Can't Believe Its Over!

It is now my fifth day back home in Canada, and I have been able to reflect on my Kenyan experience all week.  Honestly, I still cannot believe how fast my entire trip went; I left home on July 15^th, ready for a relaxing three weeks before the rest of the Sauder Africa team arrived in Kenya.  These twenty-one days now seem like a blur, filled with meeting relatives I had not seen years, travelling to the coast city of Mombasa, and playing lots of golf with my cousin.

Fast-forward to August 5^th, the day of reckoning: our first day of teaching.  I remember waking up that morning feeling quite nervous, and found it extremely hard to eat at breakfast.  So many different thoughts were racing through my head.  What are our students going to be like?  Will they be friendly?  Will I be an effective teacher?  Is language going to be a barrier for them?  How will they respond to the program and what we are teaching them?  On my way back up to my room after breakfast, I realized that all of these questions would be answered in due time.  All I had to do on this first day of teaching was embrace the nervousness that I felt, because this emotion showed how much I wanted our three-week program to be successful for our students.

All the nervousness that I had felt at breakfast evaporated in one moment at the start of class.  The first task that we wanted to complete was coming up with a set of rules for everyone in the classroom to abide by.  Instead of forcing these rules upon our students, we wanted to let them come up with a list.  One student in particular, Evans Odero, was a key contributor to this set of rules.  When we called upon him, he stood up and the first thing he said was, “Thank you for this opportunity to speak.”  Evans came up with rule after rule and each time he stood up to talk he uttered those same words, and each time the class burst out in laughter.  This light-hearted moment was all it took to rid me of my nervousness.

A highlight of my experience over the past three weeks was the opportunity to walk through Mathare along with some of our students not once, but twice.  I found this to be an extremely humbling experience for myself.  Seeing the conditions in which the people of Mathare live in truly made me see how lucky I am to be living in a first-world country such as Canada.  Talking to one of the students, I was surprised to learn that an average of seven people lived per household, and that an estimated 400,000 people lived in a five-kilometer radius.  I can only imagine how hard it is to live in Mathare.

Even with the hardships our students have faced in their lives, they always showed up to class with a smile on their face.  Their friendly demeanour not only made it easy to teach them, but also made it impossible not to want to be friends with them.  I hope to keep in touch with many of them through Facebook, and the next time I visit my family in Kenya, I hope to be able to visit some of them as well.  The effort and willingness to learn that they exhibited in class makes me proud to call them my students, and I wish each and every one of them success in their business ventures.  I am thankful for the opportunity that I was given this summer, to take part in this wonderful program, and will cherish the memories that have been created because of it.

Some of our students hard at work.

Bloomtown Kibera

Tracy He

BCOMM 4^th student in Marketing

Sauder School of Business, UBC

It has been a pretty intense three weeks for all of us. Particularly for me, it has been a very good learning experience.  You never really understand yourself until you step outside of your comfort zone. 

One of the things that I am getting to know more about myself is that I realize I am a bit quiet among this Canadian multicultural group. The challenge is that I started to learn English when I was in middle school and didn't have that much opportunity to practice it until I came to Canada for university. That probably explains why sometimes I keep asking people around me to repeat things they just said if they speak too quickly as my brain is still working on processing those words. Luckily, my Canadian group has been very patient to listen to me and repeat stuff if I haven’t got it. Even thought I still quite nervous about asking people to repeat for me but I figure out sometimes I have to do so if I really want to get more involved. 

I was also surprised to find out that how much energy and passion people have in Kibera. Before I came to Africa, I only read about some of the problems that Africans are facing and how we can help them. However, it is not until I arrive in this beautiful land that I realize that only the people who live in this land can really support their own communities. That's what asset-based community development ( ABCD) really about. Each one of the residents in Kibera has particular skill to contribute to their community and to tackle some of the tough issues in their community. We are here to learn more about the communities and to do what we could as educators to leverage their capacity through business education and social entrepreneurship. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset-based_community_development 

By interacting with the students in Kenya, I realize that they are just the same people like us. We are both like pretty dresses and we both love to make jokes and have fun in class. Even though they face many challenges living in Kibera, they are very happy and optimistic people. The really powerful moment was when I was listening to their personal mission statements. They all have great plan for their career and personal lives. It was very touching to hear that how they want to contribute to solve some of the problems in their communities. It was also a very good reflection time for ourselves too. I start to think about my community, my home country China ( oh yes, I have been hearing many interesting things about China in Kenya and China also has many social and environmental challenges ) and how I can do to bring positive change to our society.

Overall, I would say that it has been very positive experience for me in Kenya. It is great to meet all the students in Kibera and Kenyan students and friends. I feel really lucky that I am one of the participants for Sauder Africa team this year. Especially thanks to my group in Kibera and Frances for all the hard work, I feel that this program really speaks to the Sauder's mission of opening door and opening worlds. In the past weeks, we made new friends and learnt about new culture and discovered a bit more about ourselves. I encourage Sauder students who have a global vision and passionate about solving social issues using business methods to apply to this program. 

At last, I have to say that indeed, Kibera is such a boom town! Travelling from Canada to see this massive urbanization in Africa continent ( I am thinking about urbanization in China as well ) is quite a experience. There is a very interesting article about Kibera from Economist that worths reading. As it describes " Kibera may be the most entrepreneurial place on the planet". After seeing Kibera in my own eyes, interacting with students and hearing their life stories, I agree with mostly what's written on the artile "Kibera is an African version of a Chinese boomtown, an advertisement for soild human ambition. Like Guangzhou and Xiamen, it acts as a magnet for talent from rural areas, attracting the most determined among young farmers. To equate slum with idleness and misery is to misunderstand them. It is particularly interesting to me as many of my family members migrant from rural area in China to urban cities and I have been to and lived in Guangzhou and Xiamen. 

http://www.economist.com/news/christmas/21568592-day-economic-life-africas-biggest-shanty-town-boomtown-slum

Indeed, "all bright shining cities start as mud. Slums are far from hopeless places; many are not where economic losers end up, but rather reservoirs of tomorrow's winners." Good luck with all my friends in Kibera! I wish you all the success! :) 

Rethinking Charity

Jorline Ou
Sauder School of Business
4th Year Student, Accounting and Marketing


One of the questions that have been on my mind is, “are we making a difference?” We would hope, all our efforts, time, and sweat have all been for something. There have been hundreds of non-profit organizations and NGO’s whose singular purpose is to alleviate poverty, so why does it seem like no one has gotten it right?

There has been a prolonged debate about how to deal with poverty in developing countries. There has been continuous scrutiny of financial aid and lack of conditional monetary donations. It has been a part of our economy’s tradition to trade at value and exchange goods/services/currency that has provided growth to many countries, then what are the impacts of foreign aid?  It is, perhaps, a little crazy to give money to the poor with no strings attached.

The critique about foreign aid is no longer a foreign subject.  It has been considered to actually support corruption, as financial aid has been given to political systems that are still unstable (which is why SAI program hopes business education will bring a more sustainable impact.)This article: “Do cash grants really make a difference in business expansion?” [Business Daily Africa], outlines a few of the critiques of giving money out freely, on a macro-level but especially on the small-business micro-level.

Here are the highlights:

• Economist Dambisa Moyo authoritatively asserted that aid to Africa is making the continent poorer and should cease to exist
• African leaders have taken advantage of financial aid for personal gain
• Developing countries becomes expectant of the west to provide for the poor
• Business owners that invest own money has been said to take more due diligence in the management of their start-up
• Free money/grants provide way too much comfort and not enough discipline to elicit successful businesses

On the flipside, giving out money directly could also have positive results, as GiveDirectly advocates. The philosophy of GiveDirectly, is to donate money with no conditions and donate directly to the impoverished. This article “Is it nuts to give to the poor without strings attached?” [New York Times], explains their model in more depth.

Here are the highlights:

• GiveDirectly was inspired by the actions of the Mexican Government during the economic crisis in the 1990s, where the Mexican families receives cash transfers in exchange of the promise to keep their children in school and take them to regular health checkups
• Many people benefited from GiveDirectly, in spite of the worries of misuse of donations, people used the money in productive ways
• The money has been used on much needed home repairs, medicine, education, start a business, or expand a business
• This model “puts the choice in the hands of the poor”

These articles simply remind me that there are new things to be learned every day, even about the topics we believe we have expert opinion on. This TedTalk: “The way we think about charity is dead wrong,” also sparked my interest in re-evaluating my involvement in the social sector. In the end, regardless of whether or not you are a volunteer or a benefactor, it is always important to get well informed of the repercussions of the organizations you’re supporting.

To engage in the issue of poverty is already a noble feat, but being able to --- take off those rose-coloured glasses --- rethink your model of change --- adapt it with newly acquired knowledge, is what separates the organization that "means well" and the organization that "makes a difference." Even at Sauder Africa Initiative, we take the effort to get new perspective and evaluate our program's presence and impact here in Kenya. 

Other than that, we've been taking it all in and having a wonderfully, challenging experience. Here's some of our teachers and students from the Kibera Class of 2013!

July 15,2013

Pre-departure thoughts

I will be off to Kenya in a week! This is pretty much the first thing that comes to my mind when I am writing my first blog post for SE 101. I have to say that I am waiting for this moment for a long time, well at least 7 months.  I actually have been thinking about how I should write this these days.  It really has to go back to why I join this program. Before I applied to SE101, I have no idea of what is social enterprise or social entrepreneurship all about. But then, I started to learn more about it and got really passionate about social entrepreneurship.  I didn't fully realize the social and environmental issues around me until I dive into the world of social enterprises. It is really amazing to find out that there are lots of people starting to tackle some of the toughest social and environmental problems facing our humankind. It really inspires me and makes me to start thinking what education really means to me. Is it about getting a degree and ready to make money? Or is there much more about it? Especially for business education, what do we want our commence student walk away with when they are graduated? Cash flow statement, marketing tactics or something more than that. I think that I could actually find the answer in SE101.  I don’t fully understand the meaning of cash flow and all that marketing tactics I have learned until I encounter SE101.  Business education has more responsibility to our society than just teaching students how to prepare cash flow statement or learning another marketing tactics. It is the mean, but not the end. I think the social entrepreneurial spirit the program tries to create in the students is really the meaning of our business education. Ultimately, we are not to educate another accountant, banker or marketer but souls that care about our society and our environment. UBC want to have those graduates who have the courage to speak up in front of social injustice and fight for positive social change. I am not sure if I get the idea from SE101 correctly but this is something that I start to believe in.

It is really exciting to embark on another international service learning journey for me. The last one was about housing as basic human right in Mexico with UBC Go Global. I hope I can learn more from this trip. There are lots of learning opportunities for this program. That’s one of the reasons I am really excited about. I hope to learn more about social enterprises, micro-finance, urbanization and business practices in Kenya. Cross-cultural communication is always interesting, so I am also hoping to have more conversations with local people and bring back home some good stories.

Can’t believe I am leaving for Kenya soon! I am really looking forward to learning more about this country and meeting some cool locals there! 

After One Month in Kenya…

Meghan Mathieson

MBA Candidate 2014 
Sauder School of Business

After one month in Kenya…

I shake hands with everyone, at every meeting – formal or casual – no matter how many times I’ve met them before.

My reaction to seeing white people is, “they look strange”.

I automatically go to the left side of the car to get in the passenger side.

I like eating boiled pumpkin for breakfast.

It is second nature to switch on the hot water a while before I want a shower.

I expect children to chant “howareyou” and rush to hold my hand.

I’ve grown attached to my insanely cheap cell phone.

Chip stands, hair salons, cyber cafes, and entertainment shops are the business types that occupy most of my waking hours.

I’m accustomed to drinking bottled water.

I can cause a riot in the classroom with nothing more than a handful of sweets.

I don’t go out on foot after dark.

I’ve learned that soap is valuable currency in the Maasai Market.

When our driver slows down suddenly, it is either to maneuver an unmarked speed bump in the middle of the road or avoid a bus that has just pulled out into traffic.

I expect the unexpected with sidewalks and other infrastructure (often in a dubious state of repair).

I realize that informal settlements are teeming with activity at all hours of the day.

I can always smell something burning in the air.

I expect advertisements to be at least the size of a four-storey building.

I could buy almost anything from a vendor walking through rush-hour traffic: bananas to phone chargers to hats and sunglasses to superhero posters.

Only muzungus blow their noses on paper tissues. Kenyans use handkerchiefs.

I know that a smile is a language that everyone can understand.

Now that my time in Kenya is drawing to a close, I find myself wondering where the time went. Our month of teaching, exploring, discovering, and making friends has gone by very quickly. I did not expect to become so close to my students; it was a wrench saying goodbye with no idea if I will ever see them again or know if their business plans worked out. I will certainly try to stay in touch with those that have email or Facebook access.

After our last day of class, our students took us on a tour of their community. We spent over an hour walking through a few of the many villages that make up the Mathare Valley, seeing shops and homes, illegal stills brewing and animals grazing, children playing and men talking. The four of us teachers gave our cameras to our students to take photos for us, a task they embraced with enthusiasm. We saw an impromptu dance demonstration by two members of Ghetto Marvellous, a local dance group. Their moves were emulated by a half dozen children who wanted to show off for the mzungus.

I had mixed feelings about our experience in the slum. Our students were so excited to show us where they lived, but it was difficult to think about the way I live and compare it to how my students live. Just because I had the good fortune to be born in Canada, my life is much more comfortable and secure.

When we were talking about problems in the community in the first week of the program, security was a problem that came up frequently. I can’t imagine life where I never felt safe. Our students talked about how people don’t leave their homes after dark, which occurs at 7 PM, and most homes don’t have toilet facilities. Most homes also don’t have electricity, so doing anything – work, study, fun – after dark is difficult. One of our students had his home broken into and his course binder was among the things taken from him. Fortunately, I had an extra one to give him.

Another thing that really struck me about Mathare was just how complicated a system a community like this is. I can’t really blame the government for not wanting to acknowledge that it even exists. There are so many people packed into such a small and completely unplanned space. Because it is in a valley (a former quarry), when it rains, houses flood. There is no consistent garbage removal. Some of our students previously tried to clean up one of the informal garbage dump areas (just beside a main path), but people just kept on dumping there. Food is costly because most people eat prepared food. Buying ingredients to cook for yourself is expensive, particularly cooking fuel, and often not feasible given the lack of security. Having a lot of food or money on hand just isn’t safe.

The past few months, preparing for and being in Kenya, have certainly helped me understand some of the complexities around international development work. I still don’t know what the answer is to a situation like Mathare, but I hope our efforts to teach basic business concepts will help a few people reach a more financially and physically secure place in life. 

It couldn't have been any better!

Ray Reuben Kibet

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

Strathmore University

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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