I arrived in Nairobi tired and dirty last Thursday night. I spent the first night in a guest house and was picked up the following morning and brought to the office. My colleagues have been very welcoming and SHEF (Sustainable Healthcare Foundation) is doing amazing work. I must admit, though that it’s been a bit difficult to figure out exactly what my role is and what I will contribute to this organization.

When we were in New York, many people recommended that we spend the first month asking questions and observing after which time we could produce a work plan and define deliverables. So, of course this is what I suggested during my first meeting with Liza (Executive Director). The only problem is that I’m so used to working that it’s quite difficult not to. I supposed I must just redefine “work� and recognize that the time I take now to understand the project will ultimately benefit the organization.

All SHEF outlets are branded as CFW Shops (Child and Family Wellness).

During the orientation program, I was constantly amazed at the overlap of Jacqueline’s (Acumen’s founder and CEO) personal and professional networks. Her best friends were also involved in the work she was doing. While certainly not all in the development sector, they supported one another and found ways to connect their organizations.

I celebrated my last night in New York with friends and colleagues at Acumen’s 5th anniversary gala. At one point, I realized that I was surrounded by old and new friends from Business Week, Google, Katzenbach Partners, and Scojo Foundation, all of whom were excited about Acumen’s work and involved in tackling the issues of poverty in their own way. I sensed that these friends of mine are the new leaders. We, like Jacqueline and her friends, will remain connected personally and professionally.

More pictures from the gala here.

Deepti and Jacqueline asked the fellows to write and perform one minute slam poetry pieces at the annual Acumen Fund Investor Gathering. After struggling with it for several weeks, we finally got something down and worked with Rives (spoken word artist) to teach us how to perform. Unfortunately, I don't have the video yet, so you can't see the performance that earned us a standing ovation, but I've pasted my poem below.

I was 12 – volunteering for Heifer
On a farm in New England
The manure was flying
My friends and I were arguing
“I don’t want to shovel out the stalls
You feed the goats�
Raising animals to send to Africa
Where’s Malawi, mom?
Who will milk this cow?

During the next 10 years
I was shaped. I was formed
Building houses
Ladling soup
In a village screening eyes
I listened. I learned. I grew.

Tomorrow I leave for Kenya
I’m not shipping livestock
I’m not dropping bags of food
I’m not lobbying from afar
I will grow health clinics
I will capture the stories of nurses
I will listen. I will learn. I will grow.

Yesterday we heard from Sonal Shah of Goldman Sachs, that the poor are the best managers of money. If they are to survive off of $1/day, they have no choice. While Sonal is correct, A Fine Balance shows us that the poor live on the edge and that an unfortunate event can easily make them tumble into desperation. The characters in A Fine Balance are not in control of their money or their lives. Making smart decisions is not enough; the cards are stacked against the book’s characters and they are unable to keep their heads above water.

In our lives and in most books that we read, people make decisions that shape the course of their lives. Bad decisions lead people into unfortunate situations. A Fine Balance was powerful and disturbing because tragedy befell the protagonists even though they were good people who made smart decisions. Acumen Fund does a good job assuming that the poor will make smart decisions and focuses on helping them move a bit further from the edge so that when unfortunate events do happen, they are able to retain control.

Train to Pakistan is a powerful novel about a village that is torn apart during Partition. The book paints a vivid picture of the separation between the Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs that occurred in the summer of 1947.

Generally, the books we read about tragic times in history focus on the heroes, those who were brave. In contrast, most characters in Train to Pakistan are weak and do not stand up for what they believe. We do not look up to any of the characters. While this may be a realistic portrayal of human nature, it does not leave one feeling very optimistic about the current conflicts between India and Pakistan and the divide between the ethnic groups within India.

This moment of history clearly still effects us today and it is therefore critical to understand so we can think about ways to help things improve. Train to Pakistan is a good book to read to gain some insight into these events.

Who would have thought that there is a need to redesign the paper face mask? It certainly would not have crossed my mind before our two-day innovation workshop with the masters from IDEO.

Equipped with Polaroid cameras and notebooks, we set out to observe construction workers building out Acumen Fund’s new office space in Google’s building. We watched and listened and returned with some insights. Air quality is bad because of the dust. Tools are strewn everywhere because each contractor brings its own. Workers need knee surgery because they spend too much time climbing ladders.

We discussed the problems we saw and framed the questions, “How might we design a better ladder?” “How might we reduce energy consumption on construction sites?” We brainstormed solutions: a chair ladder, an ipod mask, solar-powered lights… And we designed prototypes with pipe cleaners, construction paper, clay, and popsicle sticks.

We played and put on skits and laughed at ourselves. We were creative and we had fun. Most importantly, we learned that anyone can be a designer.

This is a compilation of previous entries that was recently posted on the Acumen Fund Blog.

The Acumen Fund Fellows have been fortunate to meet many inspiring leaders and engage in plenty of thought-provoking discussions over the past four weeks. The question about how to write and talk about Africa has been raised several times. In April, Jacqueline referenced "How to Write About Africa" on this blog and discussed it with the fellows during the first week of orientation. This piece exposes the simplicity of how most people write about Africa and inspired us to think about how to do it in a different way.

View 1 - The Outsider Who Gets It: Gayle Smith, currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and former journalist and senior staff member of the National Security Council and USAID, spoke to the Acumen Fund fellows about her work in Africa and as a member of the U.S. government. Many people don't understand the appeal of living in the developing world, and I often have trouble articulating it. After living in East Africa for 20 years, Gayle explained it well, "It was easier and more satisfying to live there than in the U.S. There's a sense there's something bigger than you there. In D.C., there is nothing bigger than any of us." While working for various NGOs in Africa, Gayle saw that there were stories that needed to be told and insisted that the media print them. Gayle's unique combination as an outsider with extensive experience in East Africa provided her an honest view of the culture, people, politics, and economy and her understanding of the complexities led to her success as a journalist.

View 2 - The Insider Who Exposes It: The book "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe is a powerful reflection on the introduction of western culture and colonization to a Nigerian village. When it was published in 1959, it was probably the first book written by an African that most Americans read. Achebe's novel is honest and extremely critical of the colonial forces who he recognized did not see anything in Africa that was larger than themselves. As an insider, Achebe delivers us well-rounded and real characters and aptly describes the complex forces that pulled Nigerian villages apart.

View 3 - The Outsider Who Simplifies It: In the recently released movie, "The Last King of Scotland," a young doctor from Scotland moves to Uganda to work in a rural health clinic. He becomes Idi Amin's personal physician and gets caught up in the ruthless dictatorship. The film begins with colorful, stereotypical footage of Africa, people singing and dancing on the side of the road, a beautiful African woman seducing a young westerner, and an older white doctor and his wife "saving" a village of Africans at their rural clinic. As the movie goes on, Uganda becomes a much darker, more corrupt, and violent place as Amin's rule becomes harsher. Even in a "flat," globalized world, we are frequently exposed to such stereotypical portrayals of Africa: one that is simple, happy and colorful, and the other that is dark, corrupt and violent. While an interesting story with strong characters, in an effort to simplify the context, the film does little to accurately showcase Uganda.

In a month, I will leave for Kenya to work with Acumen Fund investee, HealthStore Foundation, for eight months. While I am there, I look forward to writing about Africa and hope that as I understand its complexities, I can move towards writing about a real place that fits in to our world today where real people live and have the same hopes and fears as you and I.

Slate and Tree Hugger Recently launched a Green Challenge - an 8 week carbon diet to reduce CO2 emissions. You start with a 5 minute quiz to assess your current emissions. Each week, you make pledges to reduce your carbon emissions and can even buy carbon credits from companies like TerrePass to offset emissions from driving and flights.

Week 1: My emissions were surprisingly high (which I attribute to lots of flying), so I bought a $30 pass to offset my upcoming flight to Kenya. I also pledged to take fewer taxi rides and travel by train instead of by plane for short trips.

I'll keep you posted about how well I do, but I encourage you all to pledge to reduce your CO2 emissions with me.

On Wednesday, we took a day out the office to reflect on ourselves and society with Peter Reiling of the Aspen Institute. This followed nicely from the good society readings and discussions on rights, liberty, equality, community, and efficiency, that we had with Jacqueline at the beginning of the program.

Aspen Institute's approach is text-based dialogue, and we read pieces from Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Leo Tolstoy, and others and used these readings to discuss big issues.

We spoke about responsibility and Peter asked us why we do the work we do. Are we doing enough? We spoke about the well-paying jobs we had given up and the risks we were taking this year. Upon further reflection, we discovered that to not do what we loved was a risk and that we are doing this work because it is exciting and interesting. I am not making a sacrifice. So, if I am doing this work out of self-interest, then, am I doing enough? Do I have a responsibility to do more?

Peter then led us into a discussion about legacy: whether we think about it, if it is egotistical, and how leaders create legacy. I live my life so it will have meaning today and the way I will be remembered does not seem very important to me. Perhaps this is because I am young and hope I have many more years to live. I do think it is important to avoid glorifying ourselves for the work that we are doing. And, while it is important to recognize people, it is critical to not get caught up in the pursuit of recognition and prizes and lose track of the work that we're doing.

Finally, we talked about how much is enough and if we feel like we are in balance. It seems like those of us who do not have families or partners feel like our lives are in balance. However, in Peter's experience, most leaders do not feel like they live balanced lives. The leaders we met later in the week confirmed this.

It was a bit disturbing to think that leaders cannot be in balance. If they have families, it seems many feel like they do not spend enough time with them. Some of those who do not, wish they did. Can we only be personally OR professionally successful? Do we need to make enormous personal sacrifices to be able to really make a difference? It was helpful to be shaken up a bit and stop for a few hours to evaluate the lives we have chosen and think about the path upon which we’re walking.

I was curious to figure out why Acumen Fund had chosen Shakespeare's The Tempest as one of the seven books for the orientation program. I expect that one reason is the theme of colonialism.

Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, and his daughter, Miranda, have been stranded on an exotic, magical island for 12 years. During this time, Prospero and Miranda assert control over their surroundings and enslave Caliban, an island inhabitant. When Caliban expresses resentment about his situation, Miranda reminds him that she "saved" him from savagery. "Abhorred slave, which any print of goodness wilt not take, being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, took plains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour one or other. When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish, I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known."

Prospero also exerts his power over the spirit, Ariel. Prospero promises several times to release Ariel but does not stay true to his word. Ariel is also frustrated with Prospero, but continues to serve him. It is not until Prospero position of power is restored that he is willing to release Ariel.

Prospero and Miranda's treatment of Caliban and Ariel is reminiscent of the European colonizers towards to native peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Miranda convinces herself that Caliban is better off as a refined slave and treats him as something less than human. It is not clear to me if Shakespeare is critical of the colonizers' attitude or if he accepts this as the norm and is merely portraying Prospero and Miranda as typical of 17th Century European royalty.

Seth Godin, marketing guru and author of The Big Moo and other books, spoke to us about the ineffectiveness of traditional advertising, product innovation, and how to be a remarkable company. Seth is a very enthusiastic, creative guy who gives a great talk. However, I’m not sure how well Seth’s theories apply to the bottom of the pyramid.

Seth recommends scaling social enterprises as quickly as possible.
While I'm sure that's appropriate for for Krispy Kreme or Subway, when there are real concerns about effectively managing a supply chain and when the risks of pirated drugs and inadequate training of nurses are serious, opening as many new outlets as possible may not be the best approach.

Allen Grossman's, professor of management at Harvard Business School, talk with us was nearly in direct opposition to Seth's. Allen explained that the core objective of a social enterprise is the creation of social value and emphasized that achieving scale may or may not increase social value.
Value = # people impacted x depth of impact

As all of us go into the field to work with Acumen Fund investees, we grapple with issue of scale. Should our organizations grow as quickly as possible? How much could quality suffer with rapid growth? What would happen to a chain of health clinics if one or two nurses misprescribed drugs and patients died? On the other hand, when people in developing countries are dying of treatable illnesses, is it right to be patient and grow slowly? While I don’t have the answers to these questions now, I hope they will become clearer over the course of the year.

Today we fasted. Nadaa issued a challenge to Acumen Fund fellows and staff and asked us to observe Ramadan for one day by fasting from sunrise to sunset.

I'm not going to say that it was easy giving up coffee, water, and food for a day. In fact, we were a pretty grumpy group. However, the sense of community that was developed by our common experience was remarkable and pleasure of breaking the fast together with dates, water, and wine was delightful.

At dinner, we talked about the next challenge to engage in. What could we do before we leave for the field that would push us harder?

While it's hard to believe, the fellowship orientation program is now half over. In a month, we will be on our way to the field. I'm sure each of us would name different highlights, but I wanted to take this opportunity to mention a few of mine.

Urban Green Builders: We visited Eric Anderson in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and saw how one man is turning around one of the poorest and most crime-ridden cities in the country. Eric's company won the development rights for a number of historic buildings in downtown Bridgeport and is developing them into commercial spaces and mid-income apartments. Eric's vision is that people will be able to live and work in Bridgeport and will be able to easily access public transportation to the city. With community involvement, downtown Bridgeport will be re-populated which will increase income levels, decrease crime, and generally make Bridgeport an attractive and desirable city. I was inspired by Eric, a very humble social entrepreneur who is truly making a difference.

Redhook Community Justice Center: In Brooklyn, we were able to see how a justice system focused on providing assistance and support instead of punishment has been able to turn around a poor, isolated neighborhood. Red Hook has a community court that tries minor cases (drugs, petty crime, public housing disputes, etc.) and frequently sentences offenders to things like drug treatment, mediation, anger management, high school equivalency classes, youth groups, and vehicular programs. The attorney, judge, and case workers are involved in the community, know many of the defendants, and work to address the underlying issues to break the cycle of crime. Like we talk about doing in our work, Red Hook provides defendants with choices and treats them with dignity. This is radically different than the mainstream justice system and Red Hook has found it to be significantly more effective at reducing crime and reintroducing pride and hope into the community.

Storytelling Training: Acumen Fund recognizes that it is difficult to explain the work we do and realizes that it is critical for us to share it. Practical training is one component of the orientation program, and Katzenbach Partners has put together a three-part storytelling training program for Acumen Fund staff and fellows. While we can all use more practice, having a framework in which to tell a story and becoming conscious about how we and others tell stories is helping all of us improve. I hope that writing here will help me think through my stories and enhance my ability to tell them.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a powerful reflection on the introduction of Christianity and western culture to a Nigerian village. I found it interesting that Achebe created a central character that was not likeable. While unfortunate things befell Okonkwo, I did not feel entirely sympathetic. Perhaps this was done to make Okonkwo’s character seem more real. Achebe did effectively explain how Okonkwo had developed into the person he was. “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.” In our work, it is important to remember what this fear does to people who are living on the edge; the fear of falling further into poverty is real and that fear can make people do cruel things in an effort to keep themselves afloat.

This fear follows Okonkwo throughout the story and by the end we see that his fear was well-founded. The introduction of the white man into the village had caused the community to break up and fall apart. The end of the book is especially powerful and left me sad and disgusted by the white colonizers. As they cut his dead body down from the tree, the Commissioner can only think about how he will incorporate Okonkwo’s story into his book. This man’s story will be stripped of its details and his humanness will be removed so that it can fit neatly in with the Commissioner’s reflections about “the pacification of the primitive tribes.” While I haven’t figured out how to effectively write about Africa, with the Commissioner, this book effectively provided a model to avoid.

Please joins us for Acumen Fund's 5th Anniversary Party Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 6 p.m. Come hear from Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen Fund CEO, meet the partners who helped launch the idea, listen to Suketu Mehta, author of Maximum City, and dance to music by Wumi.

Tickets to the fundraiser are $500 and can be purchased online.

Location:
The Roxy
515 West 18th Street
between 10th Avenue and West Side Highway
New York City