On Friday, July 1^st, ThinkImpact founder and CEO, Saul Garlick, will participate in a panel on the topic of social entrepreneurship. The event is being organized by the South-Africa-Washington Internship Program (SAWIP). SAWIP is non governmental organization that brings outstanding South African students to the

U.S. for internship opportunities in Washington DC.

Saul,along with members of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), US African Development Foundation (USADF), and the Grassroots Business Fund, will speak to the student interns about the promise of social entrepreneurship, its history, challenges and ideas.

I can’t believe that I just got back from South Africa 3 days ago; I have just over 1 week to work here in the office, then I am heading out of town for Thanksgiving, and then the annual event is upon us. Whoa. Where does the time go?

It is a remarkable thing to step back and think about everything that is going on in your life and in the life of a social enterprise. To feel like the days are whirling along at an unbelievably rapid pace can sometimes feel like the extent of the perspective we are afforded in this work. But that is not really true.

Indeed, everyone has enough time in their extremely busy schedule to carve out 10 minutes to journal, meditate or simple appreciate the beauty that exists around us all. I did a little experiment yesterday to test my theory and it has paid off wonderfully. I downloaded an app on my iPad called iDid to track how I am spending my time and watched how long I was actually spending on different parts of my job from fundraising to staff management, to financial planning, and more.

What I learned is that out of 11.5 hours spent in the office, only 7 hours and 45 minutes were carefully accounted into a specific bucket that is relevant to the job. For example, I have been writing this post for 6 minutes and 43 seconds so far, but the time I spent making my coffee this morning (probably about 10 minutes) was just lost… In short, I cannot precisely account for over 3 hours of my day yesterday. There is so much room for improvements in my efficiency at work that I can hardly wait to hunker down and make the most of every day.

As John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach wrote in his book Wooden On Leadership, “Make every day your masterpiece.” I intend to, and I invite you to join me!

This week has gotten off to a great start. First, I got an iPad. Then I got caught up with my emails from weeks of traveling. Whenever I travel I think to myself, “this time will be different, emails will not become a source of frustration.” And just like every other time I’ve traveled (and I probably went on 20-25 trips this year already) the worry that I was dropping some ball, missing some email, or just unable to fully execute on a task crept into my head.

That said, this time the email backlog was well worth it. I was at Opportunity Collaboration (http://www.opportunitycollaboration.net) with 300 of the brightest social entrepreneurs I know from all across the world. The rejuvenating pleasure of sitting with this group to discuss our work for 5 days was extraordinary; so much, in fact, that I am going to write a blog on Huffington Post about conference take aways.

But let’s quickly get back to the week in the office: I am working with the team here on marketing plans for recruiting the best and brightest young social entrepreneurs, fundraising plans for the holiday season, curriculum development for our Innovation Institute, staff management for our teams in Kenya and South Africa and of course, my live discussion at Social Edge (http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/responsibility/does-social-entrepreneurship-threaten-religion), hosting our annual event in December, organizing our board meeting with our Trustees, dealing with finances (like sending paperwork to the IRS for annual reporting, blech) and much more.

I honestly can’t believe the breadth of the work I engage with in a day. More than that, I can’t believe how much the team has built here in the last couple months. Stay tuned for updates – this office is not slowing down.

Back in Mariakani again and had a short time on the internet to connect with the outside world. I feel so oblivious to what is happening globally, as the only news we get here is in Kiswahili and primarily focused on the health of Raila Odinga (the Kenyan PM) as well as the upcoming vote to change the Kenyan constitution. It is quite nice though to disconnect from technology and just enjoy talking to people and spending quality time with others!!

So to quickly summarize this past week, the interns moved into the second chunk of our work here in Kayafungo, where we started with capacity inventories. Basically, we go around our subareas in Kayafungo, mine being Mbalamweni which is soo huge, but absolutely beautiful with palm trees and lush green everywhere. Along with our translators, we just go to different homesteads and ask people about their skills and talents. The point of the capacity inventory is to tap into the resources and assets that community members have, so as to get a better idea of the strengths of the community, as well as meet people that we potentially will establish partnerships with to launch a social business or advocacy project. It has been really incredible to find out about the hidden skills and talents of everyone we met. Nick and I met this incredible man Michael who just talked to us for about an hour and a half while grazing his cattle (and my feet were getting eaten alive by fire ants) about his crazy life experiences doing just about every job. He, along with several other community members I met, were very inspirational because they told us point blank that they didn’t want handouts, as USAID and the traditional aid system has focused on doing, but rather that they wanted the training and knowledge so that they can pull themselves out of poverty. So that was pretty incredible to hear their amazing mentalities and that they want to achieve for themselves…and that is exactly what ThinkImpact and my own personal philosophy on development is, that just handing out money to impoverished people (though out of good intention) ends up being detrimental and creates an atmosphere of total dependency, making it virtually impossible to break the cycle of poverty.

So after we met people and just found out about their skills and talents, the second half the week was asset mapping, where we made lists of the groups, institutions, physical resources and prominent individuals existing in our sublocation, just to get a good overall view of the community and what strengths it has to offer. It is so crazy that we have only been in the community for 2 weeks, since I already feel that I have learned SOOO much about Kayafungo, Giriama tradition, Kenya, and just the daily lives of the people in Kayafungo. And I’m slowly picking up Swahili as my host family patiently drills it every night while we make dinner! It really has been an incredible learning experience.

Okay, really must run now, but everything is going great, feel like I’ve been here forever and definitely feeling at home! Next weekend we are going to an island called Ngomeni, which should be incredible, so I’m already excited for that!!

Kelly Souls

GDI Kenya 2010

Written 6/21/10

1. Arianna Pattek is a student at Georgetown University

“My name is Arianna Pattek and I am a sophomore hailing from sunny south Florida. I can’t wait to spend my summer in Kenya! I am looking forward to building lasting relationships with my fellow interns and the community members I encounter while learning as much about their culture.”

2. Nick Taylor is a student at the University of the Pacific

“This summer, I’m looking forward to really applying what I’ve learned these last four years of undergrad to a real grassroots operations. It will be an amazing eye opener to what’s really going on in development, as well as hopefully becoming a stepping stone to other life changing possibilities! “

3. Leslie Sadeghi is a student at the University of Tennessee

“I am excited about spending my summer in a place completely out of my comfort zone, learning about a new culture, and meeting so many new people. I hope to learn more about addressing poverty issues, public health, and misconceptions of the developing world.”

4. Lesley Martin is a student at Fairfield University

“I am excited about working in Kenya because I will be challenged everyday.  Each day will be a new and different type of learning experience.  That is why ThinkImpact is so unique because it forces you to think outside of the box in order to face challenges that the village and community experiences.”

5. Kelly Souls is a student at Georgetown University

“I hope to fully immerse in Kenyan culture, form relationships with community members in Kayafungo, and successfully empower the people of Kayafungo to create positive and substantial changes in their lives.”

6. Stephanie Parish is a student at the University of Michigan

“I am extremely excited to immerse myself in the Kayafungo community for 8 weeks. I want to understand better what it means to live there and what changes need to be made. Entering the experience with the knowledge that I am not the expert, I hope to learn enough to assist members of the Kayafungo community in creating their own change. I hope that as a group, we can make an impact through the ideas we develop and the relationships we create.”

7. Patrick McLennan is a student at Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver

“My name is Patrick McLennan and I’m a M.A. Candidate in Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration in Denver. I’m really excited to complement my academic learning in the classroom with professional experience in the field.  Everyone I’ve talked to that has been to Kenya explains that there is a rhythm to the country and the African continent as a whole, which sounds amazing!  I’m really excited to not only do good work for the people of Kayafungo, but to bring my experience back home to my program and my future career.”

8. Jessie Blekfeld-Sztraky is a student at Mary Baldwin College

“I am looking forward to this upcoming summer opportunity to live, work, and understand the Kayafungo community on a personal level. I am excited to work hands-on and understand the difficulties developing countries face.”

9. Paul Wood is a student at the California College of the Arts

“I’m very excited to be a part of such an interesting interdisciplinary team of GDI’s.  I’m curious of how this trip will will shape me as a designer and person.  I’m especially thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from the local community of Kayafungo, to be open to their way of life, and to discover how design can play a role globally, in addressing extreme poverty.”

10. Casey Anson is a student at UC Santa Cruz

“I am currently a Junior majoring in politics. I have worked on development projects in Mexico and Arizona, and I’m very excited about working in Kenya for the summer.”

11. Anna Gilmer is a student at Tufts University

“I am extremely excited to participate in ThinkImpact’s GDI in Kayafungo, Kenya this summer. This internship will be the beginning of my relationship with Kenya and with Africa as a whole; it is a region I have always wanted to get to know, and I will now have the opportunity to start doing so. The mission of ThinkImpact and the ideology that seems to be behind their model of development work is one with which I identify very strongly. I can’t wait to learn from the people at ThinkImpact, as well as from my fellow GDIs and the people of Kayafungo. It’s going to be a great couple of months!”

1. Clara Brodie is a student at Wellesley College

“I’m really excited about the prospect of seeing another part of the world and learning about healthy, sustainable growth. I think that resource based assessment is a unique and innovative approach to the challenges of the developing world.”

2. Tyler Confrey-Maloney is a student at North Carolina State University

“I am excited to pursue a deeper understanding of how a community can grow in both environmentally and economically sustainable ways. I love to travel and cannot wait to see a new part of the world! I also have a very serious interest in photography and was excited to learn about the photojournalism advocacy path.”

3. Paolo Singer is a student at Harvard University

“I’m excited to do health and education work this summer with Think Impact. I am especially interested in the role of social enterprise and government policy in helping achieve human security in the Manyeleti communities and beyond.”

4. Connor Gillivan is a student at Quinnipiac University

“I am looking forward to this summer and my experience in South Africa with Think Impact because it will be my first opportunity to live and understand another culture. I’m seeking to grow as a person in both mind and heart this summer so that I can help the people I create relationships with in South Africa as well as relay my newfound knowledge and passions to those I return home to.”

5. Justina Towns is a student at Towson University

“I hope to gain hands-on experience that will foster agency in the community we will be working with and also connect with other students who are interested in international development.”

6. Tim Skaggs is a student at Indiana University-Bloomington

“I’m so pumped about going because I can change lives and a community. The change will be long lasting and will grow with the community.”

7. Jimmy Pappadeas is a student at University of Maryland

“I am excited to see first-hand what it takes to be a part of development in another country including both the approach and actual implementation of projects and ideas to help a community. Learning methods that have already been used with success will help me better understand how to effectively tackle the pressing issues people face every day.”

8. Chelsea Coalwell is a student at Regis University

“In the Jesuit tradition of “men and women in the service of others” I look to serve not only those in my immediate community but also those in the global community.  This internship is a way to serve others while learning more about the challenges of global development which stand in the way of alleviating poverty for so many.”

9. Will Smith is a student at Georgetown University

“Having been lucky enough to spend four months in South Africa already, I’m very excited to head back. I’m also looking to begin a career in international development, so I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to experience a development project on the ground.”

10. Kate Loose is a student at Cornell University

“I am looking forward to an exciting summer where I will be able to gain development experience and get to know and build relationships with people in Africa.  I am excited to learn more about sustainable business models and deepen my knowledge of development projects and microfinance in particular.”

11. Olive Nwosu is a student at Oberlin College

“I am excited about this trip because I look forward to working closely with an organization and community committed to fighting poverty through hands-on, intensive and sustainable business ideas. I
am also particularly enthusiastic to meet college students who share the similar ideas and goal as I do.”

12. Christina Williams is a student at Catholic University Columbus School of Law

(Next week we will publish the 2010 Kenya GDIs)

ThinkImpact would like to welcome our guest blogger, Fehmeen Khan. to BigThink, to tell us about her experience with microfinance and the work she is doing.

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There are four choices for those who realize we’re in the middle of a microfinance revolution: oppose it, watch peacefully from the sidelines, occasionally support the idea in accordance with one’s personal capacity, or become an active participant of this noble cause.

I chose the third option.

Microfinance Hub was born the day I made this decision and I haven’t looked back since. The aim was to create awareness about the penetrating social implications and remarkable financial returns of this phenomenon, and a website seemed to be the most effective method of achieving this feat.

I had no exposure to this field prior to late January 2010; in fact, all I knew about it was that Professor Yunus, the ‘father of microfinance’, won the 2006 Noble Peace Prize and that my dad had only just joined a local microfinance bank.

But that was enough to get me started and I soon came across ThinkImpact’s blog, as well as a few other valuable resources that welcomed me into the complex yet fascinating world of microfinance. It did not take me long, however, to realize there was a relative dearth of information about this topic, despite the honest efforts of many well-wishers, and I thought I ought to do my part in filling this gap by shifting the focus of my site.

As a result, over the last couple of months, I’ve covered various areas related to trends, challenges, technology, services and the economic impact of microfinance itself, and in effect promoted other people’s efforts as well as my own.  Many people from around the globe drop by my site each day and show their support in their own way; some leave comments, others subscribe, yet I attribute my greatest pleasure to simply being able to help answer their questions about microfinance.

No wonder my dreams continue to flourish. I know one day, maybe after a couple of years, Microfinance Hub will live up to its name and become a central source of simplified information for anyone interested in microfinance. Now, my aim is simply to educate others about this idea, so somewhere down this road, when the World Bank is forced to eliminate the concept of the poverty line because no one lives a life of economic deprivation, I can look back and be glad that I played a part in this revolution – a small part that was commensurate with my individual capacity.

Name: Fehmeen Khan

Website: Microfinance Hub

URL: http://microfinancehub.com

Gurrion and Veltah, the Project’s microloan Recipients, are both enrolled in SEDA’s pilot Mentoring Programme. They will be mentored by a business adviser from a private company that is contracted by SEDA for two months. They will meet with Themba Manzini, the business adviser, this coming Wednesday to begin their mentoring sessions. The Project Committee will continue to monitor and support their new businesses, the Uta Egg Farm and the Uta Chicken Project, over the entire repayment period, while Themba will help them with the business side of things. I think that the Project’s partnership with SEDA will help to ensure its sustainability in a unique way.

The Project’s Microfinance Program is for the Uta community run by community members, but SEDA’s resources and expertise will help both the Project Recipients and the Project Committee as the Program develops. SEDA has agreed to enroll all future Project microloan Recipients into Mentoring Programmes, and it envisions the Committee ultimately giving them up to five people at a time to mentor in starting small enterprises. The Recipient’s first installment payment is due at the end of March, and because of the popularity of chicken and eggs in Uta, I think that these two businesses will be successful. I will be excited to see what new ideas come up when the Committee accepts applications for its second round of microloans, and I will also be excited to see the evolution of the Project Committee. My dream is that the Project Committee will become a business itself, paying the Committee members salaries to do the hard work that they now do as volunteers. I think that this is a real possibility, and SEDA has already agreed to mentor the Committee in the process of becoming its own business in the future. We will see how this first round goes, but the sky’s the limit!

Gurrion Mabunda and Veltah Mathebula will be receiving the Project’s first two microloans this week! Gurrion is starting his business, the Utah Egg Farm, and Veltah is re-establishing her business, the Chicken Project. They will both meet with a SEDA business adviser on 1 February to go over their business plans with her, and to do more intensive financial planning in terms of the loan amount they will be receiving (R5000). In becoming clients of SEDA, these two businesses will have a much better chance of succeeding and repaying the loan money to the Project because of SEDA’s resources and experience in starting small enterprises in rural areas. The Center Committee has decided to give them a grace period of one week before they will start checking the businesses records to ensure that stock is being bought, bookkeeping is happening, marketing research is occurring, etc., and they will give them a one- month grace period before the first installment  payment is due. The Center Commitee designed the system so that the Recipients deposit repayment money into the Project Account on their own schedules and then bring deposit slips to the monthly Center Meetings in order to show that the total installment has been paid.

I will be visiting the businesses with different Committee members over the next three weeks to observe the Recipients’ progress and to monitor the Center Committee’s monitoring process. I can’t believe that my time in South Africa is so quickly coming to an end, but I know that I will be busy right up until the very last minute!