Monday, March 29, 2010

Brandon A @ Kenya: Microenterprise

On Friday I went back to the Micro Enterprise department. This time I got to go with Joseph to visit the Bondeni Center for 2 group meetings. The group meetings today were very similar to meetings with Verginiah the day before. The first group was well established and was doing great at paying over and above what was expected and the second group was brand new and had not been meeting for very long and was still working on there savings and training. Because the second group was small and was just getting their feet wet in the program I was encouraged by Joseph to encourage this small group of single women. I really liked the question he asked me t before I started talking to the group. "Brandon, if you came back in 5 years and visited this group what would you expect them to have done from now to then?" I responded something to the effect of: I expect that in 5 years these ladies will have gotten married, started their own businesses, be stronger christians, paid off the group loan, had a healthy family, and would be working towards purchasing land and moving their families out of the slums. The group was very encouraged by these words and seemed very excited about what the future could hold for them.


After the meetings were over Joseph and I walked back to Pangani and visited some of his business clients along the way. One of his clients owned a hotel, another started a billiard room, another opened a grain and bean market. We were going to visit more but he and I were both not feeling very good and was feeling worse and worse the further we walked. I had a really bad upset stomach and he had flu like symptoms. Once we got back to the Pangani center we both went to get medication from the clinic on the ground floor. Don't worry I am feeling much better today. It's amazing what a little rest and medication can do for the body. I am just glad got sick on Friday so that I had the weekend to recover.

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