I am now safely back in the US, after the 24 hour + journey from Entebbe. Praise God! In fact I'm on the Acela train heading to New York to go work at King's for a couple of days. The contrast between using the internet on the Acela as I travel at over 100 MPH to New York and my experiences in Arua couldn't be much more different from a physical point of view, yet I sense no joy here on the train from my fellow passengers. Little appreciation of the great plenty we have here, instead a resentment when we don't get what we want - like an empty seat next to me!
One of the things I have gained from my trips to Africa in the last five years is perspective. I switch from those with the most material things to those with the least and back again. Although I manage this transition quite well, I do struggle with some things, notably those who are not satisfied with the plenty they have, and those who don't even have a category for thinking about the persons that Jesus describes as the "least of these". I would like to be able to say that the lack of material things is balanced by deeper sprituality among our frinds in Afica. There is certainly a deeper reliance on God for provision - prayer for "journey mercies" is not just an idle prayer in Arua! Prayer for water, food, power, protection from violence and war are similarly heart felt. When did any of us really pray for these things here in the US? However, people there struggle with the same battles between the spirit and flesh that we do. Interestingly, people who are poor obsess about money just as much as those with great wealth - it's just a different focus. People still look for man's approval, for personal advancement and to gratify their egos. People still turn to "physical pleasures" to find meaning and satisfaction, particularly sex and alcohol. As we know, these always disappoint. Lastly, a limited knowledge of Scripture and basic teaching from the church do not provide the understanding to live a full and meaningful life in Jesus. On balance I must say that those I know if Africa "trust" in the Lord more than we do in the West, but there is still much discipleship needed. How about that as a generalization!!
So what about Arua?
I return very optimistic about the future of Business Vision Arua (BVA). The members that have been involved from the start are moving forward and growing their businesses. Some examples: Sarah's transportation business has just won a major contract to meet the transportation needs of British American Tobacco for moving all the tobacco and farmers round the Arua district during their busy season; Moses has planted some 150 acres more of pine forests and is looking for partners in the US to open up even more land; Ronald has expanded his clinic to add consulting services and now has a lab operating in Arua to compliment the X-Ray and Ultra Sound capabilities that he already had; Jimmy has opened a new butcher shop that delivers hygeinic meat for the first time in Arua - in his first few weeks he has sold out of his meat each day; Emmanuel has been given a grant by the Uganda Government to build a 750 million Uganda Shilling ($350,000)mango juicing facility; Hillary has expanded his nursery and landscaping business and has won contracts all over Uganda to "beautify" public works projects; Chris has planted 42,000 pine seedlings for sale in July/August and has cleared another plot of land in which he expects to grow another 100,000 seedlings next season and Samson processed 8,500 kilos of rice this spring and could have sold more and plans to double or triple his throughput this winter! All of thee businesses have added to the employmeny in the Arua District substantially and therfore have a broader economic impact on the families in the region. These entrepreneurs are also becoming the models that others are looking at for inspiration and hope.
Others continue to refine their business plans and ideas. We had another 20 new members join us this last week and we ae beginning to engage with them as we seek to refine their ideas and business thinking.
When you add all of these one to one visits to the three days of seminars we gave, we are getting to a point where we are being overwhelmed. Too much to do and too little time to do it! The result is that we spend too much time on marginal ideas and not enough time with the potential winners. As a result we have agreed on a new structure for doing business in the future: 1) We will identify the businesses that have a high enough potential to look for direct investment from outside investors and I will spend signfificant time mentoring and working directly with them. 2) We will organize BVA as a Community Based Organization (CBO). This is an official Ugandan organizational structure that will define the mission of the organization and commit the members to particular activities and responsibilities. BVA will have the primary responsibility for teaching and incubating new business ideas and opportunities. Our friend Blasio Leeti has agreed to work for two days a week to be our brains, hands and feet on the ground to maintain a steady level of activity between our visits to Arua. 3) We will form BVA Investments Ltd., an invetment company with a small "seed" fund to invest in businesses identified by BVA as promising. The fund will be managed by a small group of BVA members who will be allowed to co-invest with the primary fund. We would expect typical investments to be in the $1,000 to $2,500 range.
With this structure we hope to contine to teach and encourage strong new business formation, provide seed capital for the better opportunities and then have an abiltiy to pick the more promising ideas and partner them with direct international investment for rapid expansion and maximum impact for the district of Arua.
I believe srongly in this "ground up" approach. The track record of the success of foreign aid and NGO money into Africa is very poor. Top-down simply does not work! There is too much corruption, the investment is typically large and imprecise in its affect, and the people who should be helped do not change their way of life with the investemnt, so that when the money runs out, nothing has changed!
I really appreciated George Veth coming with me this time. His knowledge of different models of development was absolutely vital as we thought about the shape of BVA going forward. The members of BVA and I hope that he and Deb will remain involved (no pressure George!). I will look to him to see whether what we are doing in Arua is scaleable for other communities. Now that would be exciting!!
My next trip is likely to be in the first two weeks in December 2010. If God is tugging at your heart to come, or even make an investment in either the seed fund or in larger projects, please don't hesitate to write to me at: amills@tkc.edu
In the meantime, thanks once again for all of your prayers. They were both needed and felt!
May God be glorified in Arua!
Blessings.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Kampala
Because of the substantial flight delays from Arua, my time in Kampala has been cut short, but it has still been productive. I spent Sunday evening and morning with Ted Pantone who was visiting me from Kenya. Ted is a gradute of The King's College, spent two years in the manufacturing industry in Cleveland and then came with me to Arua last summer. He got bitten by the Africa bug and is now back working for a non-profit organization backed by the Gates Foundation bringing clean water to communities in Kenya. He arrived by motorbike that he has acquired over here! We talked about Arua, Kenya, his organization, our sprirtual lives and families. Most of our conversation took place at the terrace restaurant of the Namirembe Guest House, overlooking Kampala - the "Million Dollar View" as it is branded here! Ted is doing well, enjoying his experience and learning a great deal. I am proud of him!
We then headed over to Jesus Commissioned Ministries on the back of his motorbike - through the center of Kampala no less. We must have been quite a sight, two Mazungu on a small motorbike weaving our way through the Kampala traffic. The Kampala drivers took pity on us a number of times and we arrived unharmed, though I still don't know how Ted got the bike and us through a number of narrow spaces!! Nothing like ahving an inexperienced Boda Boda driver!!
Jesus Commissioned Ministries is the church we have been working with for 3 years now. They are situated off the Entebbe Road in a slum area of Kampala. Kampala is a city of hills,and generally the wealthy live on the hillsides and the poorer citizens live in the valleys. You understand why when the heavy rains come! The school is in the church building (read a tin roof supported by wooden poles and grass/corrugated metal walls with a hard dirt floor). Currently we have built three classrooms, one for the "baby" and kindergarten classes, one for Primary 1 (P1) and the other for P2. The children range in age from 3 to 9. The classrooms have been built with raised floors - some 3 feet to avoid flooding during the rains. each classroom is now equipped with newly made desks and benches or tables and chairs for the younger children. There are now three teachers who are beginning to receive some small level of compensation. Currently 55 children are enrolled, up from 30 last year. The goal is to have the parents pay some amount of school fees for every child. Experience has shown that if parents get the education for free, they will not value it. If they pay, they are more likely to make sure their children are benefitting. The children performed three songs/dances for us and it was very moving! They had been looking forward to our visit all day and apparently not much work had been done that day!! I sat with the church leaders to talk about the school afterwards and we talked about a number of things that would make the school more valuable to the community. I was able to present the church with money that had been donated by a couple in my home church - Hope Christian Church. The response was wonderful and they will provide a full accounting for the use of the funds. Thanks to the donors - you know who you are!! We had also had a group from The King's College, New York City visit and teach a couple of weeks prior to my visit. I received nothing but glowing reprts about their visit and their teaching skills. Thanks to these wonderful students.
Today I met with one of my Arua entrepreneurs who was in Kampala and agreed to another loan to move his business forward. It is exciting to see the way these men and womne in Arua are getting the vision of work. For the rest of the day, I will try to make contact with a lawyer here who can help us think through the future structure of BVA and the Arua initiatives, and see if a couple of the WGM missionaries are available for a meeting. Then its off to the airport for my return flight. I'll try to write a summary blog once I'm home.
I can't tell you how much I have valued your thoughts and prayers during this time. There is so little time to spend in quiet with the Lord on this kind of trip, and it is so great to know that others are raising you up in prayer!
Thanks and Blessings! See you in the States!
We then headed over to Jesus Commissioned Ministries on the back of his motorbike - through the center of Kampala no less. We must have been quite a sight, two Mazungu on a small motorbike weaving our way through the Kampala traffic. The Kampala drivers took pity on us a number of times and we arrived unharmed, though I still don't know how Ted got the bike and us through a number of narrow spaces!! Nothing like ahving an inexperienced Boda Boda driver!!
Jesus Commissioned Ministries is the church we have been working with for 3 years now. They are situated off the Entebbe Road in a slum area of Kampala. Kampala is a city of hills,and generally the wealthy live on the hillsides and the poorer citizens live in the valleys. You understand why when the heavy rains come! The school is in the church building (read a tin roof supported by wooden poles and grass/corrugated metal walls with a hard dirt floor). Currently we have built three classrooms, one for the "baby" and kindergarten classes, one for Primary 1 (P1) and the other for P2. The children range in age from 3 to 9. The classrooms have been built with raised floors - some 3 feet to avoid flooding during the rains. each classroom is now equipped with newly made desks and benches or tables and chairs for the younger children. There are now three teachers who are beginning to receive some small level of compensation. Currently 55 children are enrolled, up from 30 last year. The goal is to have the parents pay some amount of school fees for every child. Experience has shown that if parents get the education for free, they will not value it. If they pay, they are more likely to make sure their children are benefitting. The children performed three songs/dances for us and it was very moving! They had been looking forward to our visit all day and apparently not much work had been done that day!! I sat with the church leaders to talk about the school afterwards and we talked about a number of things that would make the school more valuable to the community. I was able to present the church with money that had been donated by a couple in my home church - Hope Christian Church. The response was wonderful and they will provide a full accounting for the use of the funds. Thanks to the donors - you know who you are!! We had also had a group from The King's College, New York City visit and teach a couple of weeks prior to my visit. I received nothing but glowing reprts about their visit and their teaching skills. Thanks to these wonderful students.
Today I met with one of my Arua entrepreneurs who was in Kampala and agreed to another loan to move his business forward. It is exciting to see the way these men and womne in Arua are getting the vision of work. For the rest of the day, I will try to make contact with a lawyer here who can help us think through the future structure of BVA and the Arua initiatives, and see if a couple of the WGM missionaries are available for a meeting. Then its off to the airport for my return flight. I'll try to write a summary blog once I'm home.
I can't tell you how much I have valued your thoughts and prayers during this time. There is so little time to spend in quiet with the Lord on this kind of trip, and it is so great to know that others are raising you up in prayer!
Thanks and Blessings! See you in the States!
Monday, June 14, 2010
It's Africa Time!
Getting from Arua to Kampala - a one hour flight - was not an easy task. Having seen George's delay the day before, I was concerned that Eagle might be having difficulties with the weather. We learnt early on that there would be a short delay, but only one hour or so. This was at 8.00am on Saturday. To cut a long story short, I finally climbed into a 5 seater Piper on Sunday at 5.30pm. There is a saying here - IAT - It's Africa Time! That seems to sum it up pretty well. The reasons for the delay included, in no particular order, weather in Entebbe, Juba, and Yei; mechanical difficulties; pilots having to be flown around to crew the plane; pilots refusing to fly the plane; weather in Juba; weather in Arua; and my favorite "the plane is not taking off because the pilots have gone to the Guest House for lunch!" Each of these pieces of data came every hour or two, but frankly no one, including the eagle Air rep in Arua (Robert), really knew. Eventually with some significant protest from those of us stranded in Arua the management found another pilot to fly the small plane up from Entebbe. There were 10 passengers on Saturday, only 5 hardy souls remained on Sunday and that was exactly the capacity fo the plane! No wonder the bus service is gaining ground (6 hour trip, 20,000 shillings to the center of Kampala versus the plane a 4 hour trip - including the security clearance and trip from Entebbe to Kampala and 200,000 shillings+)!
Unfortunately this delay meant that 1) I missed preaching at Jesus Commissioned Ministries on Sunday, 2) had my friend Ted Pantone (who came to Arua with me last year and is now working in Kenya) sitting in Kampala waiting for me and 3) had to really shorten my trip to Mercy Junior School. The good news I had a day off on Saturday and was able to realx and watch the World Cup including the England vs. US match.
I also got an insight into medecine in Arua. Sally Anguyo, Isaac's wife, had been ill with maleria for a few days. While she responded well to the quinine medication, by Sunday she was in poor shape again. After worshiping at the Cathedral on Sunday morning with Isaac, we went back to his home to have breakfast and wait for the plane. I prayed for Sally and she seemed to be struggling. We took her to hospital again before lunch. They have now diagnosed her with typhoid as well. She is now on medication for that and Isaac called this morning to say she is responding very well. Please keep Sally in prayer. What was interesting is that as they took her to hospital to the "private" ward, they loaded the car with all kinds of provisions - food, furniture, clothes, pots and pans for cooking, clothes etc. The reason - you receive a bare room. Everything else is up to you, even getting the doctor there, hiring nurses and buying medication. I had never been in Arua Hospital. It was an amazing sight, somthing like a field hospital in the Civil War. Relatives everywhere, people sleeping on the grass outside the wards, food being bought and cooked in the grounds, patients being tended to by family with the occassional visit by a doctor! In spite of this Sally is recovering. Praise God!
Unfortunately this delay meant that 1) I missed preaching at Jesus Commissioned Ministries on Sunday, 2) had my friend Ted Pantone (who came to Arua with me last year and is now working in Kenya) sitting in Kampala waiting for me and 3) had to really shorten my trip to Mercy Junior School. The good news I had a day off on Saturday and was able to realx and watch the World Cup including the England vs. US match.
I also got an insight into medecine in Arua. Sally Anguyo, Isaac's wife, had been ill with maleria for a few days. While she responded well to the quinine medication, by Sunday she was in poor shape again. After worshiping at the Cathedral on Sunday morning with Isaac, we went back to his home to have breakfast and wait for the plane. I prayed for Sally and she seemed to be struggling. We took her to hospital again before lunch. They have now diagnosed her with typhoid as well. She is now on medication for that and Isaac called this morning to say she is responding very well. Please keep Sally in prayer. What was interesting is that as they took her to hospital to the "private" ward, they loaded the car with all kinds of provisions - food, furniture, clothes, pots and pans for cooking, clothes etc. The reason - you receive a bare room. Everything else is up to you, even getting the doctor there, hiring nurses and buying medication. I had never been in Arua Hospital. It was an amazing sight, somthing like a field hospital in the Civil War. Relatives everywhere, people sleeping on the grass outside the wards, food being bought and cooked in the grounds, patients being tended to by family with the occassional visit by a doctor! In spite of this Sally is recovering. Praise God!
Farewell Arua
Well I'm now in Kampala, sitting in the lobby of the Namirembe Guest House on top of Namirembe Hill. The Guest House is attached to the headquarters of the Church of Uganda (Anglican). It has a wonderful view over downtown Kampala and over looks the Palace of the Kabaka - the King of the Buganda people, the largest tribe in Uganda. As I sit here the next World Cup match is about to start. There is such great excitement here over the first WC in Africa. There is a theme "Africa United" to unite all Africans to support every African team. The spirit is amazing and I am glad to be here to witness it.
Well back to our adventures here. George left for Entebbe and Boston on Friday morning. However the weather was very stormy and he had to wait several hours to fly out. In fact I was sitting with the leadership team after lunch at the hotel when we saw the plane go overhead. We stopped and our friends waved and prayed that George would return soon. Since only one plane comes in and out day, it's passage is well monitored by those here.
I headed out into the fields once again to see the nursery for which we have provided seed money. It is doing very well, and there are approximately 42,000 pine seedlings growing. They will be ready to be sold in two months. The heavens opened when we were in the fields, which was taken as a sign of great blessing. I stood in the mud with my umbrella up, my hosts stood in their shirts, became soaking wet and had the biggest smiles on their faces. It was such a clear expression of the value of rain in West Nile!
After that I went to the BAT central processing factory which gathers and processes all of the tobacco grown in Arua, and into Congo and Sudan. They process millions of kilos of tobacco each year. One of our key BVA members Sarah is a major transporter for them, moving both the crop and the farmers round the countryside. Because of the quality of her work, she has just been awarded a major contract to be the transport agent for all of Arua. This is a break through contract for a person who has worked so hard for many years. We celebrated her success as a community.
We then had an important meeting with the leadership team of BVA to discuss the future direction of the activity. BVA is like an adolescent right now - lots of activity, but not always with direction! The meeting brought great focus to our organization going forward and I believe we have created a very flexible model that will allow for the incubation of small businesses while allowing us to really drive the high potential businesses.
Finally we had a celebration to finish the week. A dinner was organized in my honor, complete with speeches, presentations (an african shirt with the BVA logo, a BVA shield with a Uganda Cob on the face and a series of figures carved in ebony) and a cake with fireworks embedded - I kid you not! I was honored to have the Bishop attend, and following the seminar of the previous day he committed to help business people more than before and became a member of BVA himself. A wonderful celebration of such a warm and caring people. It also reminded me that when we sacrifice and spend ourselves on behalf of others (IS 58:10) God has a wonderful way of blesing us.
In the very dark African night I received a memory that will be bright for many years.
Tomorrow I head for Kampala. I will be sad to leave Arua!
Blessings
Well back to our adventures here. George left for Entebbe and Boston on Friday morning. However the weather was very stormy and he had to wait several hours to fly out. In fact I was sitting with the leadership team after lunch at the hotel when we saw the plane go overhead. We stopped and our friends waved and prayed that George would return soon. Since only one plane comes in and out day, it's passage is well monitored by those here.
I headed out into the fields once again to see the nursery for which we have provided seed money. It is doing very well, and there are approximately 42,000 pine seedlings growing. They will be ready to be sold in two months. The heavens opened when we were in the fields, which was taken as a sign of great blessing. I stood in the mud with my umbrella up, my hosts stood in their shirts, became soaking wet and had the biggest smiles on their faces. It was such a clear expression of the value of rain in West Nile!
After that I went to the BAT central processing factory which gathers and processes all of the tobacco grown in Arua, and into Congo and Sudan. They process millions of kilos of tobacco each year. One of our key BVA members Sarah is a major transporter for them, moving both the crop and the farmers round the countryside. Because of the quality of her work, she has just been awarded a major contract to be the transport agent for all of Arua. This is a break through contract for a person who has worked so hard for many years. We celebrated her success as a community.
We then had an important meeting with the leadership team of BVA to discuss the future direction of the activity. BVA is like an adolescent right now - lots of activity, but not always with direction! The meeting brought great focus to our organization going forward and I believe we have created a very flexible model that will allow for the incubation of small businesses while allowing us to really drive the high potential businesses.
Finally we had a celebration to finish the week. A dinner was organized in my honor, complete with speeches, presentations (an african shirt with the BVA logo, a BVA shield with a Uganda Cob on the face and a series of figures carved in ebony) and a cake with fireworks embedded - I kid you not! I was honored to have the Bishop attend, and following the seminar of the previous day he committed to help business people more than before and became a member of BVA himself. A wonderful celebration of such a warm and caring people. It also reminded me that when we sacrifice and spend ourselves on behalf of others (IS 58:10) God has a wonderful way of blesing us.
In the very dark African night I received a memory that will be bright for many years.
Tomorrow I head for Kampala. I will be sad to leave Arua!
Blessings
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Theology of Work
George and I split up today to multiply our efforts. George continued to work with Jimmy who has begun a new butchers shop in town with the express intent of bringing a new level of hygiene to the meat trade. The traditional meat vendors are not pretty to look at. After transporting the carcasses of newly slaughtered animals on wheel barrow though the streets of Arua with just a sack for covering, the meat is then butchered on old and unwashed blocks, and displayed on open counters with no cover in 85 degree weather and covered with flies and the dust of the streets. Delicious! Jimmy is changing everything - slaughtering the animals in a more hygienic way, transporting the animals in enclosed transport, wrapping the meat in cling film, and putting the meat behind glass. He hopes to add refrigeration to his mix shortly. His daily sales have taken off! George and Jimmy have a great respect for each other and I think they will work together in the future. Following that, George worked with two consultants associated with BVA to standardize on reporting and other technical issues that will allow us to work well together even after we have come home.
I spent 6 hours giving a seminar on the theology of work to 75 pastors and theology students from the nearby Uganda Christian University. This was arranged by the Bishop of the West Nile Diocese of the Church of Uganda (Anglican). The COU is the biggest denomination in Uganda by far. The Bishop is very forward thinking about the role of the church in the lives of its people and he invited me to teach about work. This has been something that I have looked forward to for weeks. The church has the opportunity to change the culture by what it preaches each and every Sunday. The message about work has been mixed to say the least, but can be summarized as "work is evil". Not a good place to start when one is trying to encourage work among Christians. I had the opportunity to start in Genesis 1 and 2, go through the fall and then on to the meaning of work, the reason for work, the way we should work, issues of money and the role of the church. The response from pastors was wonderful. During one exercise when I asked the pastors to work together and grapple with a passage I watched with tears in my eyes as these wonderful men and women sat and debated the meaning of Scripture. It is a memory I will not easily forget. The feedback was exceptional and the fact that 75 came when a maximum of 50 was expected was so encouraging.
In the evening George and I joined forces and went to the Voice of Life radio station to spend an hour on the air with Isaac Anguyo our host here in Arua. We discussed the situation in Arua and the world of business. It was terrific fun.
Well tomorrow George heads for home, and I head for Kampala on Saturday. We will both be sad to leave. The people here are so remarkable and gracious living in the world of difficulty and shortage that they do.
Well the power just went out, so its time to quit.
Blessings to all and thanks for your prayers.
I spent 6 hours giving a seminar on the theology of work to 75 pastors and theology students from the nearby Uganda Christian University. This was arranged by the Bishop of the West Nile Diocese of the Church of Uganda (Anglican). The COU is the biggest denomination in Uganda by far. The Bishop is very forward thinking about the role of the church in the lives of its people and he invited me to teach about work. This has been something that I have looked forward to for weeks. The church has the opportunity to change the culture by what it preaches each and every Sunday. The message about work has been mixed to say the least, but can be summarized as "work is evil". Not a good place to start when one is trying to encourage work among Christians. I had the opportunity to start in Genesis 1 and 2, go through the fall and then on to the meaning of work, the reason for work, the way we should work, issues of money and the role of the church. The response from pastors was wonderful. During one exercise when I asked the pastors to work together and grapple with a passage I watched with tears in my eyes as these wonderful men and women sat and debated the meaning of Scripture. It is a memory I will not easily forget. The feedback was exceptional and the fact that 75 came when a maximum of 50 was expected was so encouraging.
In the evening George and I joined forces and went to the Voice of Life radio station to spend an hour on the air with Isaac Anguyo our host here in Arua. We discussed the situation in Arua and the world of business. It was terrific fun.
Well tomorrow George heads for home, and I head for Kampala on Saturday. We will both be sad to leave. The people here are so remarkable and gracious living in the world of difficulty and shortage that they do.
Well the power just went out, so its time to quit.
Blessings to all and thanks for your prayers.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Into the bush
Another bright and beautiful day in West Nile. Although we are just north of the equator, we are at almost 4000ft and so the weather is really pleasant - 80's during the day and 60's at night. The sun is strong however, so I am often seen sporting my wide brimmed fishing hat that Gail tells me is only for fishing - away from the sight of people!! Still fashion plays very little part here.
We are having difficulty uploading photos, but we'll continue to try. Bear with us. I'm just happy to be online again tonight.
Today we traveled north close to the Sudan border to a town called Yumbe. We went via Koboko the ancestral home of Idi Amin. For those that are too young to remember, Amin was the brutal dictator who ruled in the 70's and under whose regime hundreds of thousands of people perished. The memory of that is one of the reasons that the West Nile District is generally despised by the rest of Uganda and tends to be underfunded by the Government. This makes creating economic value from within even more critical for the folks here.
In Yumbe we met with the leading honey processor in the region, and managed to leave without being stung! As far as George was concerned that was a major victory. From there we headed further north to ESTA a Christian school that has been founded by Here Is Life (hereislifearinga.com) under direction of our good friend Isaac Anguyo. This is a technical school, preparing students who range from 18 - 22 for work in the construction trade in particular. It lies at the heart of a very Muslim area and has become a beacon of light to its neighbors (MT 5:16). We had the opportunity to talk before the whole school (12 administrators/teachers and 16 students) on the Theology of Work, beginning in Genesis 1 and 2. We subsequently discussed what a curriculum in entrepreneurship might look like for ESTA and also for Business Vision Arua (BVA). There are high level business courses at the major universities but no-one has really focused on the average person who wants to open a business and try to become a small entrepreneur. Frankly change will only come to this part of Africa if hundreds and thousands of men and women take charge of the economy and their environment. The opportunity to create a curriculum that really works for folks and which could possibly be used in many places is quite exciting. Once again I'm so glad George is alongside as his experiences at Harvard this last year brings such great insight to the possibilities and issues of folks in the West Nile. I am sad that tomorrow will be his last day, as he travels home on Friday morning.
Tomorrow he will take time to take two of the consultants that have been instrumental in building BVA and give them an extended training session on financial reports and other analysis so that good thinking can continue in Arua when we are not physically present. I head off to the Church of Uganda Diocesan Offices to provide a workshop on the Theology of Work to the Bishop, his pastors and a number of theological students from the nearby Uganda Christian University. 50 people in all are expected, so pray for me as I stand before all these trained men and discuss theology with them!
Again, we feel covered with your prayers - thank you! If you could see the roads we were on today and the speeds we, and others, were traveling the term "traveling mercies" would have a new meaning to you all!!
Blessings
We are having difficulty uploading photos, but we'll continue to try. Bear with us. I'm just happy to be online again tonight.
Today we traveled north close to the Sudan border to a town called Yumbe. We went via Koboko the ancestral home of Idi Amin. For those that are too young to remember, Amin was the brutal dictator who ruled in the 70's and under whose regime hundreds of thousands of people perished. The memory of that is one of the reasons that the West Nile District is generally despised by the rest of Uganda and tends to be underfunded by the Government. This makes creating economic value from within even more critical for the folks here.
In Yumbe we met with the leading honey processor in the region, and managed to leave without being stung! As far as George was concerned that was a major victory. From there we headed further north to ESTA a Christian school that has been founded by Here Is Life (hereislifearinga.com) under direction of our good friend Isaac Anguyo. This is a technical school, preparing students who range from 18 - 22 for work in the construction trade in particular. It lies at the heart of a very Muslim area and has become a beacon of light to its neighbors (MT 5:16). We had the opportunity to talk before the whole school (12 administrators/teachers and 16 students) on the Theology of Work, beginning in Genesis 1 and 2. We subsequently discussed what a curriculum in entrepreneurship might look like for ESTA and also for Business Vision Arua (BVA). There are high level business courses at the major universities but no-one has really focused on the average person who wants to open a business and try to become a small entrepreneur. Frankly change will only come to this part of Africa if hundreds and thousands of men and women take charge of the economy and their environment. The opportunity to create a curriculum that really works for folks and which could possibly be used in many places is quite exciting. Once again I'm so glad George is alongside as his experiences at Harvard this last year brings such great insight to the possibilities and issues of folks in the West Nile. I am sad that tomorrow will be his last day, as he travels home on Friday morning.
Tomorrow he will take time to take two of the consultants that have been instrumental in building BVA and give them an extended training session on financial reports and other analysis so that good thinking can continue in Arua when we are not physically present. I head off to the Church of Uganda Diocesan Offices to provide a workshop on the Theology of Work to the Bishop, his pastors and a number of theological students from the nearby Uganda Christian University. 50 people in all are expected, so pray for me as I stand before all these trained men and discuss theology with them!
Again, we feel covered with your prayers - thank you! If you could see the roads we were on today and the speeds we, and others, were traveling the term "traveling mercies" would have a new meaning to you all!!
Blessings
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Lots of Meetings Later!
It is such a joy to find internet access - something we take for granted each day at home. Go Celtics!
We have had three very full days of ministry here in Arua. Sunday was my birthday - which I would have forgotten if my daughter Victoria had not texted me her best wishes! I celebrated by preaching the early morning service at the Anglican Cathedral in town. There were about 500 people there and the place was pretty much filled. I preached about idleness from 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - 15. A wrong understanding of the nature of work from a Biblical perspective and laziness are two key problems here. I addressed both in my sermon, which was probably tough to hear, but I received praise afterward from the Provost himself and quite a few of the attendees.
Then the work of meeting with the various business owners began in earnest. People very much appreciated the 2 day seminar, but most people also valued an opportunity to sit with George and I to talk specifically about their businesses. George and I make an excellent team. I focus more on the strategy stuff and George is wonderful at digging into the detail and really helping folks think about the specifics of their business. One of our hosts is learning so much from George that he told me he was OK with me wandering off on my own, he wanted to spend his time with George!! Ah how the mighty have fallen!!We met about 6 - 7 business people on both Sunday and Monday and then today we took a trip out into the bush to look at a series of farming initiatives. We traveled with the man who has probably planted more trees as a private individual than any other person in the West Nile. There is a terrible problem of deforestation and since wood is used for building and fuel, the future looks even more bleak. Some insightful folks who can afford to take a long term view are now investing in tree farms. We saw hundreds of acres of pine, eucalyptus and teak, as well as a nursery with 1.8 million seedlings of all kinds of species. We ended up deep in the bush, and the children were very surprised and some were shocked to see a couple of Muzungu - white folks. I tried to make friends with a small girl of about 2, but she just screamed in terror! The country is beautiful, the land fertile and the climate quite good and yet everyone barely ekes out an existence and there is no motivation, and perhaps no opportunity, to change. There needs to be a long term change in culture and attitude. The members of BVA are different, and perhaps if we can generate enough success and activity, we can be a small part in changing people's lives for the good.
Tomorrow we travel north to Yumbe to see a couple of entrepreneurs up there, but also to look at a Christian school that has been planted in the middle of a heavily Muslim area.
With all the work we are doing, with all the people we are trying to see and help, George and I remarked today about how hard it was to have a quiet time every day and to have a consistent prayer life. It's at times like this that we really appreciate all of your prayers. We feel carried on wings like eagles! Thank you!!
We have had three very full days of ministry here in Arua. Sunday was my birthday - which I would have forgotten if my daughter Victoria had not texted me her best wishes! I celebrated by preaching the early morning service at the Anglican Cathedral in town. There were about 500 people there and the place was pretty much filled. I preached about idleness from 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - 15. A wrong understanding of the nature of work from a Biblical perspective and laziness are two key problems here. I addressed both in my sermon, which was probably tough to hear, but I received praise afterward from the Provost himself and quite a few of the attendees.
Then the work of meeting with the various business owners began in earnest. People very much appreciated the 2 day seminar, but most people also valued an opportunity to sit with George and I to talk specifically about their businesses. George and I make an excellent team. I focus more on the strategy stuff and George is wonderful at digging into the detail and really helping folks think about the specifics of their business. One of our hosts is learning so much from George that he told me he was OK with me wandering off on my own, he wanted to spend his time with George!! Ah how the mighty have fallen!!We met about 6 - 7 business people on both Sunday and Monday and then today we took a trip out into the bush to look at a series of farming initiatives. We traveled with the man who has probably planted more trees as a private individual than any other person in the West Nile. There is a terrible problem of deforestation and since wood is used for building and fuel, the future looks even more bleak. Some insightful folks who can afford to take a long term view are now investing in tree farms. We saw hundreds of acres of pine, eucalyptus and teak, as well as a nursery with 1.8 million seedlings of all kinds of species. We ended up deep in the bush, and the children were very surprised and some were shocked to see a couple of Muzungu - white folks. I tried to make friends with a small girl of about 2, but she just screamed in terror! The country is beautiful, the land fertile and the climate quite good and yet everyone barely ekes out an existence and there is no motivation, and perhaps no opportunity, to change. There needs to be a long term change in culture and attitude. The members of BVA are different, and perhaps if we can generate enough success and activity, we can be a small part in changing people's lives for the good.
Tomorrow we travel north to Yumbe to see a couple of entrepreneurs up there, but also to look at a Christian school that has been planted in the middle of a heavily Muslim area.
With all the work we are doing, with all the people we are trying to see and help, George and I remarked today about how hard it was to have a quiet time every day and to have a consistent prayer life. It's at times like this that we really appreciate all of your prayers. We feel carried on wings like eagles! Thank you!!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
First post from Africa!
Sadly we have been unable to get to the internet, so this is our first post. A quick review of the news. Unfortunately we lost one of our party. Gareth Davies turned his home, and his parents home upside down for a day, but his passport remained AWOL. He has since determined that it was stolen. Unfortunately there was no way to replace the passport in the 24 hours he had left before the flight and so had to cancel. I know he is deeply disappointed as are we all. We've promised each other to do it again in the future!
George and I traveled with no incident to Entebbe, got all of our luggage and even found the hotel pick-up without incident. After a brief night's sleep, we caught the 8AM Eagle Air flight to Arua which was on time at both ends!!! We were greeted at the airport by about 15 members of Business Vision Arua (BVA) who came in trucks festooned with blue and white ribbons and offering us bouquets of flowers. It was a humbling greeting. The rest of the day was spent meeting members of BVA and preparing for the 2 day business seminar we were teaching the following days.
We have just completed that training, which was an unqualified success. We had 40 people in attendance,and we were able to take the participants through a very thorough over view of business, business strategy, business planning, cash flow management and general principles behind successfully starting sustainable businesses.
We are struck by the friendliness of the people, the loyalty of many who have been involved with BVA for three years, the desire to learn and their determination to build successful businesses to build economic opportunity in Arua and begin to eradicate the widespread poverty that one finds here.
What is becoming evident already is that the interest in BVA has been growing substantially, even while we have been away. Frankly there are more people who want to meet us and talk about their business ideas than we have time slots available, even by extending the length of the work days. One of the items on the agenda for this week is to work with the Steering Committee of BVA and agree on a way that we can organize to keep this momentum building. We have also heard some great success stories of businesses that are beginning to really grow by following some of the ideas that we have brought to the area. Our hope is that many more will follow and that a movement grows to make Arua more prosperous for all of its people.
Thanks for your prayers. We need them and feel them. Please pray for wisdom as we talk to men and women about their businesses, and for stamina as we have a hectic schedule to say the least!
We will update the blog when we can get back on the net - hopefully tomorrow evening.
George and I traveled with no incident to Entebbe, got all of our luggage and even found the hotel pick-up without incident. After a brief night's sleep, we caught the 8AM Eagle Air flight to Arua which was on time at both ends!!! We were greeted at the airport by about 15 members of Business Vision Arua (BVA) who came in trucks festooned with blue and white ribbons and offering us bouquets of flowers. It was a humbling greeting. The rest of the day was spent meeting members of BVA and preparing for the 2 day business seminar we were teaching the following days.
We have just completed that training, which was an unqualified success. We had 40 people in attendance,and we were able to take the participants through a very thorough over view of business, business strategy, business planning, cash flow management and general principles behind successfully starting sustainable businesses.
We are struck by the friendliness of the people, the loyalty of many who have been involved with BVA for three years, the desire to learn and their determination to build successful businesses to build economic opportunity in Arua and begin to eradicate the widespread poverty that one finds here.
What is becoming evident already is that the interest in BVA has been growing substantially, even while we have been away. Frankly there are more people who want to meet us and talk about their business ideas than we have time slots available, even by extending the length of the work days. One of the items on the agenda for this week is to work with the Steering Committee of BVA and agree on a way that we can organize to keep this momentum building. We have also heard some great success stories of businesses that are beginning to really grow by following some of the ideas that we have brought to the area. Our hope is that many more will follow and that a movement grows to make Arua more prosperous for all of its people.
Thanks for your prayers. We need them and feel them. Please pray for wisdom as we talk to men and women about their businesses, and for stamina as we have a hectic schedule to say the least!
We will update the blog when we can get back on the net - hopefully tomorrow evening.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Return to Arua June 2010
Time has finally come to return to my friends in Arua and Kampala. I am fortunate agin to have an excellent team travelling with me.
George Veth is a good friend from Boston, a serial entrepreneur who has just completed his MPA (Master in Public Administration) at the Kennedy School at Harvard University. George is looking at different opportunities in social entrepreneurship and is looking forward to understanding the work being done by BVA (Business Vision Arua), to see whether there are ideas that can be duplicated in other places.
Gareth Davies is my nephew. He is a graduate of Oxford University and is currently a strategic consulatant working in London. Gareth is one of the most widely travelled and interesting young men I know and he and I enjoy adventures together. He jumped at the chance to come to Uganda and help in the work that we're doing.
We have a very busy schedule. The first 10 days will be in Arua, the last 4 in Kampala. In Arua we will host another 2 day business seminar for new members of BVA to help men and women understand the basic nature of business and how to create sustainable economic activity. We will spend one day as a guest of the Bishop of West Nile teaching pastors more about what the Bible says about work, so that pastors can begin to preach and extol the virtue of work and stewardship in the community. I will also have the opportunity to preach in the Cathedral in Arua on Sunday 6th (my birthday - what a birthday gift!)The balance of the time will be spent meeting individually with entrepreneurs, helping them sharpen their business ideas and practices as well as looking for places where small loans could really jump start a business opportunity. The access to capital is so poor in the region that this can have create great leverage.
In Kampala, we will work once again with our frineds at Jesus Commissioned Ministries and their new school, Mercy Jumior School. Located in one of the very poorest areas of Kampala, Mercy Junior School exists to offer basic education to children who would have no other opportunity to learn. Over the years, we have built latrines, concrete raised flooring and desks and benches. The school has approximately 35 students in P1 - P3 (Elementary Grades 1 - 3, and we now have teachers who are being paid, and students are beginning to pay school fees to establish the quality that we desire in the school educational process. It will be fun to see the progress and to teach the kids for a day.
As always we ask for your prayers to cover all of our travel and health needs. Would you also pray for a signfifcant increase in the number of people involved in business in Arua and for discernment in making loans. Finally as we look at the school in Kamapala, please pray that we would know how to help and what to do next, given the schools many needs!
We will try to update the blog as we go along, but given the nature of power and telecommunications, we can't guarantee anyhting!
Blessings
Andy
George Veth is a good friend from Boston, a serial entrepreneur who has just completed his MPA (Master in Public Administration) at the Kennedy School at Harvard University. George is looking at different opportunities in social entrepreneurship and is looking forward to understanding the work being done by BVA (Business Vision Arua), to see whether there are ideas that can be duplicated in other places.
Gareth Davies is my nephew. He is a graduate of Oxford University and is currently a strategic consulatant working in London. Gareth is one of the most widely travelled and interesting young men I know and he and I enjoy adventures together. He jumped at the chance to come to Uganda and help in the work that we're doing.
We have a very busy schedule. The first 10 days will be in Arua, the last 4 in Kampala. In Arua we will host another 2 day business seminar for new members of BVA to help men and women understand the basic nature of business and how to create sustainable economic activity. We will spend one day as a guest of the Bishop of West Nile teaching pastors more about what the Bible says about work, so that pastors can begin to preach and extol the virtue of work and stewardship in the community. I will also have the opportunity to preach in the Cathedral in Arua on Sunday 6th (my birthday - what a birthday gift!)The balance of the time will be spent meeting individually with entrepreneurs, helping them sharpen their business ideas and practices as well as looking for places where small loans could really jump start a business opportunity. The access to capital is so poor in the region that this can have create great leverage.
In Kampala, we will work once again with our frineds at Jesus Commissioned Ministries and their new school, Mercy Jumior School. Located in one of the very poorest areas of Kampala, Mercy Junior School exists to offer basic education to children who would have no other opportunity to learn. Over the years, we have built latrines, concrete raised flooring and desks and benches. The school has approximately 35 students in P1 - P3 (Elementary Grades 1 - 3, and we now have teachers who are being paid, and students are beginning to pay school fees to establish the quality that we desire in the school educational process. It will be fun to see the progress and to teach the kids for a day.
As always we ask for your prayers to cover all of our travel and health needs. Would you also pray for a signfifcant increase in the number of people involved in business in Arua and for discernment in making loans. Finally as we look at the school in Kamapala, please pray that we would know how to help and what to do next, given the schools many needs!
We will try to update the blog as we go along, but given the nature of power and telecommunications, we can't guarantee anyhting!
Blessings
Andy
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