Christine's Arrival in Kakamega

Written on March 18, 2010, from Kakamega, Kenya
Christine Rose

Let me introduce myself... My name is Christine Rose. In my professional life, I life in Silicon Valley and work for a software company as their Corporate Events Manager. In my personal life, I have a keen interest in MicroFinance and it's positive effect on the working poor in developing countries. This spring I have the privilege of living out a dream I've had for quite some time - that of taking a 3-month Leave of Absence from my day job, and working as a volunteer intern in Kenya, Africa.

I am interning with Village Enterprise Fund, who's focus is MicroGrants in rural Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. MicroGrants are very small grants (often in the $150-range), that are made available to the working poor. These grants can make all the difference to a family in rural Africa, bringing them from subsistence farming to having the opportunity of opening small businesses and providing for their families. As an individual having plenty of independent gusto, I really resonate with the pride and independence this affords these families, often women being the ones who run and sustain the family business. Plus, the long-term impact of the success of these businesses can far outlast any short-term philanthropy efforts.

The focus of my time in Kenya will be to conduct a Longevity Study on behalf of VEF. The primary focus of this study, is to determine how many small businesses that received MicroGrants in the past 2-6 years, are still operational. The answer to this question is important not only to those providing the grant funding, but also in understanding the long-term results of the MicroGrant process. Mind you, the answer to this question is not quite as straight-forward as it sounds! Even if the originally-funded business is perhaps not in business in its original state, the goal is to determine if the benefits of the original grant monies are still being realized. I will be traveling with a small group of evaluators through 6 regions of rural Kenya, meeting with a cross-section of small business owners as we conduct this survey. I consider it a true privilege to be able to meet and interact with these hard-working and creative entrepreneurs!

My first few weeks will be spent just outside of Kakamega, in Western Kenya. I am living with Wilson and Nancy Peru and family; Wilson is an employee of VEF, and they have generously opened their home to have me live as part of their family. I am quickly learning the differences of life in Kenya vs. California, and am enjoying the ride!

I am just getting settled in, with today being my first day in the VEF Office, meeting with the staff and beginning to connect with the local evaluators I will be working with. I imagine that over the next few days and weeks, there will be many more experiences and impressions to share over this blog!

I look forward to sharing this journey together with you,
Christine