East Africa: Who What Where Why?

This post is an attempt to summarize what I have begun to refer to as my "self-funded, self-directed fellowship" ... otherwise known as my "East Africa Summer" - May 14 through Aug 22, 2011.

It all started with my Lehigh Comparative Politics class. Our TA Brian had spent a semester abroad in Kenya, and used to meet with a small group of interested students once a week, to show us photographs and tell us stories about Kenya. Years later two close friends, Sharon and Eric left at about the same time for Tanzania, to volunteer for extended amounts of time. I got to experience Tanzania vicariously through them. Then in January 2010 I watched the first Invisible Children documentary about the Lord's Resistance Army and Joseph Kony. I was really touched by Jacob's story, one of the Ugandan boys in the film, and started following Invisible Children's work. Over the course of the rest of 2010, things just kept piling on top of each other. I read Jacqueline Novogratz's book The Blue Sweater, and began going to Acumen Fund events. I started meeting people from San Francisco's social entrepreneurship community, while also reading about other young social entrepreneurs. I wanted my own experience, and I wanted to meet the social entrepreneurs in East Africa and hear their stories in person. Fortunately things culminated in my life in such a way that I was able to just jump in with both feet, and I began to plan an East Africa Summer.

The next part wasn't quite as easy. Invisible Children doesn't have a volunteer program in their Gulu, Uganda office. I had missed the Kiva Fellowship Program application deadline. I hadn't been to East Africa before and didn't have any friends there; I needed to plan out where I would be volunteering, and my return date. I remembered that the Daraja Academy of Kenya had invited me to volunteer at their campus in Kenya, after the successful athletic shoe drive that Caitie and I had organized the previous summer. I applied to volunteer at Daraja for a month beginning on May 14, and was accepted. Next, I needed to propose a project to be completed during my month's stay on campus. I am very interested in access to higher education and love mentoring my Level Playing Field Summer Math & Science Honors Academy students, so I proposed serving as a guidance counselor on campus, for the month. Daraja had a better idea - they needed help researching post-graduation opportunities for the students. Daraja is a young school - the oldest students are in Form 3 (high school juniors). So I would get to do some planning work, which sounded exciting! While I was quitting my job and giving up my San Francisco apartment, I figured that I might as well stay in East Africa for the summer. I reached out to one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who I had met several months prior to see if he had any suggestions. Garang said that he could use my help with a particular project in East Africa, and we decided that I would return to the USA on August 22. So I was all set! I gave notice, gave away a lot of my stuff, packed what was left, drove that stuff and my dog to my mom's in NY, and then I was off to the airport.

I lived on Daraja's campus outside of Nanyuki, near Mount Kenya from May 14 through June 14. I spent most of my time conducting online research, interviewing civil servants (Nanyuki is the Laikipia District seat so there is a government compound in town), helping students prepare for the Music Festival competition, attending Sunday student-run religious services, ran a Blue Sweater Book Club using twenty-five copies of the book that had been donated by the Acumen Fund, participating in the sports program, sitting in on the Women of Integrity Strength and Hope (WISH) classes, and in general trying to get to know the students and the Kenyan education system as well as possible.

I had trouble reaching Garang of New Scholars while I was at Daraja, due to poor telecommunications infrastructure in South Sudan. So at this point it was time to re-invent the summer plans! From Daraja I proceeded to Jinja, Uganda to visit an old friend, Meghan who was volunteering with Light Gives Heat for the summer. I spent about a week in Jinja learning about Meghan's work and meeting her fellow volunteers and the organization's staff, went to Sipi Falls, Bujagali Falls, went white water rafting on the Nile, and spent a lot of time meeting staff and guests at the hostel where I was staying, which is where I learned so much about Ugandan culture, the education system, credit, and development. From there I headed onto Kampala, the capital of Uganda where I was invited to stay with a fellow Pace Law Environmental Program alum, Elaine who was on a Fulbright and was living on the Makarere University Campus. Thanks to Elaine and a Kiva Fellow I met, Michele, got to know the expat community and life in Kampala. I also got to meet the founders of one of my favorite social ventures, AFRIpads! While in Kampala I also explored the city, and learned that Jacqueline Novogratz had tweeted about me! I left Kampala for a few days, to track chimps in Kibale National Park. While there I realized that the water filter that I brought with me from the USA was not working and began to drink bottled water, not realizing that my body was already fighting water-borne illnesses. I'd met two Australian travelers on my first day in Uganda, who had invited me to go up to Gulu, Uganda with them to visit the Invisible Children office. I'd also met Tom, a Ugandan who attends university in Michigan and is active with his campus' Invisible Children Club but was home for summer break, at a coffee shop in Jinja. Tom had introduced me to someone who works in the Invisible Children Gulu office. Visiting Gulu, meeting the Invisible Children staff, staying at one of the Invisible Children staff houses, going to Krochet Kids' compound ... I learned so much! I wrapped up my three and a half weeks in Uganda with one final Nile rafting trip, and goodbye-for-now's to my friends at the hostel, and Meghan. Leaving Uganda ... crossing the border back into Kenya ... that was hard. I loved Uganda.

I headed right back to Nairobi, to begin the third and final part of my East Africa Summer. I stayed at a hostel (Upper Hill Campsite) that had been recommended by my Australian friends, as well as a San Francisco Surfrider friend Jules, who had been through Nairobi recently. I met some people who had been traveling all over Africa, and had interesting stories to tell. Thanks to Michele's roommate in Kampala, I quickly found a room in a Western apartment to sublet, in the heart of Nairobi. I spent most of the next six weeks in Nairobi itself, doing work. Even though I had technically already finished my project for Daraja, I decided to continue my research, independently. I felt as if I was just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding, when I left Daraja. There was (and still is) so much to learn. But it wasn't all work - I took side trips to Maasai Mara National Park "on safari", up to Daraja's campus for a quick weekend to meet Daraja co-founder Jenni who had been out of the country while I was living at Daraja, and to Mombasa and Diani Beach on the Kenyan coast. I met some great fellow travelers white water rafting and on safari, who I later caught up with in Nairobi - Maria, Elien and Jan. I also did a few "day trips" within Nairobi's city limits - to the David Sheldrick Baby Elephant and Rhino Orphanage for the public daily milk feeding and then for the tuck-in, and to Nairobi National Park. I got connected to two Georgetown alums in Nairobi, Angela and Laney, and another American living in Nairobi, Karen. I had so much fun hanging out with them, getting advice about health care when my illnesses started keeping me down, and helping Angela out with the Amanai Art Club that she started for Nairobi street boys. I got to meet two of my friend Sharon's Kenyan friends, two Kiva Fellows in Nairobi, Richard and Nila, and my friend Sowmya's friends from her International Peace Masters Program, Wilson and Edith. I also got to meet Acumen Fund Nairobi office team member Suraj, who invited me to the launch of the Acumen East Africa Fellows Program where I got to meet Jacqueline Novogratz, and to TEDxKibera. Lehigh young alum Freedom warmly welcomed me to Kenya, and helped me plan and run a Lehigh Alumni Happy Hour in Nairobi. I mentioned that one of my plans for my summer was to meet inspiring social entrepreneurs, and to get to hear their stories. I got to meet Jessica Posner, who has been an inspiration to me from the time that I first learned of her work with Shining Hope for Communities. I also got to reconnect with Garang from New Scholars, while he was in Nairobi from South Sudan, and learned how I can help him with his work. I remain so passionate about the work that needs to be done - and opportunities - in South Sudan.

In addition to all of these activities, and learning Nairobi I continued on with the research that I began at Daraja. While touring social ventures in Uganda, I noticed that every venture had social workers on staff. I began to consider that bursaries (college scholarships) were not quite enough - the students need mentors, too. While in Uganda I got to meet with a US Embassy employee who helps Ugandan students access US universities, and then got to meet staff in Kenya who are doing a similar thing. I set up appointments and dropped in on nonprofits and corporate operations that empower Kenyan students via both bursaries and mentoring programs, including Akili Dada, KenSAP, and Equity Bank. (I was invited to attend the two-week long second annual Equity Bank Congress on Kenyatta University's campus, which was an amazing experience - got to meet inspiring students, and was able to collaborate with fantastic bank employees.) While conducting my research at Daraja I learned about some of Kenya's top students, and found that many attended two "national" boarding schools for girls, both located in Nairobi - Precious Blood Riruta and Kenya High School. I was invited to visit both campuses, and learned so much from meeting the Precious Blood students and Principal, and staff at Kenya High School. Meeting John, one of the current Acumen East Africa Fellows, turned some of my thoughts upside down. Wow - one of the best things from my summer was people's willingness to go out of their way to teach me, and help me with my work.

I left Nairobi on August 22, to fly back to the States feeling as if my work was just beginning. I'm still trying to draw conclusions from all that I saw, experienced, and learned this past summer. I remind myself of Jacqueline Novogratz's keynote at the East Africa Fellows launch event, when she reminded us that she has been doing this work for twenty-five years. I can't expect to have figured everything out in three and a half months. And yet ... the best thing is just to begin. Thanks to Sanergy, a eco-sanitation solution social venture in Nairobi, I found out about Kevin Starr's PopTech talk.



It's given me a lot to think about. I also learned a lot from a conversation that I had with Saul Garlick at SOCAP11 (Social Capital Markets Conference) last month. What do I care most about? What is the problem that I want to solve? Forget about the rest of it. Just start with this. I'm working on it, and will update here when I'm ready! But the main theme is empowering young East African women to create change in their communities through mentoring, education, travel and extended service learning.

Thanks to everyone who followed along with my adventures by reading my East Africa blog posts, and checking in with me. It meant a lot!

East Africa Day 39 (Tues June 21, 2011): In the Beginning it will be Hard

I slept well last night, after yesterday's adventures on the Nile!

After a shower I sat with Stacey, Maria, and their two fellow volunteers from Germany in the hostel’s porch/lounge area for a while. They were preparing to part ways. Stacey is headed back to the village with Maria, and the German women are going to visit an orphanage in a nearby town that they had volunteered for during a previous summer. By the time the German volunteers get back to the village, Stacey will have already left Kenya to head back to Canada.



I also met a Bulgarian woman studying at a university in London, who has been staying at the hostel with a big group of mostly theater majors from her school. Twenty students from her school have been here in Uganda for the past month, volunteering for Soft Power, the organization that our river guide Juma's wife Sharon, runs. They each fundraised 650 pounds to cover their volunteer fees, and paid for their own plane tickets. Carmen told me that they were renovating schools - painting them inside and out, helping with construction projects, etc. They have been boarding in the schools - sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags, with bed nets. For example the school that they are working on right now has six rooms. They painted the first five rooms, and slept in the sixth room. They were here for the weekend to explore Jinja together before returning to London.

I walked over to Meghan's house, and had fun hanging out on their front porch, catching up with the Light Gives Heat Team.


photo: hanging out in the Light Gives Heat house dining room.

On my way over to the house I ran into a protest. A Ugandan man had pulled what looked like a telephone pole down, and had used it to block off the street. A small group of spectators (or maybe supporters) had formed at the intersection. I was not allowed to pass. I asked some of the young people there what was going on, and asked them the best alternate route to get to Meghan's address. One nice young guy walked me to a short cut that meanders between backyards, running parallel to the road. It was very pretty and worked out perfectly. The protest had wrapped up by the time I left Meghan's to head back to the hostel.

When I got back to the hostel I found Juma and Gerald at the bar. I asked Juma for his advice regarding the best way for a mzungu like me to make a difference in Uganda. He had a lot of interesting things to say. Firstly, he suggested that I get to know the community that I want to help. Find out what the villagers think of wazungus. Each community has a different opinion, and works differently. If they do not have a favorable impression of wazungus, then you must first try to change this. He told me some things about the Ugandan culture - crucial to understand if you want to work in Uganda. However, the thing that stuck with me the most was that like starting a business such as Nile River Explorers, in the beginning it will be hard. If you are the one who started a program or a business, then you might not be the one to actually see and experience it's success - because the early days are so hard. He gave me some great examples from NRE - contrasting how things were in the beginning, with how they are now. He said that if you want to be a part of that success, then you should either send someone in your place to start the project/organization, and then go later so that you can enjoy the success. Otherwise, just realize that you will be the one to sacrifice, but you might not be the one to enjoy the benefits of that sacrifice. Or I suppose another alternative is that you don't start a project - instead you join someone else's once it's been started and is already successful. But of course so many of us are drawn to risk.

In the course of the discussion I also learned the origins of the word Mzungu.

I later grabbed this from Wikipedia: The etymology of the word stems from a contraction of words meaning "one who wanders aimlessly" (from swahili words zungu, zunguzungu, zunguka, zungusha, mzungukaji-meaning to go round and round; from Luganda okuzunga which means to wander aimlessly ) and was coined to describe European explorers, missionaries and slave traders who traveled through East African countries in the 18th century.

Wanderer? I like the word more, now. Though I prefer to be referred to and addressed by my name, Nicole.

Meghan came by while I was talking with Juma, and he gave us his thoughts on our travel plans for this coming weekend. After that I hung out with some of the staff members and that was pretty much the end of a rainy, overcast day! Last thing I did tonight was post my recap and lesson plans for the Blue Sweater Book Club on Daraja's campus to the Acumen Fund community. Hopefully it'll help someone else!

East Africa Day 31 (Mon June 13): Parting Words

Towards the end of breakfast this AM, Victoria reminded me that she and I had decided that I would present to the students during today’s Morning Assembly (in Frost Valley terminology, it’s Flag Raising) – in approximately five minutes.



Photo: This is my usual mealtime group! I often sit against the wall, across from Pamela – that’s where I was sitting this AM.

I considered how to best say goodbye to the students on my way up the hill to the flag pole. This was a particularly fun Morning Assembly (we have them every Monday AM following breakfast) because this was “Mr. D’s” (Jason Dougherty) first Morning Assembly in a while. I recorded some video, but will have to post it some other time. However it also was not fun, because the students begin several days-worth of testing today. I wouldn’t call their faces grim, but they weren’t dancing and laughing, either:)

After the students raised the flag, and Mr. D and faculty made announcements, I was invited to step up to “the stage” (aka the opposite side of the flagpole from where the students stand). I essentially told the students what I had come to learn over the course of the past month: that Mr. D and Jenni selected these particular students to come to Daraja because they are already brilliant, saw that the students were just like them, and that the students have the potential to do challenging things – to forge new paths – to do great things, just like the Dougherty’s themselves. Yet - the students are already great. Grades and KCSE scores cannot change that. I referenced the Blue Sweater Book Club meeting a few times, and the speech I gave to the students when I introduced the book.

While these are themes that I’ve been considering a lot over the past few days, I hadn’t exactly prepared notes for my little speech, and was therefore a little unsure of myself. So it was really sweet that when I looked over my right shoulder at the faculty and administration, I saw Teacher Carol nodding her head in agreement with my remarks. Afterwards, Car, Carol, Jason, and Victoria told me that they had really liked my remarks. Car even said that it had given him some things to think about. It was difficult to tell how the students received my remarks – their expressions didn’t change while I was speaking, but I felt based on some of the hugs I received over the course of the morning that my remarks might have meant something.

After breakfast, I got to meet with Jason for a while to talk about my project and how it fits in with his plans for the school and students. We had a great conversation – he gave me some things to think about. Good stuff! Following that, I went to the Library and wrote inscriptions into all twenty-five copies of The Blue Sweater.





On my way through the quad, I ran into students who were taking a break between exams.



I found a study group doing some last minute reviews, beneath my favorite place to sit on the quad.



Over two weeks ago I’d promised Joyce that I’d take photos of her in her uniform, for her. When I saw her on the lawn, I grabbed her and asked her where we should take the photos. She found a beautiful spot tucked away behind one of the classroom buildings, with good lighting. I love this photo of her!




Following lunch, Car, Teacher Peter and I jumped into the car with Wa and headed into town. Fortunately I found the person that I was supposed to speak with at the Council office, at his desk! He completely filled me in on how the Council awards its bursaries to students. He welcomed me to Kenya and told me that I could call him if I have any additional questions. Everyone has been so nice! I didn’t have much time, but headed to the Education District Office to thank Hasan for all of his help. I found him in the lobby of the building, and he invited me into his office so that I could confirm that I correctly understood what he had told me during our previous conversations. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned and how much my comprehension of the Kenya education system has improved in not much more than two weeks. I sorted out the Ministry of Education bursary award process and the District Education Office’s role in it, thereby actually unbelievably wrapping up all of the details of bursary options in Nanyuki – as far as I know! I feel really good about my understanding and findings. Perfect timing since I am supposed to leave Daraja’s campus (and Nanyuki) any day now.



Photo: Hasan at his desk in the District Education office.

I then had four minutes to get to the Boulangerie to meet Car, Peter and Wa, to catch a ride back to campus. We were running a little late, so I was able to order a chocolate crossaint (the Boulangerie is famous on Daraja’s campus for these) to go, and sat down for a few minutes to use the wireless internet with my netbook. It was nice to get to catch up with Jon and Peter who work there, one last time before I go.

East Africa Day 30 (Sun June 12): Daraja Blue Sweater Book Club!

What a great, satisfying day! I woke up before sunrise today, and managed to get out of bed just long enough to open my banda door and look at the beautiful skyline:) I then got my Blue Sweater notes out, and began re-reading the chapters I’d assigned to the students for today’s Book Club meeting: the prologue, Chapters 13 and 16. Fellow volunteer, Sue left campus today to return to Marin County. She’s planning to come back next summer, to coach the students for the Nanyuki Music Festival; at least everyone knows that she’ll be back in less than 12 months! After saying goodbye to Sue, I took my materials out to the quad, and listened to the Catholic students singing in a classroom to my right, and the Protestant students singing in a classroom to my left. It was beautiful morning – sunny, but not hot.



I created my outline for Book Club as the students were finishing services. I then found two Form 3 students who were out behind the dormitory building closest to my banda, doing their laundry. (Pamela had told me that she learned how to do wash last weekend, and that it was a lot of fun. Plus, I had some clothes that I really needed to thoroughly wash:) I watched the students do their laundry and received a very detailed lesson.

First the white powder soap goes into a bucket with running water from the tap. Then the clothes go into the bucket, to be scrubbed. (Darks are washed together, lights are washed together, and clothing that might bleed is washed in its own bucket.) The dirty clothes are scrunched around in the bucket with the suds. Then a bar of soap (not specifically labeled in the store, for clothing – I asked – the soap is multi-purpose) is rubbed into the clothes, into stains or heavily soiled areas. Then you scrub the bar soaped areas, holding the clothing above the surface of the water. You must take the type of fabric into account when scrubbing with the soap – for example wool sweater sleeves should be scrubbed between your hands, from shoulder seam to wrist so that you do not stretch out the sweater sleeve. Heavily soiled areas include cuffs – the students made sure that I applied the bar soap to all of my sleeve cuffs! Next, after using the bar soap, the clothing is again swished around in the suds-filled bucket. Then you wring it out, and put the clothing into another bucket.



If the clothing was particularly dirty, or if the water in the suds bucket is now pretty dirty, then you know that it needs to be scrubbed again. (The students were supervising me, and deemed that re-scrubbing was necessary in my case:) So then a student re-scrubbed my clothes in a second bucket of sudsy water, again using the bar soap. Then, the clothes wound up in a third bucket where the second student also scrubbed the parts that I hadn’t done thoroughly enough. I tell you, these are going to be the cleanest clothes that I will have ever put on my body!

Finally, the soapy but wrung-out clothes were put into a bucket of clean water, to be rinsed. When the bucket is full of soapy clothes, the bucket is pushed underneath the spigot, and clean water is poured over each item of clothing separately to make sure that the soap comes out. Then the clothes are wrung out and hung up outside in the sun to dry. Athletic shoes are left to sit in a soapy bucket for a bit, and are scrubbed with a brush – especially if the shoes are white. Apparently they get quite dirty and it’s a process to clean them, based on the students’ looks when I asked them about the shoe-washing process:)

I asked who washes the clothes at home. One student does the family’s laundry with her mom. The other student’s sister washes the family’s clothes. Sometimes brothers will beg or pay their sisters to wash their dirty clothes. The wash is done once a week, and apparently wash for one family – especially if there are little kids who like to play in the dirt – can be a lot of work. I can imagine, based on my experience this morning, with my limited amount of dirty clothing! I also learned that washing clothes is a profession – persons go door to door in a community, to ask if you need your clothes washed. Some families use the same launderer each time, because they know that they can trust the launderer. Some launderers steal your clothing when you hand it over, to be washed. But I had a great time washing my clothes this morning, and it was very satisfying! (Unfortunately it rained this afternoon so my damp clothes are now hanging up inside of my banda awaiting tomorrow’s sun, but that’s OK. Except undergarments – those must be hung up to dry in a place where Kenyans will not be able to catch a glimpse of them.)

I then held my Book Club meeting from 2-3pm, directly following lunch. On my way to my chosen spot on the quad lawn, underneath a tree, I passed this student reading the book. She was so engrossed in it that she didn’t even notice that I snapped a few photos of her from various angles:)



I sat down underneath the tree to wait … ten students came, Vice Principal Victoria, Pamela, Maria, and Car stopped by to snap these photos for me with my camera. I was so touched, particularly because the students start exams tomorrow. Some students have four exams tomorrow – covering everything that they have learned since school started a month ago. Since the students hadn’t had a chance to complete all of the reading, we primarily used The Blue Sweater to discuss the bigger picture – the definition of an “entrepreneur”, some examples of entrepreneurs from the book (Jacqueline herself, plus two entrepreneurs she writes about), and Jenni and Jason who started Daraja. We talked about the obstacles that these entrepreneurs faced – such as people who told them “no”, and the amazing things that can happen when you listen to your inner voice and don’t give up.



We also discussed Acumen Fund’s model, the Kibera Book Club, “patient capital” vs grants and traditional loans. I likened the Daraja students to the entrepreneurs that we discussed, and made sure that they knew through much repetition that they will be great, and that they just need to stick with it until they divine their own purposes. I used the example of the entrepreneur in The Blue Sweater who was a well-respected eye doctor in India, who then created a new product that wound up aiding the poor around the world. This Indian man was a doctor, yes – but he took a different path, turned down an offer to buy his product because he believed there was another, better way to serve the poor, and he made a huge difference. I perhaps over did, through much repetition, that you can be great in a variety of ways – there is no one “right” way to be great, no one “right” profession or job, and that everyone has their own talents that will lead them to their own paths. I encouraged risk-taking, entrepreneurship, and big dreams. I told them that we were talking about the Blue Sweater because Jacqueline’s story inspires me, but that it’s Jacqueline’s story, and her idea for making the world a better place. I told the students that they each have their own stories to tell, and their own ideas, and ways to contribute – they just have to figure out what it will be, and try out their ideas, no matter what anyone else says! I made sure the students know that they are already great – and that one day when Daraja has many more students, the students will look back at the great ladies of Daraja who helped the Dougherty’s start the school. I told them that I heard that there was no other school like Daraja in the whole world – they are very special young women. I told them that Acumen Fund believes that, too – the chronicle about how Jo-Ann weighed the book for me, I decided I could take 25 pounds of books in my luggage, and then carted the plastic bag of books around NYC before packing them In my luggage and bringing them to campus. I wrapped up by reading the students the “Dear Students” letter from Jacqueline, that accompanies the Student Book Club guide available for use, on the Acumen website. We also talked about the story behind the book’s title – based on their knowing smiles, I could tell that they loved and related to that story:) We are indeed one people, one planet, one world.

INSERT 31-18.

During the course of our talk I had the students open the book many times, as I read aloud from the book to illustrate my points. They are so attentive – it’s amazing. Each time I glanced up between words, the students were all following along in their own copies of the book. It was great to see their smiles and bright eyes, to see them seriously considering all of my questions, and to hear their thoughts. I hope that the twenty-five copies of the book that I left in the Daraja library will receive much use! I also recommended “The Boy Who Inherited the Wind” – it’s in the library!

INSERT 31-19.

I noticed this afternoon that two students are reading “Three Cups of Tea” today – sweet! After Book Club I started ”Stones into Schools”, by the same author – Greg Mortenson. Tomorrow might be my last full day at Daraja. Hard to believe – the month has gone by too quickly.

East Africa Day 29 (Sat June 11): Happy Birthday, Andy!

Another pre-breakfast run was followed by work in the office. It was just me and the dogs for most of the day. (We had a rain storm with lightning and thunder this afternoon, and the dogs came inside to hang out with me.) I heard Tusker alert me that someone was at the door. I just assumed that it was a student or a staff member, looking for Mr. Wa, whose desk is across from mine. Everyone comes looking for Mr. Wa! They always knock before entering the office, and then I say “come in” and the person emerges from behind the bookcase that blocks my view of the doorway. So today, I thought it was strange that Tusker alerted me that someone was at the door, but I didn’t hear a knock at the door. But I was distractedly typing up my notes from yesterday’s interviews, and didn’t pay attention. Then I hear a crunching noise … I still think someone is about to walk into the office. I looked over my left shoulder towards the bookcase and door, and this is what I saw … WHATTT???!!! A cow eating a piece of paper out of the trash bin! I got up and walked closer for a closer photo, but it slowly walked out of the office door – no big deal here.



Today was Daraja Volunteer Coordinator Andy’s 26th Birthday. This evening Leila asked me if I’d seen Andy today. She said that she hadn’t seen him, and thought that he was hiding from the students. I learned that it’s Daraja tradition that the Birthday Person has water dumped on top of them, on their Birthday. Andy missed out today!

Saturday evenings at Daraja are dancing and movie night. As I’ve mentioned, the students use a smaller-sized TV and DVD player for their multi-purpose entertainment, in the dining hall after the plates are cleared away. Sue’s employer donated a projector, Sue donated a laptop, and purchased computer speakers in town last week. She taught Betty and Leila how to set up and operate the system, so that the students could watch their movies on a larger screen with the projector. We finally got it all set up, and all of the girls sat down, leaning forward towards the screen, waiting for the movie to begin. (They chose to watch The Social Network tonight.) But when the movie started, the girls couldn’t really hear the sound - even with the volume turned up all of the way. New speakers needed. In the meantime, back to the TV and DVD player. Sue brought the students candy – pop rocks, etc – which she passed out during the movie tonight. It was really cute!

She had also brought stamps and stickers, which the girls used tonight to make Andy Birthday cards. After the students started the movie, Sue and I went up to Jenni and Jason’s house for Andy’s Birthday Party. He loved his cards from the girls! Here are a few photos from the party. Happy Birthday, Andy!





Blue Sweater Book Club tomorrow!! Wish me luck!

East Africa Day 25 (Tues June 7): Introducing the Daraja Academy of Kenya Blue Sweater Book Club!

When Victoria and I met yesterday, I mentioned that I would like to hear Daraja’s (Kenyan) teachers stories about how they personally navigated the university process. The faculty and I were supposed to meet over lunch today. That’s been pushed back to Thursday - the students had an afternoon football (soccer) and volleyball tournament today with students from a Nanyuki secondary school. As a result, classes ended early and so lunch was shortened to squeeze every possible classroom lesson in, this afternoon. Since I didn’t have to plan for the lunch meeting, I decided to spend the AM preparing to speak to the students about my Blue Sweater Book Club!

Here’s a view of the office, with everyone who is currently using the space at their typical respective work stations. Mine is the one with the empty chair …



The members of the Book Club and I are meeting from 2-3pm on Sunday. I’ve selected the Prologue, and Chapters 13 and 16 for the students to read before Sunday, and then we will discuss those chapters at Book Club.

Why all of this talk about a book?? :) Some people might know that the author of The Blue Sweater, Jacqueline Novogratz, is one of my heros. Her story is part of the reason that I am here this summer, writing these blog posts:) In 2001 Jacqueline founded the NYC-based nonprofit Acumen Fund. Here’s a summary of her book, The Blue Sweater - I grabbed the text from the Acumen website:

The Blue Sweater is the inspiring personal memoir of a woman who has spent her life on a quest to understand global poverty and to find powerful new ways of tackling it. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealist venturing forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Jacqueline Novogratz brings us a series of insightful stories and unforgettable characters -- from women dancing in a Nairobi slum, to unwed mothers starting a bakery, to courageous survivors of the Rwandan genocide, to entrepreneurs building services for the poor against impossible odds. She shows, in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking, how traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called “patient capital” can help make people self-sufficient and change millions of lives. More than just an autobiography or a how-to guide to tackling poverty, this book challenges us to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink our engagement with the world.

I don’t remember how I first heard about Acumen Fund, but I must have really liked what I had heard, because I joined the org’s email list:) In early 2010 I received an email from Acumen HQ, promoting the idea of Blue Sweater Book Clubs around the world. The email said that there would be formal Book Clubs in Nairobi and San Francisco, and that anyone was welcomed to attend those two events. I immediately signed up for the San Francisco Book Club. Long story short, I became a volunteer for the San Francisco Acumen Fund Chapter, and Acumen is now one of my favorite orgs. I’ve been so inspired by the people that I’ve gotten to know through Acumen – I realized it was really finally time that I did something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time – travel to Africa with an eye on the possibilities.

The football and volleyball tournaments went well this afternoon – Daraja won both! I snapped a few photos at the football match – some of our players in their uniforms, and the coaches – newly arrived return volunteer and recent UCSD graduate from Tucson – Car, with Teacher Peter, Wa, and Andy.





After the match I snapped this cute one of Maria and her fiance, Bennett, with some of the students. When not in Kenya, they live in Ocean Beach, San Diego.




I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for the talk that Victoria and I decided that I would give to the students tonight, after dinner. Seventy-seven students attentively looking at me, while I practiced my own public speaking skills. Ashtonishingly, I did not ramble and probably spoke for ten minutes, max. I told them that I had come to Africa to learn what it is like to grow up here, but that I will never really know what it’s like. I can’t make Kenya a better place for women, because I don’t know what the problems are and what the solutions could be, like the students know them. So I told them that I came here to learn what their dreams are, and to try to help the students realize those dreams. I explained that I am here partly because of The Blue Sweater, and my belief that there are other ways to make this world a better place, other than the traditional careers that we all think of. I gave the example of how when I was in university, I thought that law was the right path because it sounded good, and it seemed that I would have the power to effect change. However I’ve since learned that there are plenty of other ways to go about making the world a better place – like the work that Acumen does, and the things that Jacqueline talked about in The Blue Sweater. I explained that I wanted the students to consider that there are so many ways that they can make Kenya a better place, and that I came because Caiitie Ireland told me about the Daraja students, and that I know that they can do it. I told them that Acumen Fund thinks that they can do it, too – and that the org donated twenty-five copies of The Blue Sweater to Daraja’s library, because Acumen thinks that it’s important for the Daraja students to read the book, too. I told them that the books would not be going anywhere – they will be in the library if they want to read the book at a later date, but that if they can read thirty-five pages before Sunday (the ones I’d assigned) then I would be holding Book Club on Sunday afternoon.

The students were so quiet – it was hard to tell if any of the students were moved to read the assigned text by Sunday. FINGERS CROSSED! But on the way out of the room where we held the meeting, I received a lot of silent hugs from students, and Mary N (a Form 1 student, and one of the students that I helped coach for the Public Speaking Competition) told me that I had done a good job with my speech, and I believe another student thanked me for sharing. We’ll see what happens on Sunday. I’d like to be able to continue the conversation about entrepreneurship and striking your own path with the students. When I said that the books would be in the library if the students wanted to read them later, I saw Emily, a Form 2 student that I also helped coach for Public Speaking, who was one of the three students who gave me my campus tour when I first arrived here, shaking her head – as if “I’m happy to hear the books will be in the library – I’ll read it later. So that was reassuring, at any rate:)
I then put the books out in the library …



After setting out the books with high hopes and crossed fingers, I helped Sue “test out” the projector, laptop and laptop speakers that she brought with her to donate to campus. We watched Rosalia’s favorite movie, “Twenty Seven Dresses”. It was cute!

East Africa Day 24 (Mon June 6): Progress

Next Monday is my last full day on Daraja’s campus. I leave campus bound for new adventures next Tuesday, June 15. These travelers beat me to it, though. Corinne is from Switzerland and Joseba is from Spain. They are riding their bikes from Egypt to South Africa over a time span of six months. They left campus after breakfast. You can check out their blog here.



This morning I met with Vice Principal Victoria for two hours (!) to discuss my Daraja project. We talked about the difficulties of accessing higher education (financial aid) specifically as it relates to our students. Why does my mission of “equalizing access to higher education for Kenyan women” get more complicated the more I learn about the realities of the Kenya system? It’s a good thing that difficulties never disuade me:) I’m thinking of writing a manual and creating an accompanying website to host and disseminate all of the information that I’m gathering for Daraja. Victoria liked my idea and gave me a suggestion for an additional section, which I totally love – how to stay true to your asipirations during your mandatory “gap year” between secondary school and university. She gave me some suggestions for my Nairobi research, which I’m excited to follow up on.

Since I’ve pretty much exhausted the internet’s resources by now, as it relates to my project, I asked her how I can be of service for my final week on campus. After a long talk, we decided that it would be prudent for me to do a Blue Sweater Book Club. I am introducing the book tomorrow (Tuesday) night at dinner, and will invite the students to take one of the twenty-five copies of the book out of the school library, and read an assigned chapter before we meet for an hour on Sunday afternoon for Book Club. I’m so excited to do this! I see it as an introduction to the topic of entrepreneurship and the road less taken. YAY! BIG THANKS to Acumen Fund’s NYC office –specifially Jo-Ann Tan, for providing me with as many copies of the book as I thought I would be able to carry to Kenya in my luggage! :)

Things become clearer each day, as I get a better grasp of the Kenyan education system and how I can be of service to the young women of Kenya. Progress!

One Tribe

I Love Jacqueline Novogratz.

Here she is, speaking at Milano: The New School for Management and Urban Policy. This was a standing-room only event that took place on Feb 17, 2010.



If you enjoyed this then check out the Acumen Fund, and read Jacqueline's book The Blue Sweater.

LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE her!

Incidentally, she's married to the curator of TED, Chris Anderson.

Acumen Fund Wine Bar & Speaker Event - San Francisco, Thurs March 25

After attending the Acumen Fund San Francisco Chapter's "The Blue Sweater" book event, I was invited to help the San Francisco Chapter leadership plan this event. I know it's last minute, but hope you can make it!

Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. It seeks to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Its investments focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services – like health, water, housing and energy – through innovative, market-oriented approaches.

We're having a tasting tomorrow (Thursday, March 25) with a special flight of three types of wine at SNOB wine bar in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California.

Misbah Naqvi, who is on Acumen's business development team and started with the fund in Pakistan managing portfolio investments, will speak about Acumen's funded companies in the region including drip irrigation, housing and hydroelectric development projects.

Tarim Wasim, a Hellman and Friedman director who founded the Association for the Development of Pakistan, will also talk about his approach in finding, partnering and funding sustainable non-profits in Pakistan. ADP is a non-profit taking a venture philanthropy approach to supporting social enterprises in Pakistan that build schools and hospitals or supply medical equipment and vaccinations.

The wine tasting costs $15 if you pre-register here ($5 of which goes to Acumen Fund as a tax-deductible donation). At the door, it will be $18.

The event begins at 6:30pm but we won't have our speakers start until 7:15 pm.

Acumen Fund Blue Sweater Book Clubs :: San Francisco !!

I received this email last week from the Acumen Fund. SUPER PSYCHED about the San Francisco "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World" event.



Dear Nicole,

We’ve been amazed to see how our community has gotten creative with The Blue Sweater and our Book Club in a Box offer:

* 90 residents of 5 slum communities in Nairobi organized a “Super Book Club” discussion about The Blue Sweater with Jacqueline in the Kibera slum in Kenya last week

* Acumen Fund Partner Jill Iscol has ordered 20 boxes to distribute to teachers at high schools in need who will use the book in their classrooms

* Preston High School in the Bronx has decided to form a Blue Sweater Club dedicated to teaching teenage girls about social justice issues

* Our San Francisco for Acumen chapter is organizing a book club discussion on The Blue Sweater for Bay Area readers on 2/23 (see below)

Due to the overwhelming response, we can only offer 50 more boxes at $50. Order yours here. Once these 50 boxes are sold, the box will be available for $75 until February 16.

The Blue Sweater Book Club in a Box includes:

* 5 paperback copies of the book
* 5 discussion guides
* 5 hand-designed bookmarks by Acumen Fund high school volunteers
* Access to a webinar with Jacqueline, just for book club in a box readers

What ideas can you dream up? We hope you’ll take some of the examples above to help us start new conversations in your community about how to change the world!

Warmly,

Yasmina Zaidman
Director of Communications
Acumen Fund


San Francisco event:

Time: February 23, 2010 from 6:30pm to 9pm
Location: The University Club
Street: 800 Powell Street
City/Town: San Francisco
Organized By: Jonathan Lai & the Acumen SF Chapter
Buy your $10 event ticket here, and the Blue Sweater will be shipped to you in advance of the event.