Do you have what it takes to be part of the 2011 Sauder Africa Initiative team?

It is that time of year again, when UBC’s top students compete for a place on a project that changes the lives of African youth. Do you think you have what it takes to make the Sauder Africa Initiative team? It will change your life too.

In the Sauder Africa Initiative we believe that business is a driving force for economic growth, locally and globally. We see logic in sound business plans, ambitious marketing strategies and positive cash-flow projections over aid. We want to be successful and measure that success by how many companies we help establish, how fast our companies grow and how much economic benefit they create. In the Sauder Africa Initiative, we are social entrepreneurs... and I emphasize the word entrepreneurs. We are passionate individuals who want to help others escape poverty. Knowledge is our strategic competitive advantage and we ‘walk the talk’ by passing it on to the youth of East Africa’s largest slum, Kibera, located in Nairobi, Kenya.

Each year we select a passionate, creative, and dedicated group of students to learn about social entrepreneurship, business planning and Kenya; to spearhead our fundraising efforts; and to have the opportunity to spend the summer teaching the Kenya youth. Our work directly helps combat the extreme poverty that strikes at Kibera’s 1.2 million inhabitants, where unemployment exceeds 80%.

We set out to empower, not give out handouts. We teach financial independence and how to use your strengths and skills to your advantage. We challenge our students to be successful entrepreneurs and change agents in their own community and country. We learn about each other, about our culture, and about the challenges our Kenyan friends face. We learn about ourselves.

If you want to be one of us, be a change agent, create friendships that will last a lifetime and above all, make a difference in the life of others, we would love to meet you at our info session on November 16^th at 1 pm in SCARFE 201.

2011 SE101 Team Recruitment - Info Session

YES YOU!!

Are you a student interested in social entrepreneurship and important issues such as fighting poverty and international development?

The Sauder Africa Initiative is entering its 6th successful year of operation and is starting to recruit its 2011 team. Applications for Sauder Africa Initiative - Kenya 2011 are now being accepted until November 25 (before midnight).

You can find the application by going to the Sauder Africa Initiative website at: http://www.africa.sauder.ubc.ca and looking at the home page under "Latest News."
SE101 is recruiting for two dedicated groups of students who want to change the lives of youth in the poorest parts of Nairobi, Kenya:

a) a Vancouver-based team who will help support the ground team through fundraising, curriculum development, mentoring, communications, and other tasks as needed;

b)a traveling team who will deliver a three-week program based in Nairobi, to help Kenyan youth develop business plans. We are opening SE101 to those of you who aren’t able to travel to Kenya because many of you have expressed a desire to contribute in some way to SE101. We encourage you to consider this opportunity to join the team. For the travelling team, the 2011 project will be held in Kenya July 28-August 19, 2011 and will be conducted in partnership with Kenyan youth organizations and Strathmore University. You can read more about the project requirements by going to http://africa.sauder.ubc.ca/SE101_Kenya_2011.html.

The Info session for SE101 will be held on Tuesday, November 16th, 1-2:30, in SCARF 201. The information session will provide an opportunity for you to learn more about this exciting project and meet some of the participants from previous years. If you have any questions about the program or the application procedure, please contact Professor Nancy Langton (nancy.langton@sauder.ubc.ca).

This is not kwaheri!

It is hard to believe that our teaching time is over with only one day left to cram as much as possible into the heads of our students at the celebration ceremony.
I thought about it a lot this morning on our way to school in our experienced little “private matatu” and felt nostalgic. Kirby asked us the other day what are we going to miss the most when we go back home. Where do I start my list?

I am going to miss the morning bumpy ride to school watching the people outside on their way to work avoiding the crazy traffic. Traffic, where green and red almost make no difference. I am going to miss passing that crooked sign that looks like Gaudi’s creation which proudly says: “Ministry of Roads.” I am going to miss the laughter on the bus where we are discussing the day’s plan, guessing who is going to be in class on time (if anyone) and telling Nancy and Kirby the highlights of the previous day.

I am going to miss our team. Jacky’s breakfast ritual of Wheetabix and 5 eggs, together with his inseparable “twin” Eon with whom he shares not only a room but also singing passion for the Swahili song Yodi Yodi (or something in that manner), and their third brother – the camera. Lisa, our little monkey, who is always ready to climb a tree or a water tower (with me). The petite Rimple, who can be so loud that we all wonder where the voice came from. Barry, whose waiting periods playing Chinese chess and Civilization on his iPod never stopped amazing me but then you have to realize something we were reminded of quite often: This is Africa (and the waiting periods can be long). Of course, I have to mention his amazing skill to learn Swahili, he is definitely the most advanced learner in our group. I am going to miss Eric, especially, when he is copying the dance moves of our fellow Strathmore students – please, ask him to perform the moves for you, it is an unforgettable experience. I am going to miss Kathy, my dear roommate whom I can completely rely on, with the strangest hobby of taking pictures of bugs and incredible skill of mimicking different voices from the YouTube videos. I am going to miss Nancy and Kirby, our project leaders, always ready to give us advice and guard us so we do not do anything silly as we are quite a lively and loud team. I am not going to miss Les (no worries Les, that time will surely come) as I will spend almost two more weeks in the company of this crazy “pink hat wearing, never stop talking” guy on our awesome Skate4Kenya trip from Nairobi to Mombasa.

I am going to miss our class students. Pato, with his colorful and original outfits who tells me at 2 pm:“I cannot work anymore, I am too saturated.” John, who comes to class always happy, playing music and moving around dancing and jumping, never standing still. I am going to miss Daniel, who is always the first one in class, sometimes posing philosophical questions to the others. I am going to miss Frederick and Allan, the inseparable mischiefs, always hanging out together and looking up to each other for approval when they speak. I am going to miss Hillary, the shy but extremely smart and determined kid. And I cannot forget Winnie and Ivy, the two girls in the class who are not afraid to compete with boys and are most determined to open and expand their businesses. Winnie is already running her small business and Ivy rather missed the fun games and stuck with her cashflows! But, even though I am going to miss them all, there is always that hope of coming back to Kenya and eating in John’s Café, buying groceries from Winnie, have my hair done in Ivy’s beauty salon, use fast speed internet in Pato’s CyberCity and visit our two classique barbers, Allan and Fredrick.

When talking about students, I am going to miss our class’ Strathmore co-teaching team. Jasan, who shares my love of Shakespeare. John, who always has the biggest smile on his face and you never know what he is up to. Richard and Dominic, the serious ones, always looking smart and presentable (well, they are accountants, after all).

And last but not least, I can speak for the whole team that we are all going to miss Fred and Valentine, our dear friends and Kenyan guardian angels with their big smiles, always ready to show us the cool places in Nairobi, like go to see Kenyan football game (yes, it is football, not soccer!), visit local restaurants with lots of delicious goat meat or take us dancing. The two of them are the best example of how beautiful and welcoming Kenya is and why we all want to come back. But then again, I am fortunate enough to spend few more days with them on our Skate4Kenya trip.

I am going to miss much much more but there is nothing to regret, nothing to be sorry for and the only thing I can say is: Asante sana Kenya!

Last week in Nairobi!

On the weekend the SE101 team travelled to the Masaai Mara for a two night safari. It was a very memorable trip from start to finish. The drive there was very bumpy to say the least. I was able to sleep for the first hour but after that the entire drive consisted of so many potholes that the road was not even visible! I think we were all very bruised by the end of it. That evening we went on a drive in the reserve and saw many animals. I was surprised that there were so many zebras and wildebeest! We were able to see a lioness and buffalo, which are two of the big five. I was looking forward to the next morning in hopes of seeing the remaining three (leopards, rhinos and elephants).

On Saturday we were in the reserve from 8am to 5pm and were able to see many more animals in their natural habitat. Having never been on a safari before, I was very excited to get the chance to see them in the wild as opposed to in the Greater Vancouver Zoo! My favourite part of the safari was seeing Simba (male lion)! I think the entire team knew that by the end of the day since it was all I could talk about. Our driver, Joseph, was amazing, although at times a little crazy with his driving. When we spotted rhinos, the only one of the big five Barry had yet to see, he drove off the path to get us closer! It was absolutely amazing and we were very grateful since none of the other drivers were willing to do the same.

In the evening we went to the Maasai Village. We were given a tour the village by the eldest son of the Chief. It was a very interesting experience, especially seeing the dance that some of the Maasai did for us. My favourite part was when one of the Maasai pushed Eon in to dance with them! The look on his face, while wearing a hat made of lion’s fur, was priceless (look for a youtube video of it coming soon brought to you by Jacky So). After that we were shown how to make a fire using two pieces of wood and Eric and Eon were given the chance to try to make

one on their own. Although it did not result in a fire, Eric did manage to burn one of the Maasai. After that we decided it would probably be better to leave the fire making to the experts.

By the end of the weekend we were able to see four of the big five. I was a little disappointed that I did not get to see a leopard, but seeing Simba numerous times definitely made up for it. Although I loved every moment of the weekend, I was glad to be back in Nairobi and looking forward to class on Monday.

Being the last week of class is bittersweet because I am so happy to see how far the students have come, but will be sad to see it end. Working with them for the last 12 days has been an experience I will never forget. Having had the opportunity to work closely with all of the students in our class, I have been able to see them develop their plans throughout the three weeks. I am excited for the next few days as Eon, Eric and I will be able to listen to them present their complete business plans. I can’t wait to see how far they have come since the first day of class!

This Is Africa

TIA (“This is Africa”) is the phrase our team says to each other when we experience something unusual here contrary to North American culture. For instance, there are traffic lights in Nairobi but hardly anyone uses them. Instead there are lots of roundabouts at intersections and occasionally there is an official directing traffic but somehow drivers know where everyone is going. Initially when you experience traffic here it seems like the cars approaching from the side are going to crash into you but the driver stops just in time so their bumper is just a few inches away. TIA.

Just a few days ago we had to get out and push our car to get it going. Yesterday after our team dinner Valentine was driving out from the parking spot when we noticed that everyone around us outside was pointing and looking at the front wheel of the matatu as our car slowly petered out along the street. Luckily we were close to a gas station so we could stop and change the flat tire. In the time that we were standing outside while the left front tire was being changed, two KK Security vans pulled up on either side of us. None of us had called security to come, but we were fortunate to have them notice us as foreigners at night, and just their presence made everyone feel safer. TIA.

Yesterday’s class, led by Les, was a unique networking session with all three groups from the St. Aloysius site and ICC. At the start we played some icebreaker games and the human knot which took a lot of teamwork and communication to get our group untangled! The students were then led through a simple game where they could see who amongst our group could be their potential suppliers and buyers for their businesses. The next activity was a thought provoking exercise to encourage the students to discuss their fears of opening a business. Each person wrote down their fears on cue cards which were distributed after we broke up into three groups. As we talked about each problem and came up with solutions to mitigate their fears, I could tell how relieved each of them felt after realizing they all shared common fears. Not only today was it great to see the students help each other out, but even in class the sense of friendship and community is so strong. I particularly enjoy watching Daniel, who previously ran a barber shop, share his business experiences with Alan who also wants to open a barber shop.

Tonight we stayed in a hut before we went out on our Masaai Mara safari. Barry, Eric and I started playing soccer on the grass and soon a Masaai villager, Jackson, came to join us. He showed us his spear, lion tooth necklace and clubs – and the greatest part of this all – he let me throw his spear! Only Kenya... TIA!

Halftime

This week, the SE101 program reached the halfway point, and looking back over the past few days of teaching, I am really starting to see the students developing their business plans, gaining more confidence, and refining their entrepreneurial thinking. It's exciting as an instructor to be able to work with such a group of ambitious businesspeople, and I find that it is not only the students who are gaining knowledge, but I too am learning so much about their lives here in Nairobi.

This afternoon, I was able to chat with a group of students after class, going through the day's lesson, sharing some jokes, and explaining cultural differences (they are still expecting me to ride a matatu during rush hour traffic in Nairobi--hmmm, we'll see about that...). I wanted to get their feedback about how the course is so far, to make sure that they were getting real value out of their time with us. What I was told was that our lessons presented exactly what they needed for their business ambitions-- it was clear, it was useful, and it was actually... quite fun! Getting feedback from the students, whether positive or not so positive, is an important part of our roles as SE101 instructors, and it seems, so far, so good!

The business plans are starting to materialize, and I can see that the students are really taking more time to seriously think through their finances and marketing strategies. I was so impressed to see one of the St. Aloysius students, Patrick, take the time to put some great details into the location of his proposed cyber-cafe. The map he drew described precisely where he wanted to open his business-- and he had researched and found every single residential flat around his desired location. He even took the time to draw in the bus stop just a block away that would bring people to the area and increase his cyber-cafe's foot traffic. Patrick's work was a nice reminder that these business plans are real, and that the students were really putting in the effort to make sure they materialize.

Aside from teaching though, my visit to Nairobi has been full of fun and interesting experiences. Besides being able to see the big sightseeing places like the totally amazing Rift Valley and Nairobi National Museum, I have really enjoyed all the simple things the city has to offer too. During our lunch break from class, I like to take a quick walk down a dusty dirt road to a fellow selling grilled corn/maize in a small stand made of corrugated sheet metal . When I first met him, he let out a huge smile and shook my hand tightly, while sitting on a massive mountain of corn husks. From then on, I creatively decided to call him the "Corn Guy." What I found especially cool was when I wanted to pay him for one of these grilled treats. I handed him 20Ksh, thinking this was the price, thanked him in my horribly broken Swahili, and started walking back. A moment later, I felt a tap on my shoulder and the Corn Guy chased me down to return to me 5Ksh change. I was so pleased to see this act of honesty, as he could have very easily taken the extra money from an naive customer like me! I know where I'm going for my lunch snack tomorrow...

The next half of our time in Nairobi is going to be great, and I am sure that the SE101 team is really looking forward to it.

Working for the Weekend!

[Posted for Barry Le-Duc]

After the first week of teaching, we had a chance to leave the bustling city of Nairobi for a day trip to the Rift Valley, where the first breath of clear fresh air in a week was welcome. The whole team was joined by a few of our local friends: Jacintah, James, and Mickey. Our first stop, along with an overpriced souvenir shop, was to view and take pictures of the beautiful vistas of the Rift Valley which seemed to stretch on and on. Our group then hopped back onto our bus to a site where we were given a tour of an actual archeological dig. Our guide explained how the tools were created by prehistoric man and used to hunt, skin, and clean animals. It was fun to get a chance to create our own tools by flaking pieces of obsidian.

Later after some difficulty driving up a small, uneven and steep road, we went to a Kikuyu village where we waded and swam in a pool filled with natural hot spring waters said to have healing powers. I cut my foot on a rock, but at least it was in healing water. After all our exercise and a short prayer, we headed to an open cooking area where the aroma of grilling goat awaited us. The goat was slaughtered and skinned prior to our arrival but we could still take a look at the hide and some of us picked up the cooked goat head. We then shared in a feast of goat meat, organs, and sausage made with the goat’s intestines and stomach. Accompanying the goat we had mokimo, a maise and bean equivalent of mashed potatoes, and Miti Ni Dawa, a drink made from herbs, which translates to “tree medicine”. After our meal the Chief of our host tribe said some words of thanks, translated by Jacintah, to our team. This kind gesture was reciprocated by a speech from Nancy and a gift of a Sauder pen which was well received.

On our way home we drove past Lake Elementaita where we saw some flamingos and other large birds. I was also told that electricity in the area was generated by geothermal turbines powered by the same source of underground heat supplying the hot springs that we swam in earlier. Just before we parted with the Chief and other members of the Kikuyu tribe, we drove past some very cute children all asking “How are you?” Jackie was able to give one child my last pack of cookies and our team pleaded for him to “Share, Share!” It was a bit awkward to find out that we were on the wrong path and slowly turned around and started to head back into the crowd of children, but it was great to get an encore of them. We were all beat from a long day but happy for these unforgettable experiences.

Knowledge Is Power

After our first week of classes, I’ve begun to realize the addictive qualities of teaching. Day by day, I catch more and more glimpses of understanding and excitement in the eyes of our students, and I’m craving more!

As we reviewed the week’s worth of material on Friday at the ICC location, I realized that despite the rocky start with late registrants and the missing day due to the vote for Kenya’s new constitution, the students were getting it! They were head-nodding instead of sleepy head-bobbing, and calling out answers instead of staring at us wordlessly.

Mid-afternoon when their eyes do start to glaze over and I can sense restlessness under the tent that serves as our classroom, I know it’s time to play a game. I can count on Sam, a young kid with aspirations to be a personal image consultant, to teach us a new game, make us laugh, and energize us for the last stretch of lesson. Sam is a natural leader, exceptionally positive and keen, as evidenced by the amount of effort and consideration he put into perfecting his marketing research survey.

It’s enthusiasm like Sam’s that initially sparked my addiction to teaching SE101, but it’s their appreciation that has fueled it through the first week. It’s a brilliant feeling when a student thanks us at the end of the day and tells us that they’ve learned so much already. One student in particular, Absalom, already owns a real estate software company but now has an innovative idea for a new social business. He told me he thought he had almost everything ready to approach lenders, but after just one class, he realized he needed much more. Many would be discouraged by this, but Absalom is eager to succeed and ready to put everything he has into this business that could make a significant difference in the lives of residents in Nairobi’s slums. As he simply and inspiringly says, “knowledge is power.”

I can’t wait for Monday’s class!

Class party!

The first week of teaching just ended, and we are already at a third of the way through our training program for 2010. Therefore, what better way to crystallize the week's learnings than a party?!

We are running two classes at St. Aloysius this year, based on the students' experience at running businesses. At Martina's suggestion, Lisa, Rimple, Eon, Barry and I brought both groups together for a few hours Friday afternoon. Under the guise of discussing naming and logo of their companies in prevision of the next week's marketing session, we have had the students pitch their business idea in front of 25 of their fellows.

After a week of class, the students are getting more comfortable at discussing their ideas in small groups as well as in front of the class. The joint session was therefore also an opportunity to get them out of the comfort zone again. Also, a study of entrepreneurship wouldn't be the same without elevator pitches! (though I'm not sure the metaphor is quite as effective at St. Aloysius...)

In contrast, it was good to take some time aside from the curriculum and encourage students to let their creativity flow, by having them brainstorm company names and mottos and collaborate on their business plans.

Finally, the joint session was a good opportunity for networking. As we are looking at increasing the post-program support we provide to our entrepreneurs, creating a sense of community within trainees is essential.

The seminar was a great success! Overall, students have made tremendous progress in only a week. Of course, there is plenty of work to be done, but today's seminar shows that they are not alone on the sometimes bumpy road to success.

First Day of Class

[Posted for Jacky So]

Today (August 2) was our first day teaching at ICC with Les, Kathy, and myself. Overall, it was a wonderful experience because of an opportunity to meet bright and talented young entrepreneurs. One of the participants had an amazing idea that he shared with me over lunch. The story was about his passion for baking, be it lava cake, black forest cake, or any cake, he was all about cakes. As we discussed his experience, he told me that his close friends would always invite him over to make cakes. He also does jobs on the side through word of mouth for occasions that would require baking. His location for his baking/catering shop was an ideal location as he explained. The only cake shop around his area has moved away since their building has been demolished.

Closer to the end of the workshop, It was amazing to have him speak in front of the group and have the group provide constructive feedback. As he sat down, I saw the grin on his face from behind. This had a great effect on me to know that he appreciated the whole classes support. He knows that his plan requires additional thought but through the collective feedback process, he might have a chance to make his idea a success. As I saw him get up at the beginning, nervous, and when he got back down after the positive feedback with his arms spread out and relaxed, I felt this was a great start to a memorable first day of teaching. I wonder what tomorrow shall entail.

Kenya 2010 and the Road Ahead

Over the next month and a half I'll be traveling (have been traveling) to Kenya to help coordinate and teach the Sauder School of Business Africa Initiative:Social Entrepreneurship 101. As I have mentioned before, this program is about teaching business planning and entrepreneurship to Kenyan youth. We work primarily out of Nairobi and have a focus on Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa.

While last year I was simply (though not so simple, ha) teaching at one of our partner sites, this is my sophomore year and I have been promoted to act as a team coordinator. What does that mean? Well, hopefully growth. In the past, only Kirby Leong has returned as an alum to help coordinate (and he has again for a 3rd year!). Adding another coordinator means we can get more done from a networking and administrative perspective over the next few weeks to help move our program goals along and develop a more stable post program for our students and their success.

While we are very luck to have fantastic partners in the Strathmore University students here in Nairobi helping us co-teach and mentor, once we have left, it's clear that many of our SE101 students have limited capacity to continue without stronger mentorship and research resources. Our Strathmore students are just that, students, much like I was when I first participated in SE101 (though I was an MBA and they are undergraduates as well). Their lives are busy with school and work and the demands of being a Kenyan, which for all intents and purposes, I feel, is considerably more demanding than being a student in Canada. Moreover, without a dedicated location for SE101 students to visit and a dedicated individual(s) coordinating volunteers, their meetings are sporadic, making it difficult to address the needs of a start-up (and most typically, first-time) entrepreneur. Additionally, the research costs of starting a business for our students can be considerable. Given the economic welfare of the average Kenyan (and even more challenging, one from Kibera), doing the market research; securing access to the internet for research, email and word processing; and producing a printed finalized plan can be a considerable challenge, stretching their planning over a time horizon that crushes their motivation and hope.

The road ahead for the Sauder Africa Initiative, in my opinion, really needs to be two specific steps:

1. Look to establish specific revenue streams to support our goals
2. Establish a more permanent and dedicated resource center for both out volunteers and students

Ultimately, those will be the two focal points of my time here in Kenya for 2010. While I will also be in the classroom and supporting our incoming student learning. We have a full crop of freshman Sauder SE101 teachers who are more than capable of delivering our curriculum and helping stoke the entrepreneurial fires of this years Kenyan participants with the amazing curriculum our past teams have helped to create.

Please follow along by checking out our facebook, twitter, youtube and blog over the weeks to come. And please remember, we might be in Kenya now, but it is never to late to contribute and be a part of our success. Donations (cash and in-kind) are always welcome and tax deductible.

Thomas and us

I met one amazing kid the other week. His name is Thomas and he is 6. He came to our SE101 meeting to teach us Swahili and I officially declare that I met at least the future BC Premiere. I am not going to exaggerate if I say that the whole team was impressed with the confidence and yes, cuteness of this little fellow.
He even prepared handouts for us, painted in beautiful bright colours. The handouts were not only a teaching tool but also a fundraising one. He and his Mum print the picture on T-shirts to help us fundraise money for our Se101 Africa Initiative. Last year Thomas fundraised $250 for the project.

His passion, courage and confidence make me wonder. At which age do we lose this freedom of being sure that we can achieve anything and the ability to exactly express what we think? How many children as Thomas are in Africa but have no possibility to develop their skills as Thomas does because they have no access to education? Seeing this confident child, singing the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was certainly a highlight of my day. And it gently reminded all of us that our Se101 Africa Initiative, no matter how demanding and difficult it is at times, is certainly worth it.

6 Year Old Joins Sauder School of Business Faculty (Sort Of)

Thomas was thrilled to be invited back to teach Swahili to this year's SE101 team at the Sauder School of Business. He became involved with fundraising last year, and has continued to be interested in Africa and in helping to create more jobs for Kenyan youth. This year, in addition to teaching, he has decided to fundraise for the SE101 team by selling artwork and t-shirts with his own designs, inspired by the work of Ted Harrison. Thomas is very excited to be going to Victoria on July 3rd to meet Ted Harrison in person to talk about art and SE101.

His art skills developed from a class project at Capilano Elementary School, an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme candidate school in North Vancouver.

You can see him wearing one of his custom t-shirts in this video. We're working on production plans for the shirts, and will post information about how to buy one on the blog soon.

How Web 2.0 Keeps Us in the Know

In a previous post we discussed how SE101 uses Web 2.0 (and most specifically Social Media) to drive awareness, engage our network and grow our community. In this post, we briefly want to let you know about one of the ways we use Web 2.0 and Social Media to keep us at the leading edge of information on Social Entrepreneurship and grow our network among the leading SE people and organizations.

Most people will be familiar with facebook (check out our page!) and how that works as a social device, i.e. you add your network, they add you and then you share your posts, pictures, movies, updates and etc. with you network getting general updates on their 'news feed' (whenever you do something) and specific updates in their notifications (whenever you do something that mentions/involves them). What this requires is the voluntary connection (your network) in the facebook ecosystem.

Twitter (please check us out here as well!) on the other hand allows you to 'follow' and be 'followed' in an effort to create and engage your network - think of twitter networking just like a cocktail party, everyone is there, and you can eavesdrop on public conversations, or you can engage and have conversation with people you want to network with. In twitter, like facebook, you can still post links and pictures etc. but twitter is much less of a 'restricted' social platform or self-selecting social network than facebook. The contrast can be boiled down to the difference between a social club and a community centre - facebook is built more exclusive, you need to be a member and people need to let you in their club.

What's beautiful about twitter (similar to the facebook news feed) is that in this ecosystem, not only are publicly posted tweets there for you to browse (following or not), but many tweeps add a "hashtag" to their posts so that other tweeps can follow a topic or trend.

All of the latest information (including links to images, video, articles and etc.) that tweeps post can be aggregated and searched by these hashtags and trends nicely for review - without having to dig into twitter, searching and following. For us here at SE101, this means we can follow the hashtag #SocEnt (Social Entrepreneurship) for example and see everyone posting with the hashtag (we also really like #NonProfit and #WEP - World Economic Forum).

Through the magic of Web 2.0 (if you really want to know how it works watch this video), innovative coding allows us to take these hashtags and trends to an all new level and a daily 'newspaper' can be created to give us the previous days most notable tweets. Paper.li has launched a service that allows you to create your own special interest newspaper, or, like us, allows you to follow topics and trends that are important to you in a nice, easy to read package instead of a mess of linear, historically listed 140 character posts.

Here are a couple papers we like:

1. #SocEnt http://paper.li/tag/socent
2. #WEF http://paper.li/davos
3. #NonProfit http://paper.li/tag/nonprofit

While these newspapers are informative (and they are!) they still do not replace live participation in the ecosystems that are the Social Media Cocktail Party. Please, check us out on Facebook and Twitter - like us, follow us, share our posts, retweet our tweets - with your help, we can continue to grow our community and provide our course to Kenyan Youth!

Why I've committed my summer to SE101

When I was in my third year, I encountered an email outlining the details of a great opportunity. Interested in an opportunity to travel half way around the world to Africa and use your skills to teach others in need of business plan development? I was hesitant to answer this question because I had many excuses. I did not have enough time for this. I do not think this is right for me. I do not want to spend my summer away from home. These hesitant thoughts deleted the message neglecting a great opportunity.

Upon revisiting the website, I learned that wonderful things were done upon such a brief period of time. Smiles were everywhere as I saw the SE101 2009 team dedicating their time to help others. Judging from the smiles from all the photos, the participants were indeed forever indebted and grateful for their presence. Also, the participants in this program gave rave reviews about how they learned so much from their teachers from afar. I saw the African students along with our students hand in hand having the time of their lives. These smiles had an impression on me that I too can make a difference. The smiles from the participants who just barely know you, so real, in a capsulated moment in time really drew me back to this program. I wanted to make a difference. I did not want to leave the Sauder School of Business with only an education, but I wanted to leave a mark, to help others who did not have an opportunity as I did. That is why I chose to dedicate my time to this program.

Now in my fourth year, once again the SE101 email came. This time, I did not let this opportunity get away.

The Importance of Fundraising

SE 101 is a non profit organization that is committed to seeing entrepreneurs have the right skills and tools to develop their own businesses. Fundraising is a key part of SE 101 because it provides funds to buy supplies and materials, team costs, facility rentals in Kenya and micro-financing. The 2010 team is responsible for raising over $25,000. Fundraising not only allows the team to obtain the funds necessary to carry out this project, it also provides important leadership and character development as well as allowing students to take ownership of the project.

This is an excellent way for students to engage both their networks and the community around them to get involved in an exciting and life changing project. To donate please visit SE 101 and all donations over $25 receive a tax receipt from UBC. To learn more about the project and other ways you can support it please visit our facebook page.

Below is a list of ways that donations are used:

$25- Sponsors resource and homework booklets for one participant. These materials, developed by the SE101 team under the supervision of a Sauder School of Business faculty member, are highly valued by participants for their ease of use, local relevance and practical guidance.

$50-Sponsors one week of nutrition breaks at one SE101 location

$150-Sponsors one participant for the three-week program. This support allows us to continue to provide the course at no cost to the participants.

$500-Provides start-up funds for one young entrepreneur to launch their small business. These funds are made available after the participants have received individual feedback and their business plans have been reviewed and approved by the SE101 team.

$750-Sponsors the purchase of a tent for one location. Classes in some locations are taught outdoors, and shelter facilities are needed to protect against variable weather conditions.

$1,000-Provides for the stipends for students from Strathmore University (Nairobi) to teach with us and help mentor the participants

$2,000-Provides post-program support for the participants in SE101. This support ensures that the momentum built during the program is maintained, and that business plans are turned into realized actions.

$5,000-Sponsors an entire classroom (30-35 participants). This includes facilities, nutrition breaks, guest speakers and materials.

International seeds versus Kenyan 'ownership': How best to manage the chicken and the egg?

Happy New Year!

In our recent meeting with the Aga Khan Foundation, a question was raised about the effectiveness of external organizations planting seeds for change in Africa without domestic 'ownership' (read: financial endowment and input into operations) of the initiative.

SE101 has taken the approach to initiate our project on a grassroots level, providing the structure, allowing for our students to take ownership of their business learning and planning and to create a network amongst our past participants as our program grows along their business needs. We are primarily funded by independent North American philanthropy and have not made the choice to secure domestic Kenyan sponsorship yet.

While the argument for domestic vested interest is valid and important to long term success, the issue is more over the foundation and gestation of the initiative. Which comes first and which will result in the most durable and successful initiative? Is it more important that the participants feel ownership or sponsors? Should it be built with integrative channels for domestic sponsors to 'make it their own' along the way or should you be working to involve these domestic players from the outset?

Your insight, reference to relevant sources on the topic and opinions would be appreciated! Please feel free to reply with a comment here, on our facebook page, or on twitter @SE101Africa.