We had these challenges too
Recently a friend asked about African culture, and specifically our Kenyan Social Entrepreneurs: “does their laid back attitude actually contribute to their poverty?” Now I know this friend well enough to know he was genuinely asking, not trying to pass judgment. In answer to this question, I present to you: a washing machine.
When I see that pile growing in my laundry basket I feel a dread come over me. I will have to budget time to address the burgeoning pile or risk wearing gym shorts as my underpants (not that I’ve ever done that).
I will have to throw the clothes in the washer, be around an hour later to move them to the dryer, and…the part I always screw up…remember to take them out of the dryer before they are a wrinkled mess (sorry honey). Oh ya…and folding. So, all in all about 30-45 minutes of work spread out over a 3 hour period.
Now let’s contrast this process with the work of a prototypical Kenyan social entrepreneur names Joy:
- Water: the more fortunate might have indoor plumbing which works 3 or 4 days out of the week. The less fortunate go to a community filling center, and can only purchase what they can carry (this is almost certainly a woman doing this work)
- Bucket or tub: pour the water in the tub
- Soap: If you’ve ever washed your clothes camping, you know hand washing isn’t glorious. There’s no hand-friendly organic soaps available, and you certainly can’t afford the luxury of gloves
- Hands: It strips your hands of oils, and getting out those tough spots requires more than a little elbow grease
- Drying & Folding: Drying is done on outdoor lines, which leaves clothes stiff…not to mention the rain conspires to set back the drying process several days
All in all, I have to guesstimate, a 6-8 hour process spread over 3 days. “Ok,” you say, “they have a harder time washing their clothes.” But this isn’t an isolated incident, this is every basic task of living
- Without online or telephone banking, going into town to check your bank balance could take 2-4 hours
- Getting to the market for food could be a 30 minute to 2 hour walk
- Preparing food over a charcoal fire, with most elements starting from “scratch” could take 1-2 hours
- If a child gets sick, and you can’t afford health care, everything else could go on hold for days
Now imagine you are trying to run a social venture with the rest of the time you have left? If you are trying to be productive and task-oriented, how long would you last? Is being strictly task-oriented unquestionably a good thing, even in our culture? The fact is, the utter lack of what we would consider “basic infrastructure” conspires to complicate every basic task.
Every time you throw some clothes in a rinse cycle, remember the cycle of poverty and ask yourself how you can responsibly intervene.
One month after a school and living quarters were “accidentally” razed to the ground by Kenyan government railway authorities clearing space for a pipeline project, children have returned to school at Humble Hearts. Parents, nearly all of whom live in absolute poverty, have scraped together enough funding to erect the basic poles and structure necessary for a new building, and young children have begun using the shelter. Ten blackboards and a water tank saved from the demolition are in use again, as well as the schools latrine system. A church in the community has opened its space for the older classes, and the children are safely living in alternate quarters. Despite the rapid resumption of classes, hard work of the students, family, school officials and community, much remains to be done. The Kenyan government is unwilling to provide material or economic assistance, even though admitting the forced demolition at 3 am on a December morning was a mistake in planning. Support is urgently needed to replace lost books, desks, learning materials, and for further construction efforts. 
Similar to the Humble Hearts tragedy, Fair Oaks School, Redeemed Church, and the vocational center were also demolished by outside parties during the fall of 2009. Since then, Pastor Brown, his wife and the congregation have been working furiously to secure land rights, put up a temporary structure, and resume classes and vocational training, which in turn opens up economic opportunities for youth. By the end of November there were 10 more graduates in tailoring and dress making, 8 graduates in computer development, and 5 graduates in furniture upholstery and interior design. The community had a peaceful Christmas season and the congregation continued to grow and support the educational activities of the ministry. The temporary shelter has transitioned from a tent to a solid structure with iron sheeting for a roof, and land ownership rights to the land it now sits on.
What an amazing country, what amazing people, what an amazing trip! Just 7 days in Matopeni, Kenya changed 6 American lives. 7 days of witnessing the dire circumstance of life for the majority of the people living in Matopeni and the surrounding area. 7 days of witnessing the incredible joy, hope and spirit of the people who call this part of the globe home.
Perhaps the reason we could never get a handle on what to expect on our trip is because Matopeni is a completely different world than Broomfield, CO. But in the end it was not the differences in the landscape or living conditions that made the impact but the differences in the people in Matopeni. We had a hope to go to Kenya and dig in to get to know the people who were part of Fred and Alice’s lives. We wanted to serve alongside them.
And here is where we found what makes the people of Matopeni different. The people we met were not overwhelmed or concerned with their daily struggles and challenges. Rather they were optimistic and excited about their future! They lived in the moment and allowed themselves to fully embrace the joy and excitement of the day. They were anxious to learn and be educated and excited to put their new knowledge to work. We met so many people who wanted to be successful so that they could build up others and give back to their community. And we were saddened by the reality of the hurdles they must overcome to do this simple thing. There is simply a lack of opportunity and resources. These two things we have plenty of here in America, such abundance that we have become almost complacent about it.
I feel that in the end we learned a lot from the Kenyans about hopefulness and happiness and celebrating the joy of today. And our love for the Kenyan culture has grown ten times since witnessing it for ourselves for the first time. This trip has truly inspired us to remember our friends in Kenya and to do anything we can to further their country’s growth. Because we know with the proper resources, and a friendship to offer encouragement there is no bounds to what they can accomplish!
I recently talked to Sheldon Jefferson of Northside Christian Church community’s involvement with The 1010 Project. He also spoke about their incredible response to the Quarry demolition tragedy.
I know it’s poor manners to toot your own horn. That’s why we’ve been so grateful for the attention we’ve received in the last year on Twitter. Our good friend, current consultant, and former Social Media Guru of The 1010 Project 
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