The results are in! We’ve finished going through the evaluation surveys from the first class of The Global Entrepreneur Academy participants and we are so excited by what we read!

These amazing entrepreneurs are a dynamic group of businesspeople making a huge impact on the community. From Kibera (second-largest slum in Africa) to Korogocho, their businesses and organizations provide essential services to about 1800 people per month, improving lives through:

• Microfinance
• Income-generating activities
• Primary school education
• Education for deaf children
• Computer classes
• Vocational training
• Nutrition
• Training of community health workers
• Caring for orphans, widows and those affected by HIV/AIDS

Together, these community-based organizations also profit roughly $4500 USD/year (a vast sum, given that the average yearly income in Kenya is only $1500), which flows directly back to the community in the form of employee salaries and consumer spending. The graduates of The GEA are dedicated to their community, and provide jobs for 119 people, more than half of whom are women.

The GEA is designed is to provide vital education and support, so these budding entrepreneurs can continue and expand their life-changing work. And clearly, it’s doing just that. The majority of participants have applied the business plans that they made in The GEA, actively adapting them to meet the changing needs of their enterprises. All of the participants surveyed loved the mentorship component of The GEA, saying that it built on and improved the education they received from the course. A whopping 83% of respondents feel that The GEA has increased the sustainability of their business or organization, and an overwhelming 100% would recommend The GEA to others. Wow! Now that’s something to write home about!

In November, we celebrated the first graduation for our Global Entrepreneur Academy (GEA) in Nairobi. Directed and facilitated by our Kenyan partners and friends, this course is a powerful and useful tool for community-based organization (CBO) leaders as they seek to maximize the impact of their organizations for the populations they serve. Building on the success and momentum of our inaugural class, we’re planning two more GEAs in 2011. And we’re even exploring opportunities to expand this training curriculum to other areas of Kenya as well.

In addition, we’re planning two Community Based Learning Experiences in 2011. Through these trips, we will introduce our friends and supporters from the U.S. to our partners in Kenya. These visits continually prove to be impactful and beneficial as they expand our network of relationships and enable our U.S. partners to become more deeply connected to our friends and our work. Watch our website for more information on these trips.

Finally, it is with bittersweet emotions that we inform you of the recent departure of Brian Rants, our former Executive Director. Brian was instrumental in the development and execution of the GEA, and we are extremely grateful for the passion and commitment he offered to The 1010 Project. He was recently offered a position with another organization, and we wish him well in his new endeavors. In the near term, Tim Brauhn, our Director of Operations, will take over the day-to-day business of the organization.

We look forward to a great year in 2011 and are thankful to have you with us as we work with our partners to break the cycle of poverty in Kenya.

Thank you,

Tim Brauhn
Director of Operations