Indeed, in less than 36 hours, I will be out of Africa, and what I take out of Africa are so many memories, insights, lessons, and hopes. Let me begin this blog by correcting some misinformation from my last blog. I discovered today that KiSwahili is simply the African way of saying Swahili, and while Kenya has its own slightly different version or dialect (less formal, really, than that found in Tanzania), all versions are KiSwahili. "Ki" means "coast" so it is the "coastal language".
Today's sessions were so informative, and many I speak with at the conference agree with me that there is so much to digest and we are operating on overload at this point. I really enjoyed a work session on microinsurance and learned so much about the challenges facing that emerging field. I look forward to sharing some of those insights with my colleages at the School of Risk Management.
It is impossible to express how sad I am to leave a place that I am only beginning to get to know just a little. But something tells me I will be back. And meanwhile, I have made many friends among the people in Jamii Bora at Kaputei, the Daughters of Charity, and at all the NGOs and MFIs that are represented here. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to experience the indomitable spirit of those who live in poverty and those who labor alongside them to bring transformative change. While the complexities of poverty do not escape me, I remain ever-hopeful that there are workable solutions. We have the resources, the technology, and the will -- more so than any preceding generation -- to arrive at a solution to poverty. We may not make it by the Millenium Goal deadline of 2015, but why not soon after? One thing is clear -- those living in poverty have such great dignity, and have every right to income-generating work, the respect of those they encounter in their everyday lives, and the entitlement to dream and to achieve their dream. My ambition is to do whatever I can in however small or large a way to help clear away the obstacles to making their dreams come true.
I will be back when in the States -- this is my last blog in Africa, but not my last blog on poverty.
I can only imagine all the thoughts you walk away with from your visit. An experience like this is not only exciting, but overwhelming. There must be so many ideas and emotions running through your mind. It seems that you have met so many amazing people. To see and meet the people who our loans go to is amazing. You spend time with them and you experience how much they deserve these loans, and like you said, they have a human right to have them. To read stories on paper is one thing, but to meet them in person is very different. With the sessions that you attended, it must be inspiring to be with other people that have a passion for microfinance. I cannot wait to hear more about your trip. -Nicole
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