and how we would teach to the classes in Kibera. Joanna and I had what seemed like the easy task of teaching the first class, until we realized we would have to start with an introduction, which meant explaining to the students in Kenya who we were, and why we were there. This really made me think about what we were trying to accomplish and what made us qualified to teach anything to people in Kibera, a place most of us had never been. In the end, the introduction I gave in this mock class was, “My name is Jana, and I’m a student from Canada. I am studying business, and before returning to school, I worked at a bank where I often helped people who were starting a small business. I’ve learned a lot about starting and managing a business both in school and at work, and I’m here to share some of that with you.” Social entrepreneurs everywhere in the world are people who are real innovators; they understand the problems of their communities and have come up with some really creative and effective solutions. They are also people who aspire to be self sufficient, and create employment and income opportunities for themselves and others. This entrepreneurial spirit and ability to take a risk is something I have always admired in people but never had myself. But what I am good at is detail, planning, analyzing, evaluating options…I guess that’s why I was a banker and am now an MBA student! People in places like Kibera have great ideas and are willing to work hard and take risks. What a business student like myself can do, is help them to make those ideas a reality by sharing what I have had the opportunity to learn.
In this spirit of knowledge sharing, my work with SE101 has led me to another opportunity to use my existing skills and new knowledge of the issues in Kibera. Through an organization called SAWA Global I have connected with a woman in Kibera who started a local NGO, the Kibera Integrated Project, and will be working with her as a mentor to support her efforts as she grows her organization. SAWA Global is a Vancouver based organization that gives a voice to local “heroes” in the 50 poorest countries of the world, who are transforming their communities with innovative solutions to social and environmental problems. SAWA, through their website, showcases videos profiling the work and gives an opportunity to someone with the necessary skills to help these heroes in their efforts. You can learn more about SAWA from their website, www.sawaglobal.com. I’m especially excited about some potential opportunities for co-operation between the Kibera Integrated Project and our SE101 participants and the possibility of a long term partnership between the organizations.
I’m looking forward to the updates on stories of this year’s students that will be posted on this blog, and wish everyone a safe trip!
When we were working on the program development, we were asked to “teach” one of our workshops to the rest of the group to practice what and how we would teach to the classes in Kibera. Joanna and I had what seemed like the easy task of teaching the first class, until we realized we would have to start with an introduction, which meant explaining to the students in Kenya who we were, and why we were there. This really made me think about what we were trying to accomplish and what made us qualified to teach anything to people in Kibera, a place most of us had never been. In the end, the introduction I gave in this mock class was, “My name is Jana, and I’m a student from Canada. I am studying business, and before returning to school, I worked at a bank where I often helped people who were starting a small business. I’ve learned a lot about starting and managing a business both in school and at work, and I’m here to share some of that with you.” Social entrepreneurs everywhere in the world are people who are real innovators; they understand the problems of their communities and have come up with some really creative and effective solutions. They are also people who aspire to be self sufficient, and create employment and income opportunities for themselves and others. This entrepreneurial spirit and ability to take a risk is something I have always admired in people but never had myself. But what I am good at is detail, planning, analyzing, evaluating options…I guess that’s why I was a banker and am now an MBA student! People in places like Kibera have great ideas and are willing to work hard and take risks. What a business student like myself can do, is help them to make those ideas a reality by sharing what I have had the opportunity to learn.
In this spirit of knowledge sharing, my work with SE101 has led me to another opportunity to use my existing skills and new knowledge of the issues in Kibera. Through an organization called SAWA Global I have connected with a woman in Kibera who started a local NGO, the Kibera Integrated Project, and will be working with her as a mentor to support her efforts as she grows her organization. SAWA Global is a Vancouver based organization that gives a voice to local “heroes” in the 50 poorest countries of the world, who are transforming their communities with innovative solutions to social and environmental problems. SAWA, through their website, showcases videos profiling the work and gives an opportunity to someone with the necessary skills to help these heroes in their efforts. You can learn more about SAWA from their website, www.sawaglobal.com. I’m especially excited about some potential opportunities for co-operation between the Kibera Integrated Project and our SE101 participants and the possibility of a long term partnership between the organizations.
I’m looking forward to the updates on stories of this year’s students that will be posted on this blog, and wish everyone a safe trip!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Meet Our Team!
Yesterday, the team met for the last time before leaving for Kenya. In addition to reviewing the curriculum, going over final fundraising details and learning more about Kenya, we took some time to reflect on what we've accomplished, and what we're most looking forward to over the next month. This video talks about the program vision and introduces the team.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Update on Thomas' Fundraising
Thomas has reached his $250 goal ahead of schedule and plans to continue fundraising until the end of the month. He also decided that he wanted to help prepare the students traveling to Kenya by teaching them some Swahili. He found four books in the library, and collected phrases that he could teach everyone. The team was really welcoming when Thomas showed up and did his presentation - complete with making everyone repeat his words. He was so excited when he was invited back for an encore performance of his three favourite words. This video is of Thomas talking about his experience, SE101 and tips for other fundraisers.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Getting Excited!
With little over a week until we head out, I'm starting to get very excited about our adventure. I'm visiting Vancouver for the weekend, tying up loose ends here before finishing up my internship in Seattle, packing up, and flying to Africa. Tonight we will celebrate with our final fundraising event at Lola's:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101949074730
My internship has been focused on helping a small start-up cleantech company called Blue Marble Energy with their marketing communication efforts. They convert a wide variety of waste biomass sources into clean burning natural gas for energy, as well has high margin biochemicals for food and manufacturing industry.
They basically convert pollution and waste problems into clean energy and manufacturing solutions. It has been an interesting learning experience in how to communicate a complex value proposition to a wide range of target stakeholders, and I've been thinking about what kind of new and surprising value propositions and tarket markets we will encounter with our students business plans.
Learning about alternative energy has led me to follow this amazing blog by T.H. Culhane, an Urban Planning prof at UCLA who has started bringing simple cleantech solutions like solar water heating and biogas digestors to slums across the developing world. It would be incredible to see some of charitable work that his group Solar Cities is doing transform into small, locally owned energy businesses by entrepreneurs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7xr5oW7b9I
http://solarcities.blogspot.com/
I've also been reading a fantastic book that I would highly recomend, called The Blue Sweater, by Jaqueline Novogratz. It's about her impressive development work in Africa, and how small business development can address many of the failures of that traditional aid programs face. She has a number of great TED talks on the subject as well that you can find here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jacqueline_novogratz_invests_in_ending_poverty.html
That's all for now. Kenya here we come!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101949074730
My internship has been focused on helping a small start-up cleantech company called Blue Marble Energy with their marketing communication efforts. They convert a wide variety of waste biomass sources into clean burning natural gas for energy, as well has high margin biochemicals for food and manufacturing industry.
They basically convert pollution and waste problems into clean energy and manufacturing solutions. It has been an interesting learning experience in how to communicate a complex value proposition to a wide range of target stakeholders, and I've been thinking about what kind of new and surprising value propositions and tarket markets we will encounter with our students business plans.
Learning about alternative energy has led me to follow this amazing blog by T.H. Culhane, an Urban Planning prof at UCLA who has started bringing simple cleantech solutions like solar water heating and biogas digestors to slums across the developing world. It would be incredible to see some of charitable work that his group Solar Cities is doing transform into small, locally owned energy businesses by entrepreneurs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7xr5oW7b9I
http://solarcities.blogspot.com/
I've also been reading a fantastic book that I would highly recomend, called The Blue Sweater, by Jaqueline Novogratz. It's about her impressive development work in Africa, and how small business development can address many of the failures of that traditional aid programs face. She has a number of great TED talks on the subject as well that you can find here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jacqueline_novogratz_invests_in_ending_poverty.html
That's all for now. Kenya here we come!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Four Weeks To Go
Looking at my calendar, I realized that I will be leaving for Kenya again in four short weeks. It's been a
Monday, June 22, 2009
Unexpected Inspirations
When I signed up as a volunteer with the SE101 team, I thought it would be a good way to contribute to a great initiative, while at the same time building some skills and meeting new people. All that has happened, and I’ve been really inspired by everyone involved in the project. What I didn’t expect is that it would also inspire my little boy to start his first fundraising campaign. Thomas is five and is hooked on geography. I was telling him about SE101 and how I was going to raise money to help people start small businesses in Africa. Much to my surprise, he exclaimed, “Mama, I have tonnes of money!” I’m not sure how it happened, but he has managed to amass a small fortune in coins, in a yellow plastic piggy bank, and he is determined to turn his $54.38 into $250 by the end of July. He also wants to learn more about Africa. I’ll be posting updates over the next few weeks, and will let you know how the cookie sales and library trips progress.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Welcome to the SE101: Africa (2009) Blog
We have just started our project. Check back for blog entries later this year.
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