I've been preparing for my trip to Nairobi this August. I'm going with UBC's Sauder Social Entrepreneurship (SSE) group and local Nairobi partner Strathmore University. This group has been teaching Business Planning, Accounting, Marketing, and Development on the ground in Nairobi for over 5 years. I got involved with the program a few years ago to support them with developing brand new businesses and entrepreneurship. This will be my first trip with them.
Where in Nairobi?
Here is my Nairobi Map in Google.
Unprepared For Slum Experience
I've been told by past participants that this is a great adventure. They've also told me that there is no way that I can prepare for the "experience" of walking in the slum for the first time. The sights, sounds and especially the smells all trigger strong emotions and feelings. Most participants don't really "aclimatize" in the month. It's that strong a feeling. This does create a bit of anxiety.
Slum Density
On the topic of Slum density. There is an estimated 250K people in the Kibera slum and it is roughly the size of four golf courses. ( when compared to adjacent Royal Nairobi Golf course). It is ironic that the poorest and richest are adjacent.
Culture, Weather, & More
We'll also be having two trips during our stay. One will be to the Maasai Mara reserve ( i.e. the Serengeti) and the other will be to Mombasa. I'm pretty keen to experience the music of Kenya. I don't know what to expect. I've loved African music for a long time. I'm expecting to be amazed at how the youth mashup traditional drumming with synthesizers and group vocals. The weather is supposed to be cool during our stay. This is kind of strange given that Nairobi is on the equator (1 deg South). The cool temperature comes from the 5,450 foot elevation.
Class Rooms
The classroom environment in the past has been a bit extreme. I've been told that this year we will be adjacent to the slums and not in them. Here is the Kibera classroom from August 2013.
School Room Door
School Neighbourhood
Inside Classroom. We will have to pack in and pack out our materials daily. Anything left behind will be gone.
Links to UBC Sauder Social Entrepreneurship (UBC SSE)
SSE on Facebook — lots of pictures and videos
SSE on Twitter — frequent updates from our team
SSE Blog — lots of personal stories of the trip.
UBC SSE webpage — the donations page and "official" notes
Eyes on the Olympic prize: ambitions of a water aid social enterprise
GiveMeTap has been contributing to a lot of social entrepreneurship discussions to promote it's mission to change the world along with aspiring entrepreneurs following a similar vision.
The Water Guy's most recent conversation with The Guardian highlighted the extraordinary growth and work of UK social enterprises and how their work is helping shape today's society into one that leads a positive change for the current and future generation.
"An accelerated period of growth is an exciting time for any business and as a social enterprise operating in these troubled economic times, it's particularly exhilarating. My business, GiveMeTap, has experienced a frenetic start to 2012 and as all eyes fall on the UK for the Olympics this year, and with the Big Society gathering pace, I'm sure I'm not the only social enterprise with high hopes for the coming months. In fact the AXA 'Why Not Britain' social trends report, in which I was featured, found that it is increasingly alternative business models like mine that are shaping today's society and encouraging people to challenge the status quo.
..There is never a dull moment running a social enterprise and I find it exciting to be part of a movement that is going to become increasingly important in the future. I agree with AXA's report, which says businesses that combine making profits with doing good for society will be the leading force in the post-recession economy. Among my peers there is a great belief that businesses must support communities, not impact our ecology, and be transparent about their operations. In addition to this, we live in an era where people want their lives and work to become more fulfilling and meaningful. So despite the tough climate, the immediate challenges my business and others face, I am optimistic that a more socially aware outlook can only mean good things for the future."
To read more on how GiveMeTap is helping build a better future for the water aid system on a local and global level, visit us here.
Human beings can’t help it: we need to belong. One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people. We are drawn to leaders and to their ideas, and we can’t resist the rush of belonging and the thrill of the new. … We want to belong not to just one tribe, it turns out, but to many. And if you give us tools and make it easy, we’ll keep joining. Tribes make our lives better. And leading a tribe is the best life of all.
Seth Godin quote I came across while reading this post titled "6 Key Lessons Charity Water Can Teach You About Building a Thriving Lifestyle Business".
