YWE Business Plan Competition

Based on my recent blog entries, you might think that all I do in Kenya is travel. I promise you that I'm working hard too! I thought I should give an update on the progress of my project and what I have been doing with TechnoServe.

A couple weeks ago, I helped out with the YWE Interschool Business Plan Competition (BPC). As I mentioned in an earlier entry, YWE has separate programs for girls who are in school and girls who are out of school. The year long school program ends with an interschool business plan competition. This year, the BPC was held on July 1st at Kenya Institute of Education.

During this event, girls compete against peers from other schools for the best business plans. The top two business plans from each school with a YWE club are represented. The event starts off with business plan presentations by each group in front of a panel of judges. Then, the different panels of judges collaborate to pick the top three business plans. An award ceremony follows, which includes entertainment, speeches from government officials and sponsors, certificates for all YWE girls, and cash prizes for the top three groups.

I was incredibly impressed with the quality of work I saw from the girls in the BPC. The third place prize was awarded to girls who are going to start up a car wash. The second place prize was for girls who are making floor mats. The first place prize was won by girls with an electro-solar laundry business. All of the business plans were well researched and very creative, especially the first place winners. Highlights from the BPC were featured in few publications and the girls are already getting phone calls from people who want to use their business idea. Hopefully they will be able to expand their business ideas and use them as a stepping stone for a future full of economic opportunities for themselves and their families.

I was the unofficial photographer for the event and also helped with the registration process, logistics, and other random tasks. The schoolgirls were very intrigued by me. They all wanted to get pictures taken with me (can you blame them?). The pictures, however, turned out really goofy looking because most of these girls towered over me. One girl even came up to me and whispered in my ear that “we are going to be the best of friends.” Apparently in Kenya, my friendship is in high demand.

Aside from the school BPC, my daily tasks right now revolve around a lot of monitoring and evaluation for the YWE community program. I have been compiling financial data for each of the girls’ businesses on a weekly basis. This data is being used by me and others in the program to tailor efforts for process improvements, marketing and branding, and up-scaling of businesses. I make weekly field visits to the girls' businesses in the slums with counselors to meet the girls, get their stories, and offer my two cents.

Once I compile more stories, I will be sure to write a separate entry on them.