http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080703-153603 ----------
Dear friends,

It's winter in Nairobi, and the two suitcases of clothes I arrived with in November are no longer enough to keep me warm. I had no desire to spend $200 for a tacky coat in Woolworths, where prices are sky high because of import taxes, so last weekend I set out for Toi Market on the outskirts of the Kibera slum. I picked up a coffee at Java House in the 'mall' on Ngong Road, and made my way down the side streets to the market.

Toi has always fascinated me – with nearly 5,000 vendors, many of whom live in Kibera, it serves a rare mix of Nairobi's highest and lowest income residents. None of the vendors have formal business licenses, but they have developed community savings schemes to get small loans and band together in negotiations with the government. Customers come to buy staple foods, and search for bargain prices on used designer labels and classic old t-shirts with logos like "Mt. Pleasant Little League." It's an incredible place.

But in January Toi was the scene of some of the worst post-election violence, and on my last visit I found it burned to the ground. So I was amazed on Saturday to find it completely rebuilt and even improved ... new stalls with tin corrugated rooves instead of old rice sacks ... a wider main path, making it easier to avoid guys flying past at 100 mph with wheelbarrows full of used clothing ... and traders back with offers of 'free looking' and 'almost free' deals. After months of destruction and loss, it's an exciting scene of hope and a testament to the strength of the Toi's traders and the Kibera community.

Reconstruction in Toi is one of the under-told stories of the Kenyan election. When the violence stopped so did most media attention. People quickly lost interest. But some of the most remarkable stories - of ordinary Kenyans trying to keep their lives going (and keeping the country going in the process) - are just unfolding. I met John, a vendor who showed me everything from a North Face fleece to a J-Lo puffy jacket. He described how Jamii Bora (one of Acumen's investees) worked with the community to rebuild: "We lost everything in January, but now we are still trying and trying here." John is hopeful that he'll recover quickly from the losses of the past few months.

Unfortunately it's not all good news. Thousands people remain displaced in camps, tensions over land still run high, many small businesses are having trouble getting loans to re-open, and the Coalition Government is fragile. It seems that much of the country is of a state of denial that all the issues that surfaced after the December 27 election are still there. After so many weeks of anxiety, it was nice to just 'be' for a while. But if there is going to be healing there has to be remembering and grieving, so that there can be forgiveness, understanding and change.

For now Kenyan attention is focused on another election -- it's Obama-mania, especially out west (where Obama's family is from and where SHF has 15 clinics). On my way to one of our clinics I passed an Obama Secondary School, Obama kiosk, and Senator's Pub. In Millicent's Wema Clinic in Kibera I could hardly get my work done because of all the questions: Will McCain get the support of some Hillary supporters? Are Americans ready to vote for a black man? The level of interest in and knowledge of American politics is really astounding.

I continue to love my time here, with my only complaint that it's passing too quickly. I hope this finds you all well -- I'm so grateful for all of your notes and reflections throughout the year, and look forward to seeing you all in person soon. Check out the Fellows' blog
http://www.catherinecasey.acumenfellows.org if you're interested in reading more, and let me know how you are doing if you have a moment.

Amani,
Catherine ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080612-082044
We're excited about the possibilities and about thinking about how we could mobilize the design industry to get more involved in addressing some of the world's largest problems. We've posted our work and hope to engage in more conversations about it. Check it out here. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080526-185148 http://hbr.com
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080516-101051 Doctors Without Borders or Foundation for the People of Burma. Both organizations are getting food and supplies into the country.

For a first-hand account from a friend of a colleague,

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. For those of you who haven't heard, I am in Burma (aka Myanmar) and have been for the last three weeks. Thankfully, I was in the north when the cyclone came through on May 2 and am fine. I'm in Rangoon (aka Yangon) now and am writing on behalf of the Burmese people affected by the cyclone to ask for your help. Please take 10 minutes to read this. Believe me, it is worth your time.

In the little time I have been in Burma, I have been both appalled and inspired. Appalled by what I've learned of the military and junta government's oppression of the Burmese people. And amazed and inspired by how warm and welcoming the people are despite this treatment and how they've risen to the challenge of helping their fellow citizens while their government effectively will not. I could write pages about what I've learned from the people here (often spoken in hushed tones after they look over both shoulders) about the country's troubled history and tragic current situation. But I know you are all busy so I'll try to keep this short. Suffice it to say that the government's treatment of the people here is horrible, confusing and incredibly frustrating. I wouldn't believe half of it if I were not here.

As you know by now, over 60,000 people are presumed dead from the cyclone. And approximately 1.5 million affected, from a country with massive numbers already living in poverty (average income of all Burmese is under $3/day. For various reasons confounding the international community, the Burmese government has forbidden entry of international aid workers. Some say this is because they fear that it will appear that the government is incapable of caring for its own people (clearly the case), others say it is because of the fear they have of the message international workers will bring to the Burmese people, further eroding an already minimal support base (as if the Burmese people don't already know what's happening around the world or how bad they have it). Others say it is because the government doesn't want its upcoming referendum (essentially a forced vote to approve a constitution that will keep the military in power literally forever) disrupted. Others because the government wants to be the only face on the relief effort - one that's not working very well. It's probably a mix of these and many more. Some say it's because they just don't care; in the words of a man I spoke to this morning and echoed around the country, "They've never cared for us in the past. Why would they now?"

Regardless of the reason, it's so strange and awful that it's hard for most people to wrap their brains around it. On a personal note, I don't know that I've ever felt so angry about something and so 100% justified in that anger (despite trying like heck to learn from the Buddhist principles I keep getting exposed to..). There's nothing good about what the government is doing here.

While the aid workers are not getting in, aid shipments are. Unfortunately, much of that aid is not making it to the affected areas. There are reports that the government is keeping some for themselves, selling some for profit (some back to people who are trying to deliver it to the people that need it), swapping some of the high quality international goods for low grade stuff (keeping or selling the high quality stuff) and shipping that out to victims etc. The list of reports goes on and on.

What does this all mean? That the huge international aid efforts that most people hear about back home, while obviously well intentioned, are not having the effect that everyone, donors included, want. Unicef, Oxfam, Red Cross etc - all are having many of their efforts stymied by the government.

Disgusted by all of this, the local people around Rangoon have stopped waiting for aid to come from the government or outside. And they are taking matters into their own hands. It's incredible. Groups of volunteers are forming around the city, raising money, buying supplies and driving them out to affected areas themselves. And are proving to be the most effective means for aid in the country. Yet these groups are not immune from the problems with the government. They, too, are encountering resistance in their efforts. Police at checkpoints routinely confiscate aid before it can make it to affected areas. Some demand bribes, others demand that the aid groups give the materials to the government so that they can distribute. A claim no one believes. There is absolutely no faith in the government. I met a group yesterday that told me they had to break rice down into small packages as the normal 50 lb. bags are too obvious in cars. When they shop for goods, they have to split up, buying small amounts of aid here and there (tarps, rice, rehydration salts, medicines) to avoid arousing suspicion from police and the military who often confiscate the materials. Most meet in secret to do the same. Can you believe it??? All sad and all true.

Despite these problems, the local groups are making amazing progress. They are learning how to operate, becoming more efficient, and are doing an incredible job. Those that began in the immediate area around Rangoon are now extending operations into the Delta area.

When I got to Yangon and started asking around about where I could help, I was told that Western faces out on shopping or supply runs would only draw attention to their efforts. We were told, therefore, that we were most valuable as fundraisers. These people have the plan and the ability to help those affected by the cyclone. But they don't have the money.

That is where we come in - you, me and everyone you know. I don't like hitting people up for money, but in my time on the road over the last 8 months, there's one thing I've learned. That those of us in the Western world are incredibly fortunate to live where we do, to have the opportunities that we have, to afford the lifestyles we lead, and to have the freedoms we all take for granted. I had no idea what life was like for most people in the world until I left the US. As my friend Jen told me a long time ago, despite the problems or lack we think we may have, "we have more than 99.9% of the world". I now understand what she means.

So, please, take a minute, and a few bucks and donate. I recommend the Foundation for the People of Burma. The FPB is an American non-profit acting as a conduit for funding the ad hoc groups I mentioned before - those with no overhead, no red tape, and the ability to act within hours of receiving the much needed money. FPB is supporting groups like Gitameit Music School, a school for gifted college-aged classical music students, who are doing work on the ground now. When the cyclone hit, they closed down classes, turned their practice room into a disaster relief operations center, and started delivering aid and coordinating doctors to affected areas. When I visited them yesterday, there were huge sacks of rice and boxes of medical supplies leaning up against a grand piano that will gather dust for a bit.

Thanks for your time, y'all. I love you all and look forward to seeing you again soon. And don't worry about me. I'm safe and happy. And will probably be out of the country by Sunday.

grady
P.S. Please send this to anyone and everyone you know who might want to help.

For those that would like to read more, please check out some of the links below.

Recent International News Coverage:
http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/200 ... YCLONE.php
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 4577.story
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/world ... l?ref=asia
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 343782.htm
http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/618930.html]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080513-003022 Idol Gives Back. I've never watched American Idol but thought it would be interested to see the profiles of the organizations they chose to raise money for and thought I might see some inspiring stories.

Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. The show was like a telethon or an NPR fundraiser. Every few minutes, a celebrity would appear and would beg for money and give the phone number five or six times. At one point, a woman came on and said, "If you don't call now, I'm going to go like this AHHHHH!!!" and repeated her screaming for two minutes.

After 15 minutes, I couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. Disappointed. With a budget like American Idol's and the staff to create compelling content, why can't they come up with interesting ways to get young people engaged in philanthropy? Why can't they show inspirational stories that inspire action? Couldn't we do a better job at getting people to care? ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080511-115024 management consulting firm and is giving away a pro bono project that has good social impact. Please see his note below and apply if you are interested.
-----------
As you know, I started a management consultancy - Social Symmetry - a few months back to help organizations (public, private, nonprofit sectors) maximize their social impact. We are running an experiment that I thought IDEO may be interested in learning more about.

We recently announced an "Adopt a Client" initiative, where we'll donate some of our time, pro-bono, to help ANY organization work through a project that has a socially responsible mission or subtext (or, a project where the organization would like to introduce such a dimension). Our goal is to help these organizations realize the potential and opportunity of paying attention to two forgotten stakeholders: the environment where they operate, and the communities that they affect.

We're accepting submissions through our blog right now, and the winner will be selected democratically as well:
http://insearchofsymmetry.wordpress.com ... s-be-good/

It's a no-risk program for you, and we only benefit if we deliver a product that IDEO is satisfied with (since it is "free"). If you're interested, feel free to contact me directly or make a post in the comment section. You can also forward this along to someone else you think may be interested.]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080410-173724 Skoll World Forum last year as one of my favorite weeks during the fellowship. The opportunity to spend time with the fellows and share our stories, reconnect with Acumen Fund, and participate in inspiring conversations around social entrepreneurship was truly a magical experience. I was very excited to return this year and was even able to convince IDEO’s CEO, Tim Brown and Co-Creative Officer, June Fulton Suri, to join me.

The Forum did not let anyone down and the excitement I felt upon arrival has stayed with me since. The energy and optimism around social entrepreneurs and those supporting them is incredible. Participating in discussions about scale, microfranchising, and climate change were especially stimulating and the lens of culture, which was a focus of the forum this year, was a great addition to the many more economic-based conversations we tend to have in this field.

I was fortunate to lead a workshop with my colleagues from IDEO, Tim, Jane, and Aaron, about using empathy as a tool for social impact. The purpose of the workshop was to give a quick taste of the IDEO design process and teach a few observation techniques for social entrepreneurs trying to understand different cultural contexts. While IDEO workshops are always fun, the quality of the observations and ideas that come out of them is quite varied. Working with a group of 60 esteemed practitioners, we were very impressed by the depth of observations they noted and the innovativeness of ideas that they generated.

If in only two hours teams could come up with ideas like midwives on bikes, wandering microscopes, and health pods, just think of what they could do in a few weeks.

See the SocialEdge blog entry about the workshop. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080317-081122
The blog posts from NextBillion and Acumen Fund about this initiative tell the story well and echo my sentiments that this is a great show of Goldman Sach's commitment to supporting growth for the majority world. Investments in women, especially education investments, really pay off and Goldman is looking for returns from the social sector just as it does from the private sector.

As we see Bear Sterns collapsing, I can't help thinking about our meeting with Ace Greenberg (Chairman) and Warren Spector (President) a year and a half ago. As we talked about the work we were about to set off to do as Acumen Fund fellows, they told us we were naive to think that business has a responsibility for social change. They had recently heard about microfinance and thought it sounded sweet but could not see a business opportunity for Bear Sterns to serve the poor.

I hope that firms like Goldman Sachs will be rewarded for their move and that firms like Bear Sterns will one day see the need to look beyond Wall Street for business opportunities. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080305-221118 Full Belly Project which works to design low-cost appropriate technology for people in the developing world. The successful product they designed was a $28 peanut sheller.

This is a great story about design for social impact. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080229-215753 ---------
Who: Indicorps seeks to engage the most talented young Indians from around the world on the frontlines of India's most pressing challenges; in the process, we aim to nurture a new brand of socially conscious leaders with the character, knowledge, commitment, and vision to transform India and the world.

Why Now: We are currently recruiting soon-to-be college graduates and professionals of Indian origin for our August 2008-2009 Fellowship. There are over 50 exciting community-based projects ranging from educating tribal youth in Maharashtra to increasing production of natural dye based products in Karnataka.

Why Indicorps?
· The structured program encourages young professionals from the Indian diaspora to challenge their comfort zones, place others' interests before their own, push their own potential to affect change, explore their relationship with India, and understand what it means to lead by committing themselves to innovative grassroots projects.
· Indicorps believes that giving one's time and energy, without any attachment to the outcome, regardless of the circumstances, is an unparalleled personal experience in service. At the same time, the fellowship is a chance for fellows to address their own identity, recognize their personal boundaries, and understand how to produce change in their environment(s). The fellowship is deeply rewarding, a transformational and challenging personal journey, and part of Indicorps’ collective experiment for change.
· Indicorps firmly believes that contributing to the development of India at a grassroots level will help Indians around the world better understand their heritage, explore ways to strengthen the global Indian community, and encourage civic responsibility at home in their respective countries. Indicorps focuses on the Diaspora in order to foster a sense of responsibility within the Indian community.

Deadline: Applications (apply.indicorps.org) are due March 31st, 2008.
Contact: If you have any questions or need any more information, please contact Shilpa Shah (outreach@indicorps.org) or visit the website.Indicorps]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080109-005802 Conscious Lifestyle. Please apply for refer this opportunity to friends.
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Get $1,000 for your Socially Innovative Idea

Are you passionate about making the world a better place? Have an idea about how to make your fellow students and your school more socially responsible? Want to turn that idea into a reality?

Conscious Lifestyle is accepting applications for its 2008 venture program.
Submit an application for the chance to win:

* Up to $1,000 in start-up funding
* Web space on consciouslifestyle.org
* Monthly skill-building workshops
* Personalized support
* Access to a network of social entrepreneurs

To learn more and download an application, visit Conscious Lifestyle. Application Deadline: February 15, 2008.]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080106-195716
Over the past week, I've received several updates from friends in Nairobi and wanted to share them here. In no particular order, here they are:
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Dear friends,

First of all: I am safe, along with everyone at Acumen Fund and SHF. Thank you for all of your emails over the past few days; it means so much to hear from you and know that you are thinking of Kenya.

It has been a strange few days for me. I was in India for the election and the days following. And while Ankur and Hilla's beautiful wedding ceremony unfolded, I watched and listened as things went wrong in Kenya. I was torn between relief for my own safety, concern for my friends and colleagues there, and regret and guilt for not being with them.

It is hard to believe that my email from Jomo Kenyatta Aiport, with all of its excitement and hope for the election, was written only two weeks ago. I vividly remember the drive down airport road on Dec. 23 – Kibaki's red & blue and Odinga's orange advertisements of the changes they would bring to the country, the enthusiastic conversation with my taxi driver/friend Evans, and the energy that had gripped me from my first sleepy morning in Nairobi in November.

I arrived back to a much different Kenya this morning -- Kibaki posters shredded on one stretch of road, roadblocks and soldiers protecting the park areas (where protests have been held), and a drive from the airport in half the time it takes in regular traffic. My taxi driver said, "It is terrible – everyone has been touched in some way and we are filled with sadness."

At the moment, daily life in Nairobi is starting to get back to normal. I am drinking a cup of tea and looking out at a peaceful Argwings Khodek Road. Most of the city is calm and quiet, as it has been for the last 3 days. Violence in Nairobi was/is contained to slum areas, and the rest of the city is relatively peaceful. In our neighborhood, the most noticeable thing is how quiet things are.

The poor have been the hardest hit – Jamii Bora (where fellow Jon is working), a microfinance organization, estimates that 50% of its members have been impacted, many losing their homes and businesses. But even in Kibera (where I met Dorah just a few weeks ago), which was devastated by riots and violence, things are starting to return to normal – a friend just returned from a visit and said that shops have started reopening and people are trying to return to their daily lives. Let's hope this peace and calm holds.

Kenyans are putting pressure on the government for peace and a quick resolution. People are tired of the violence. On Thursday, all of the Kenyan newspapers ran the headline "Save Our Beloved Country." A group of "rioters" passed in front of our apartment the other day. Jon described: "They came down Argwings Kodhek yesterday. Half of them came in cars. They chanted about peace. Stopped, heard they couldn't go any further and then headed back home!"

I read several different blogs in Nairobi regularly; Thinker's Room captured one perspective on what happened and what has been lost in Kenya:

"Kenyans were told that they had the power to shape their destiny and choose their leadership. And so they turned out in colossal numbers and they voted. They were told that they had a voice and that it would be listened to. And when it came down to it their voice, the ballot was ignored. And so they had only one voice left — protest."

The work and lives of my friends here have been affected in a number of ways. Edwin Machine's plans to move to Kisumu have been delayed yet again – this time indefinitely. Kisumu, where I was meant to be living and working next week, has been most impacted. Edwin writes: "It is a no-gone zone for a long time, unless something really dramatic happens in the coming few weeks. Shops are heavily looted, there is heavy police presence and rioting persists." Edwin's work on launching Baylor's Pediatric Aids Initiative will be set back weeks or possibly months.

And there is a general feeling of sadness in the air. After only 6 weeks in Kenya I feel a deep sense of loss; I will never be able to fully understand how Kenyans are feeling.

There is an opportunity for Kibaki and Odinga to talk before Tuesday, when the next protest is planned. Please keep Kenya in your thoughts in the days ahead, and hope for leadership to move past this tragedy in the short and long-term. The speed at which the two parties can come together will affect a lot of things. Most importantly, an end to the violence… but also tourism, investment, and the stability of the entire region.

I'll keep you posted as things develop here -- we'll all be back at work tomorrow, though my trips to the field have been cancelled. If you are interested in reading in more detail than what media reports, check out the Acumen Fund blog, the Acumen Fellows blog, and I'll be sure to write again soon. Feel free to email with questions. For now, just wanted to let you know that all is ok.

More soon,

Catherine

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Dear Friends of KickStart,

I hope you have had a good holiday season and happy New Years. I am writing to update you about the sad and distressing situation in Kenya, which I expect you have all heard about in the news. On behalf of all our staff and the people of Kenya, I want to thank all of you who have expressed your concern.

As of today all of KickStart's employees in Kenya and their immediate families are safe. However, many of them, who traveled to their rural homes over the holidays, are now stranded there by the insecurity and roadblocks. Others, who remained in Nairobi, are trapped in their houses, only venturing out to buy food and collect water. Our first concern is for their safety so we have asked them not to travel, and we have put KickStart's operations in Kenya on-hold until the situation improves.

The safety and wellbeing of the shopkeepers who sell our pumps, and the families who are using them - many of whom you know from our newsletters and website - are also of great concern to us. It is still too early for us to check on them, but as soon as it is safer we will do whatever we can to help them get back on their feet.

The sudden turn of events following the December 27th presidential elections in Kenya is extremely sad news. To date over 300 people have been killed and over 180,000 more have been internally displaced. The on-going fighting and looting are caused by a potent mix of confounding factors: protests against the disputed election results; the government's sometimes violent reaction to these protests; opportunistic crime by the disenfranchised; long standing tribal animosities; political instigation; and the emergence of informal local militias and revenge killings.

However, Kenya, has remained the most stable country in East Africa for many years and all of us who have lived there know that Kenyans are people of great patience and fortitude. They are intensely proud of their country and extremely pragmatic. Despite occasional flare-ups of politically instigated tribal violence, Kenyans have realized that becoming another African "problem state" would benefit no one. They have been unwilling to allow their country to descend into the type of chaos seen amongst their neighbors.

In addition, only a small portion of the population (5% to10% at most) have been effected by the on-going violence and the vast majority of Kenyans just want to get on with their lives, harvest their crops, send their children to school and live in peace with their neighbors. While the current violence is both terrifying and totally unacceptable, I believe that comparisons to Rwanda, or talk of ethnic cleansing, civil war or genocide are both premature and irresponsible. It is important to keep perspective and to recognize that the present situation is only marginally more extreme than what we have seen Kenyans overcome a number of times before. My personal hope and belief is that once again, in the coming days and weeks, calmer minds will prevail.

Kibaki and Odinga need to get past their self-interests, meet together and decide on a political solution. The situation may still get worse before it gets better, but I remain hopeful that they will find a way forward. Of course even a political settlement will only be the first step on a long road to recovery. Kenyans will need to work hard to restore the destroyed property, infrastructure, commerce and, most of all, trust.

But no matter how or when the situation is resolved, it is already a major set-back for the Kenyan economy and it will greatly complicate KickStart's work there. Critical transport and marketing infrastructure have been damaged, retail shops have been looted, Eldoret (where KickStart has planned a major market test) is one of the hardest hit areas, and farmers' crops, houses and livestock have been destroyed all around the country. But this means that the people of Kenya, now more than ever, need access to improved, and more secure, livelihoods. And as soon as it is safe, KickStart will have to work that much harder to make up for lost time.

In conversations that Nick Moon (KickStart's co-founder) and I have had with our staff over the past few days, we have heard again and again how eager they are to get back to work, and how committed they are to helping their fellow Kenyans by playing a critical role in the recovery process. They know that this violence has been triggered by the election results, but they also know that the overall level of violence, and the ease by which people can be incited to violence, is due to poverty, lack of opportunity and lack of hope.

This knowledge reminds all of us about the vital importance of KickStart's efforts to provide opportunities, reduce poverty and bring prosperity to the poorest segments of African society. And this is why we, and all the people of Kenya, continue to be so grateful for your on-going help and support. Thank you!

I will remain in close contact with our Kenyan colleagues over the coming days and weeks and will keep you posted. Thank you again for your support to KickStart and for keeping Kenya in your thoughts and prayers.

--------------------

Dear friends

First up, we’re safe. I’m sitting in our flat in Nairobi looking out of the window at a very calm and serene day. Traffic is flowing and people are walking past the window, shops are open and the sun is shining. The only signs that anything unusual is afoot is the fact that there is far less traffic than normal – many Nairobians are staying at home – and that the shops have less food than normal – food supply lines are somewhat disrupted by the troubles.

Troubles feels like the right word – this is not a civil war, nor is it ‘ethnic cleansing’ as I read on the BBC website. At present, what we are seeing is very localized violence in certain areas of Kenya (mostly the cities) and Nairobi (mostly the slums).

The violence is also relatively targeted (well, as targeted as an angry mob of young men can be). It is aimed pretty squarely at members of the Kikuyu tribe, who provided the majority of the support for the ‘winner’ of the election – Mwai Kibaki.

A little history may help to explain what you are seeing on your TV screens. The Kikuyu are the largest tribe in Kenya. As a result, they have held many of the key positions of power since independence. Unsurprisingly, many non-Kikuyu resent this and saw this election - the first for ten years with a non-Kikuyu candidate - as a chance to redress the balance. Predictably, they rallied behind the opposition leader - Raila Odinga (while most Kikuyu rallied behind Kibaki). In the run-up to the election, despite polls to the contrary, many non-Kikuyu became convinced that Raila was miles ahead and that the only way he would lose would be through fraud. In this historical backdrop, the election needed to be cleaner than clean. Unfortunately the government seem to have been reading ‘How not to run an election’. (http://jonyates.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-not-to-run-election-7-handy-hints.html)

The violence that has followed is a mixture of the immediate outpouring of frustration and anger, an attempt at violent revenge against Kikuyu, an attempt by non-Kikuyu to force a recount and opportunistic looting. In many ways the puzzle the media back in the UK should be trying to explain is not ‘why so much violence’ but ‘why so little’ (http://jonyates.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-so-much-violence-and-why-so-little.html).

I expect our lives here to continue pretty much as normal. We are making some good friends in Nairobi, not least a very warm Kenyan family who invited us to their church last week. We gratefully accepted only to find out that I was expected to preach (for 45 minutes!) and Lisa to sing a song. I began my talk by telling the congregation that if they didn’t like it they should at least be thankful that I wasn’t singing. We are also getting a chance to explore Nairobi better – we spent Christmas Eve driving round Nairobi National Park, just 30 minutes from our flat, where we saw zebra, crocodiles, monkeys, baboons, rhinos and (my favourite) giraffes.

Lisa has found herself a new job, which starts next week. She will be working with a non-profit in Nairobi which teaches school-children about HIV and AIDS. She will be helping them to design materials to use in some of the informal (non-government) schools.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday-season. We have enjoyed celebrating Christmas here – though at times things were a little surreal. We spent a week on the coast near Mombasa where we were lucky enough to be joined by my mum and my sister; I have discovered that there is nothing like swimming in the Indian Ocean on Christmas Day! However, our most Christmassy moment was undoubtedly the local carol service – which felt very much like being at home. One of the readings described how the Angels who came to announce Christ’s birth come not to the rich and powerful but to the lowly shepherds. As we sat there in a city where the gap between rich and poor is often so stark it felt like a message worth remembering.

All best,
Jon]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071227-114251
This was the largest market I had ever seen and appeared to be pure chaos. How could anyone figure out which of the hundreds of stands to visit? It was incredible to see one of those systems that functions so smoothly with seemingly little formal organization.

The best moment of our visit was when we saw an octopus that had escaped from a tub of water and was trying to escape. We watched in horror as crowds walked by and one person finally stepped on him and he recoiled and started to bleed. This video shows the great escape and if you listen closely, you can hear my colleague say "Excuse me, octopus running away!".
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071225-154909 article recently about blogging in Japan. The Japanese have really taken to blogging and there are currently more blogs in Japanese than English.

I read this article while in Tokyo and was initially surprised. However, after thinking about it for some time it made more sense. While I was there, I saw that the Japanese were more comfortable chatting or texting than talking or calling. They tend toward more formal forms of communication and at times, conversations seem more like monologues than dialogs. All of these things make blogs seems like a suitable form of communication.

The accompanying video is worth watching.

Tokyo
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071221-011053 Innovate or Die contest, challenging teams to submit designs for a pedal powered device which has a positive impact on the environment. IDEO designers formed a team and prepared this 2-minute video of the Aquaduct: Mobile Filtration System.

This is a bicycle which filters water while you pedal and stores it in a small tank which can be used in the home. Very cool design and nicely-made video for this exciting challenge.
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071219-220108 Good Magazine. 100% of the $20 subscription to Good Magazine goes to a non-profit of your choice.

I'd recommend choosing Acumen Fund as the recipient of your donation. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071217-230047
When we arrived in Kyoto, we found a nice restaurant downtown where we were the only tourists. The servers went out of their way to explain the menu to us, suggest things to order, and point out what each item was as they placed it on the table. “This is beer”, they said, each time they put one in front of us.

We had several conversations about why complete strangers were so helpful and never completely figured it out. Are people looking to practice their English? Is it a duty to help others? Is being a nice person just the right thing to do? Whatever it was, it made us feel very welcome and comfortable in Japan and we certainly appreciated the hospitality.
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071205-045612
I felt so fortunate to get an insider's perspective on Japanese culture so quickly. The feeling of total acceptance into a foreign culture is difficult to achieve and something that I found difficult to reach in Kenya and India.

I don't believe I was able to find that here because the Japanese are necessarily more open, but because of my long and deep relationship with Miho and her family. It's been 13 years since she lived with us, but she is my sister.

Miho's children (Aqua and Marine) with me
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071129-182714
On a figurative level, Tokyo also seems to have many levels. I’ve only been here for a few days and realize that most of those are inaccessible to me. However, some you can see by just walking around.

While there are many modern, glass skyscrapers like I envisioned when I thought of Tokyo, these will sit next to the few remaining pre-war buildings or will loom over the low-lying neighborhoods filled with small, traditional wooden houses.

Walking through a neighborhood of restaurants last night, we passed neon-lit restaurants alongside beautifully decorated restaurants with curtains covering the small doorways. In Tokyo, the old and the new, the traditional and the modern sit side by side.
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071128-184713 Good Magazine, put out another great issue. This one is the high tech/low tech issue and includes a great section on Amy Smith and the MIT d-lab. The article highlights some of the products Amy and her students have designed and shows their value-add to people in the developing world. These include a screenless hammermill to make flour, a low-cost water test, and alternative charcoal made from sugarcane waste.

These are inexpensive solutions and use locally-available materials. My question is, why aren’t we seeing these innovations spread? I expect the problem here is not that these products aren’t desirable or that the technology doesn’t work. The problem here is that there’s no business behind them. With no marketing or distribution strategy, these things will likely stay in the villages where the students designed them.

As Jordan Kassalow said to me at Acumen Fund's investor gathering, “The developing world doesn’t just need invention, it needs innovation.” We need to start focusing our efforts on how to get these low-cost, locally-appropriate solutions out to the people who need them. And, I believe, private distribution networks are the way to do that. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071125-163006
Acumen Fund has now approved 29 investments for social enterprises in India, Pakistan, and East Africa that provide goods and services related to health, housing, water, and energy to people making less than $3/day. This equates to $27 million in investments under management, with a goal to grow to $100 million within the next five years. Most impressively, Acumen Fund has managed to raise $48 million in 2007 – a staggering number for such a small organization.

One of the things that stood out to me this year was a move towards including discussions about policy. We heard from Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland about how to connect human rights and economic development and how to support political leaders to make real change.

The panel, “Pakistan – peace, prosperity, and drip irrigation” was especially interesting as we heard from a Pakistani entrepreneur and Acumen’s Country Director for Pakistan talk about how in the long-term, peace will come to Pakistan when the poor have economic opportunity and are empowered.

In her closing remarks, Jacqueline Novogratz reiterated the “need for a policy dialog.” While my work and the work of Acumen Fund will likely continue to focus on markets and supporting businesses to create social change, it’s important to think about how we can work with governments, as their support is clearly necessarily and they truly do have the ability to make widespread and long-lasting change. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071121-182440
The Necessary Brevity of Pleasures
Samuel Hazo

Prolonged, they slacken into pain
or sadness in accordance with the law
of apples.

One apple satisfies.
Two apples cloy.
Three apples
glut.

Call it a tug-of-war between enough and more
than enough, between sufficiency
and greed, between the stay-at-homers
and globe-trotting see-the-worlders.

Like lovers seeking heaven in excess,
the hopelessly insatiable forget
how passion sharpens appetites
that gross indulgence numbs.

Result?
The haves have not
what all the have-nots have
since much of having is the need
to have.

Even my dog
knows that - and more than that.
He slumbers in a moon of sunlight,
scratches his twitches and itches
in measure, savors every bite
of grub with equal gratitude
and stays determinedly in place
unless what's suddenly exciting
happens.

Viewing mere change
as threatening, he relishes a few
undoubtable and proven pleasures
to enjoy each day in sequence
and with canine moderation.
They're there for him in waiting,
and he never wears them out.]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071121-170441 Purpose Prize provides five awards of $100,000 each to people over 60 who are taking on society’s biggest challenges. It’s for those with the passion and experience to discover new opportunities, create new programs, and make lasting change.

Nominations will be accepted until March 1, 2008. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071120-005649 BoP Learning Lab at Cornell University. The Learning Lab, chaired by Stu Hart, brings together companies and non-profits interested in working at the Base of the Pyramid. Attendees included IBM, SC Johnson, dob Foundation, Sesame Street, Oxfam, and IDEO.

Stu and the team at Cornell are thinking about co-creation and BoP 2.0. I agree with this approach of encouraging companies to work closely with local communities to design new technologies and new business models to support them. Let’s not take our existing technologies and try to make them fit someplace else. Let’s start with identifying wants and needs and then work together to make something that’s good for everyone.

Stu mentioned the need to “approach this work with humility.” I couldn’t agree with that more and believe we need to stop thinking of ourselves as experts ready to deliver solutions to the poor. We need to learn how to listen better and move to a place of believing we have something to learn from people living in the slums of Nairobi or the villages in Andhra Pradesh.
]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071115-005024 BID network business plan competition in Kenya announced the winners recently and I was thrilled to find out that Ecosandals was among them. I’ve written about Ecosandals from Nairobi – it is a small social enterprise which trains shantytown dwellers to become sandalmakers and makes the shoes from locally-available, recycled materials.

The BID network received 1,000 business plans this year from Kenyan entrepreneurs. It’s fantastic that they were able to fund 5, but we also need to think about the other 995, many of which have great ideas, but lack access to start-up capital.

There’s a huge demand for capital and managerial support for small companies and social enterprises. There’s also an outpouring of interest and contributions in terms of time and money in social enterprise. But, currently, there isn’t enough matching of the two. We need to be thinking about how to connect the talent and resources that I see so much of everyday with the organizations who could really use our support. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071101-000420 this piece about the development of an alternative to artemisia (the plant that ABE is buying from farmers in East Africa) for use in ACTs (Artemisinin Based Combination Therapies). I agree with Rob that there's plenty of room in the world for multiple producers of artemisinin and hope that development and production will increase quickly. One way or another, we need to get enough of those drugs to treat malaria out into the market in a cost-effective way. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071031-235940 Base of the Pyramid conference at the University of Michigan's William Davidson Institute. It was a fantastic three-day conference which explored how to effectively and responsibly do business in the developing world.

One of the interesting take-aways from the conference was the focus on the "triple bottom line". In the past, I have been frustrated by the split between "sustainable" or "green" initiatives and those that are socially impactful. It was refreshing to hear people talk about the need for companies to address environmental AND social concerns. ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071016-180811 IDEO, a design and innovation firm. I am involved in a new initiative at IDEO around design for social impact and design for the base of the pyramid.

While no longer writing from Kenya and sharing my experiences in East Africa, I hope to continue to write from California and share insights about design and development. The catch is that I need a new title for the blog. Big kudos (and maybe even a better prize than that) for anyone who can think of a catchy title for my blog. Post your ideas as a comment below or send me an email. Thanks in advance! ]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071016-175145
JOB DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS:
Scojo Foundation requires an individual to manage the tremendous growth opportunities within the Franchise Partner Channel. The Franchise Partner Manager will be responsible for developing, managing, and ensuring successful relationships with potential and existing international Franchise Partners. The Franchise Partner Manager will also be responsible for ongoing support to the Director.

Regular responsibilities include:
• Developing and managing a pipeline of potential Franchise Partners and funders
o Conducting due diligence
o Writing evaluation reports
• Providing technical support to Franchise Partners
o Training
o Operations management
o Financial modeling
• Improving training materials and components of “business in a bag.”
• Working with Director to create annual and quarterly sales projections
• Supporting the Director on other projects as needed, including:
o Analyzing global performance and social and economic impact metrics
o Product development
o Supply-chain management
o Social marketing
o Investor/donor reporting

QUALIFICATIONS:
• At least 3-5 years of consulting, project management, and/or sales and marketing
experience.
• MBA preferred but not required
• Strong background in training
• Extensive international experience (preference given to those who have lived abroad)
• Enthusiasm to travel regularly to locations with limited infrastructure
• Desire to execute an innovative sales and marketing strategy for a social purpose and to achieve ambitious targets
• Energetic, innovative and resourceful self-starter
• Tenacious work ethic and a sense of urgency in solving social problems
• Approaches challenging situations with humor and goodwill
• Ease in relating to a diverse array of people
• IT savvy (knowledge of Salesforce.com preferred)
• Proficiency in a foreign language preferred

CONTACT: Qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter and resume, including current salary and salary requirements, via email to: franchisemanager@scojofoundation.org, noting your full name as the subject heading. Only qualified candidates meeting our requirements will be contacted.]]> http://www.jocelynwyatt.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071016-174150
VISIONARIES WANTED

Do you have an incredible, new idea that could change your community, country, or world?

Are you an entrepreneur who won't rest until your idea has been brought to life? Or a leader who has recently started an organization to do just that?

If so, apply for an Echoing Green Fellowship. You could receive up to $90,000 in seed funding and support to launch a new organization that turns your innovative idea for social change into action.
Follow in the footsteps of the founders of Teach For America, City Year, and over 400 other social change organizations and apply online by December 3, 2007.

Watch the video
Find out whether you qualify
Apply online
Questions? Contact us at apply@echoinggreen.org]]>