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.