Two months ago, I posted information about the Treehugger and Slate Green Challenge and committed to reduce my carbon emissions.

I would like to report that I reduced my emissions by 14,090 pounds of CO2 over the past 8 weeks which is equivalent to taking 1.44 cars off the road. During this time, I reduced my emissions by 28%.

I encourage you all to sign up for the Green Challenge and join me in considerably reducing your emissions.

Last week, my friend, Erica, and I decided to buy $6 tickets for a “Village Christmas� a concert at a park in downtown Nairobi. Naturally, since the concert was to begin at 5 p.m., Erica and I dutifully showed up at 5 p.m. We soon realized that the stage was still being set-up and that the concert was a long way from starting.

The concert finally began at 6:45 with a group called Hip Hope, Christian rappers. Not only was the music bad, it in no way resembled Christmas carols. We held out for the second band, which included supposedly the best jazz pianist in East Africa. Again, a disappointing act. Except for one East African song, the group specialized in generic, elevator jazz. And, no Christmas carols. We then endured a 20 minute sermon about the generosity of the event’s sponsors, Coke and GM and an introduction to corporate social responsibility, which is far less discreet here than in the U.S. At this point, Erica and I decided to cut our losses. It had been three hours, we sat through the sets of two bad bands, and had heard no Christmas music. We figured we’d rather go for dinner followed, perhaps, by some salsa dancing.

On our way out, we noticed people covering their eyes and mouths with their scarves. We heard a few people mention tear gas and simultaneously felt our eyes and noses start stinging. Apparently, there was a riot somewhere downtown and the teargas was had made its way to us.

Walking through downtown, we passed a Kenyan restaurant on the way to a favorite Italian restaurant and decided to check it out. About 20 minutes after we had arrived, Erica checked for her bag which had been hung under her jacket on the back of her chair and realized it was missing. Apparently, a man and woman followed us into the restaurant, took a table next to ours, grabbed the bag, and walked out. In Kenya, there’s really nothing you can do when these things happen. So, after dinner, we walked around downtown, looking for the bag on the off chance the thieves took out the money, camera, and phone and ditched the rest. No luck, of course,

One thing that really bothered me about this was that Erica and I had decided to venture outside of the safe, known expat restaurants to try a local place. As soon as we turned to enter, we were targeted, followed, and stolen from. This is not, of course, to say that the same thing would happen again. However, it certainly did not encourage us to wander outside our comfort zones. Living in Nairobi, one is constantly trying to balance living in fear and being realistic about the dangers. It would be easy to get carried away with paranoia. On the other hand, it’s important to be aware of the dangers. We can’t live locked up in our apartments every night, and we leave knowing these things can happen. We do what we can to avoid them, but sometimes we let down our guards, hoping we can trust that we’re safe.

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I’ve struggled with this blog entry because I don’t like its negativity. I wanted to end on a hopeful note, but really don’t know what to write. I talked this over with Erica on Sunday and decided to leave it be.

Life goes on though, and Sunday was a great day. I bought Christmas gifts at the Masaii market and met friends for lunch. We then went to a friend’s fashion show and spent the afternoon watching models prance around in Tereneh’s designer clothes, drinking wine, and meeting interesting people. All in a weekend in Nairobi.

Photos of Nairobi

I’ve found life in Nairobi to be fairly easy thus far. The weather is perfect everyday, rush hour traffic doesn’t exist for me because I walk to work, and I’ve found a reliable taxi company that I don’t have to fight with over fares. However, like in all developing countries, there are a few strange things I’ve found here.

1. Unlike in India, there are no beggars on the street knocking on your windows for a few coins. However, after you engage in a conversation or two, people have no problem asking you for money. After several innocuous conversations with one of the building’s guards, I found him at my apartment door asking for 2,000 Ksh ($25) to pay the balance for his driving lessons. Since I knew for a fact that my American neighbor had financed the driving school in full, I felt no guilt politely rejecting his request. Other requests for money have been made, one from an old village man who asked me to take his photo and then asked for money and from a women’s group whose meeting I had come to observe.

2. Unlike Hyderabad, there are so many expats in Nairobi. Many of these are NGO-types here for a few years on assignment. But, there is also a preponderance of white Kenyans or “KCs� Kenyan cowboys. These are primarily Brits whose families settled in Kenya during colonialism and have remained here, mostly living in the lush suburb of Karen (named after Out of Africa’s Karen Blixen). Because of all the muzungus, I don’t get gawked at like I did in Hyderabad, but at certain expat hang-outs, it can feel like you’re almost anywhere other than Africa.

3. Prostitution is completely open in Nairobi. As it gets later, beautiful, scantily-clad Kenyan women pour into the bar/clubs and seductively dance beside patrons. It’s not easy to miss the middle-aged white men beckon a woman of their choice and pull her onto the dance floor or motion for her to sit on their laps. For someone unused to seeing such things, it is quite disturbing to watch.

4. The shopping centers and grocery stores are amazing. While the high prices are sometimes prohibitive, you can find almost anything here (many brands of cereal, wasabi peas, imported cheese, nice wine…). Most shopping centers include one or two coffeeshops, many of them with wireless internet and menus with burgers and burritos. Movie theaters play several undubbed American films each week and the selection of nice restaurants is incredible.

Stay tuned for more notes on Nairobi

After being here for three weeks, I needed someone to talk to about how things were going and help me focus. I knew that I had taken on too much already but didn’t know what to do about it. Jacqueline’s visit was perfectly timed and the hours I spent in riding back from the field with her gave me the opportunity to talk through it all.

Jacqueline, Omer, and Andrea from Acumen Fund and three people from Google.org visited Nairobi this week and I was fortunate to spend time with them at three dinners and a day in the field visiting CFW community clinics. I became excited again about the SHEF model and was inspired by the stories of the nurses we listened to.

I spent time with people who were eager to learn and people who were optimistic and hopeful, while realizing that there are no easy answers. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the poverty and lack of resources and options for people in Kenya. But, it’s important for me to feel like there’s a difference that I can make.

I left dinner tonight feeling supported by my colleagues at Acumen and excited to put all I can into the work that I’m doing here. I need to focus on doing two or three things well that truly support this model and leave the other projects to the staff who will be here when I leave. Saying no and letting things go that I know I could fix is difficult for me. But, I know that if I continue to serve as reviewer of all documents and manager of all projects, I will leave here burnt out and feeling like I didn’t make a difference in any part of it.

I will take the direction that Jacqueline provided me and narrow down the scope of work I’m tackling. I will place a priority on my own professional development and feel supported in doing so. And, I will start tomorrow by making substantive contributions towards SHEF’s work by drafting the organization’s 2007 work plan.

We left for Embu yesterday around 8 a.m. and arrived at the SHEF regional office by 10. After saying hello to the field staff and dropping off about 300 roles of toilet paper and other assorted hygiene products, we headed off to meet with a women’s group about half an hour outside of town. One of SHEF’s community health workers is a member and was conducting an awareness campaign about malaria. The women meet weekly to discuss their issues and have formed a savings and loan organization which allows them to finance their children’s school fees which amount to almost $100/year per child.

The community health worker explained the causes and symptoms of malaria, discussed the importance of using bed nets and treating them with insecticide, and told the women about new malaria medicines. Because people have developed a resistance to many of the old medicines, new products are constantly introduced and now the WHO and the Government of Kenya only support the use of ACTs (artemisinin-based combination therapies). The medicine is supposed to be given for free at government clinics, but more frequently than not, they are out of stock and people are forced to pay full-price for these treatments (about $2) or use less effective drugs.

The women were very welcoming and receptive to the new health information. They promised to bring money to buy nets at their next meeting. Before we left, they cut down a bunch of about 100 bananas for us and sent us off with a song in Swahili.

In the afternoon, we stopped by another village with a SHEF clinic (CFW community clinic) to pick up another community health worker. The children of the village had never seen a muzungu (white person) and screamed in excitement and terror when they saw me. According to my colleagues, they think God is a white man and saw me as an angel, or something non-human. One boy, about 3 years old, started crying when he saw me. Some were a bit more courageous and were thrilled when I took photos of them and showed them the display on my camera.

We visited a second women’s group in another remote area where we had to leave the car and walk about 10 minutes to the meeting place. About 40 women had come together to support one woman whose child had recently undergone surgery. They listened attentively to the information about malaria prevention, detection, and treatment and we sold 56 Power Tabs (insecticide) for bednet re-treatment.

After a prayer and a cup of tea, we drove back to Nairobi and got home around 5:30 p.m. I find these days in the field so rewarding because I can see the difference that SHEF is making. Today, it was so clear how much confidence the community health workers have developed and how respected they are within their communities. Getting them to adopt a business mindset is a difficult challenge, but their hearts are in the right place and it’s clear how much pleasure they derive by helping their communities.

For more pictures, visit my photo gallery.

Please spread the word that Acumen Fund is now recruiting the next class of fellows. The next group will begin a 2 month orientation in New York in September 2007 followed by 9 months in the field (East Africa or South Asia).

As you can see from these blog entries, the experience has been oustanding and I highly recommend applying. For more information, please visit the Acumen Fund website.

I spent three days in the field this week meeting with SHEF's team in Embu (Central Kenya) and visiting several outlets. While driving through rural Kenya, it was astonishing to see the uniform, branded CFW Shops pop up on the sides of the road. There are no Subways or McDonalds in these areas; there is nothing branded. By providing standardized medical care in a place where 60% of community clinics are run by quacks, this concept is truly revolutionary.

The model is constantly being refined and improved, but the concept is solid. If we can make this succeed, it has the possibility of radically changing the way healthcare is delivered at the base of the pyramid.

More photos of the CFW Shops here.

I moved into a furnished, one bedroom apartment that's 4 blocks from the office. While it's a bit out of my budget, it's a nice place and the convenience of being able to walk to work is significant. Traffic in Nairobi is terrible and taxis are expensive, so walking (at least during the day) is the best way to go.

I was fortunate to have been introduced to several friends of friends in Nairobi and have therefore, found it quite easy to quickly develop a decent social life. I celebrated Thanksgiving with Steve and Diana Walls, former co-workers from Chemonics, and met many of their friends. I've been impressed by the number if great shops and restaurants in Nairobi and have found it a relatively easy place to live.

More photos of Thanksgiving and my apartment here.

Acumen Fund has been fortunate to be the focus of many recent news stories. These include:

- Business Week Online
- CNN's In the Money
- Forbes
- MIT Technology Review
- New York Times

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.