Should you Work in Rwanda?

Moving to Rwanda to establish a company has certainly challenged our expectations, and the learning curve remains steep; the surprises many.  None of us expected, for instance, that there would be so many people from North America and Europe interested in joining Karisimbi Partners.  We have been approached by a diverse array of gutsy individuals… undergraduate students and CEO’s, people between the ages of 18 and 60, folks full of great intention, significant questions and interesting backgrounds.  We did not fully anticipate the extent to which our unique model for offering socially-motivated business support services might strike a chord with a growing number of people in the West seeking to alleviate poverty, assist developing economies, contribute to Rwanda’s bold vision, or simply do something more meaningful than standard corporate jobs seemed to offer.  Many of these people are determined to engage and contribute in more intimate ways than philanthropy and short-term trips can offer.

Because our venture is yet a start-up, it has not truly been in a position to support more than the three people who started it.  Still, one Business Analyst intern has joined us for the past nine months, and another, Jon Porter, is joining us in January.  We’ve also had countless e-mail, Skype calls, interviews and meetings with candidates of one type or another (most unacquainted with Africa and/or Rwanda).  In the course of these discussions, we’ve begun to zero in on some questions that seem to matter in such considerations:

• Are you committed enough to work in Rwanda for a significant period of time? Working remotely, visiting occassionally, or working ‘on-the-ground’ for less than two weeks at a time, is clearly not sufficient.
• Have you already demonstrated excellence in a particular area?  We contend that Africa’s development requires and deserves the ‘best’ the world has to offer. Much can be done with well-intentioned people, but much more can be done if their expertise is as strong as their motivation.  This also contributes immensely to the dignity and development of the people served.
• Do you bring expertise that precisely fits at least one real and pressing need in Rwanda? Amazing things happen when a specific need at one of our client firms can be connected to world-class expertise among our contacts in other countries.  To start by cataloging our contacts and their skills in the West, in the hope they can be matched to a specific need here, is less likely to yield the mutual benefits we all seek. 
• Are you humble and flexible enough to adapt what you know to accommodate what works here? The most brilliant, experienced person in the world is useless here if they can't translate and bend as conditions require.
• Are you willing to work long and hard?  Our mission is rarely characterized by quick fixes or instant results.  Lectures, seminars, short-term visits and nice reports are never sufficient in fostering deep relationships, understanding, knowledge transfer and sustainable improvement.  There remains no substitute for what can be accomplished through hard work alongside partners and clients.

We are grateful for the surprising interest we have received.  While many conversations would benefit if every candidate could start by answering the above questions, part of what we continue to learn is how to connect the uninitiated to the type of work we do.  A similar set of questions could also help people to evaluate their fit in other developing world organizations or refine what matters most as they set up a company of their own in such a country.

While we can’t hire them all, our sincere hope is that we can encourage more people to move to, and work in, places like Rwanda.

Onward and Upward,

-Carter

Thanks for the Difference a Year Makes

One year ago we had no real evidence to prove that the idea of Karisimbi Partners was a good one.  We didn’t know if we would be accepted by Rwandans.  We didn’t know if we would be able to have a positive impact in the way we had hoped.  We didn’t know how our families would adapt (or ourselves for that matter).  It was a beginning filled with many unknowns. 

We had different challenges then than we have now.  We didn’t know where to go for good food.  We didn’t know what vehicle to buy.  We didn’t know if we would have enough money to pay rent after our first three to six months.  We didn’t know all the cultural norms for interacting with our clients.  We didn’t know the local tax laws.  We didn’t know what we didn’t know.

We still have plenty of challenges and many of them aren’t so different from the ones we had originally, but we are somehow more comfortable with the uncertainty of it all.  We still don’t know what we don’t know but by definition of having been here for a year, there is at least less that we don’t know now than we didn’t know then.

We give thanks to God for this incredible year and the opportunities we’ve had to experience His love and to share some of that love with others.  We’ve seen children adopted and deep friendships forged.  We’ve witnessed employees and interns see the world in a different light and client businesses grow and employ more people.  We’ve had countless culture-changing interactions on the street corner and within the office of the Prime Minister.  Thank you God!

Exhibit A: Over the past week, we attended a meeting with a group of seven leading mid-sized Rwandan companies, led by the Permanent Secretary (number two person) of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, where Karisimbi Partners was featured as the company “doctor” that could help turn around these ailing companies.  We led a negotiation with a global software provider in order to develop a solution for Kigali City to manage its finances and serve its people better.  We had lunch with an employee to celebrate his experience over the last six months and challenge and mentor him as he thinks about next steps.  We advised a client on how to effectively use US Government grant money.   We ended the week with a team meeting to discuss how to juggle what seems to be a growing list of opportunities that are in front of us.   Compare that discussion to one year ago, where at least I was wondering whether I would need to find a side-job as a teacher or car mechanic in order to stay busy….

Maybe the best blessing in the last year is in our families.  For one example, when my kids first arrived, they weren’t so sure about Rwanda in general.  This week, my eldest daughter asked me if we could stay in Rwanda forever.  I told her it was up to God.  Pretty cool.

Dano

Poverty Alleviation via Choice Redistribution?

We live in one of the poorest countries in the world (Rwanda is #184 out of 194 countries ranked).  Poverty could be described as a condition whereby people have insufficient resources.  Certainly, resources such as property, employment, food and income are finite and competitively sought after.  Ghandi once claimed, “There is enough for the world’s need but not the world’s greed”.  This simple sentiment suggests poverty is not only a matter of insufficient supply, but of insufficient distribution of the available supply in the global community.

It is also possible to think about poverty as the simple lack of one particular resource: choice.  The poor are depraved by the sheer lack of options they have at their disposal.  Whereas I’ve been fortunate enough to choose among many possible foods, medicines, schools, jobs and neighborhoods, my gardener had no such options to choose from.  Jean Pierre did not have the option to continue schooling past age 12.  He claimed two of the best jobs available for boys in his region, but faced death daily in the mines and on his commute.  Thanks to his Aunt, Jean Pierre was able to leave his hometown and experience the possibilities of the big city, Kigali, but he could not afford a place to live or the health care to enable him to be treated for an ulcer and keep his job.  Once he married and began a family, he felt he had not choice but to withstand the ill-treatment of his employer.  The poor can often feel stuck in a bad place few options for escape.  While my family and I chose to make some sacrifices in order to move to Rwanda, we are pleased to report Jean Pierre seems to have a few more choices as a result of our move.  We allowed him the opportunity to leave his former employer (and claim better, more regular pay).  We gave him the chance to claim his preferred job title and responsibility, that of a gardener.  At 42, he is taking coursework in English and learning how to drive (each offer a host of new options).  He and his wife are now considering how to use his first paid vacation ever.  These are small tokens of how our lives here have added some options to one additional life. 

Perhaps one way to alleviate poverty might be to prescribe a sort of “choice transplant”.  We might extend Ghandi’s claim to read: the world offers enough options for everyone, but not if some people claim the all best options for themselves.  What would happen if more of us with the best options made a concerted effort to give or share them with those born with the least?

Because Karisimbi Partners is committed to private sector development, it is easy for us to point to the expanding options that accrue when a Rwandan is employed in a job that builds a company, sector and this emerging economy.  However, I’ve recently been struck by what may be the most profound choice transplant of all: adoption.  Post genocide and epidemics, estimates are that 21% of Rwandan children have lost one or both parents, classifying roughly 10% of the population as ‘orphans’.  The Jukanovich’s adopted Nathaniel Nyanzima last March, providing an entire lifetime of new options to a boy who had few.  The Urquharts are now on adoption journey as well.  Such actions effectively transfer upon those with the bleakest prospects all the privileges and opportunities one would expect if born in one of the world’s wealthiest regions.  At times, it can seem the problem of poverty is too pervasive and attempts to address it slow and ineffective.  Consider, however, the shattered bonds and immense future of a single adopted child and be awe-struck, as I am, with what is possible. 

If poverty is defined as a lack of choices, this condition is neither fatal nor permanent.  Choice transplant is possible.  As we speak, profound sacrifices are being made to create profound opportunities for those with none.

Onward and Upward,

-Carter

CAN Borrow Does Not Imply SHOULD Borrow

When should you give a personal guarantee? When you are able to and intend to deliver on it and when doing so is aligned with your values, as they relate to yourself and the others involved in the relationship.

In the movie, “The International,” a wealthy business tycoon explains the essence of the banking industry: “The International Bank of Business and Commerce is a bank. Their objective isn’t to control the conflict, it’s to control the debt that the conflict produces. You see, the real value of a conflict, the true value, is in the debt that it creates. You control the debt, you control everything. You find this upsetting, yes? But this is the very essence of the banking industry, to make us all, whether we be nations or individuals, slaves to debt.”

This sounds cynical, and is somewhat so.  But the above description should ring true for everyone who has ever taken out a credit card or a mortgage or car or business loan (or has even been offered one, for that matter).  The sad part is that except in cases where the customer didn’t understand the terms, the resulting enslavement is of our own choosing. 

Credit is becoming more and more available in the developing world and unfortunately we see in our clients where they are becoming more and more willing to take the “risk” and accept credit from financial institutions in return for personal guarantees.  Below are some principles by which to determine when or if it is wise to take such a risk.

-       My father used to say, “don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose.”  You may very well have to deliver on your personal guarantee.  It’s not just a piece of paper.  The bank will legally have the right to take everything you own and to even burden your future earnings.  And they will absolutely exercise this right.  You have to determine if you can afford to lose the amount that is being guaranteed. 

-       A guarantee has legal and moral meaning.  It is called a guarantee for a reason.  It’s a promise.  It’s a commitment.  You have to determine if you are willing and able to put your integrity on the line and actually perform on that commitment.

-       Can you guarantee that the assets serving as collateral for the underlying loan are sufficient to fully pay off that loan in the case of default?  When cash flow is insufficient to service the debt and it goes into default, the bank will foreclose on the assets and then liquidate them.  Will the funds from the sale of those now distressed and discounted assets be sufficient to pay off the loan?  If you are confident enough of this, then there is no risk in a personal guarantee because it won’t need to be exercised.

-       This following is a technical point, but relevant.  A personal guarantee is just another form of collateral for the bank.  Banks will strive to acquire as much collateral as they possibly can in order to minimize their risk.  The borrower should push as hard as possible to provide as little collateral as possible in order to minimize his risk.  This is just another negotiating point.  And there should be no “give” without “take” in the negotiation.  In other words, save the incredibly valuable and risky personal guarantee for when it really matters or make sure you receive significant concessions from the bank in return for a personal guarantee.

-       What is the alternative to not providing a personal guarantee?  A business loan is a loan for a business.  The bank makes the loan because it believes there is a good risk-return tradeoff.  If the bank isn’t willing to loan the money based on the business, then there are more important issues to consider regarding the business.  This is an appropriate place to reference another valuable principle: “don’t borrow money if you wouldn’t loan it to yourself,” or “just because a bank is willing to loan you money doesn’t make it a good idea to borrow it.”

  

Unfortunately bad things do happen and businesses are not always able to pay back loans.  Consider whether you are willing to sell your own personal assets or leverage your future earnings and risk your personal integrity before you decide to provide a personal guarantee.  Sound principles for dealing with banks are as true where you live as they are in Rwanda.

-Dano

Jean Pierre: Chief Gardener (Part 2)

(Continued from prior post...)
For nearly two years after the genocide, medical diagnosis was unclear or unavailable and Jean Pierre remained an invalid at his Aunt’s house.  Finally, a doctor at one of the government hospitals decided to operate and removed an ulcer.  This procedure went a long way to affording Jean Pierre a full recovery.

A naturally hard worker, now with a healthy body, Jean Pierre was able to take a job as a security guard with one of the large private security companies in Kigali.  In 1996, Jean Pierre was married and over time became the proud father of 4 children.  Although KK Security did not treat employees well (often paying a fraction of what was owed), Jean Pierre did not feel he could leave because he had a family to support and finding another job was unlikely.  Jean Pierre was still with KK Security 13 years later when I met him, last summer.  Because of the treatment of his previous employers, it was not difficult for me to pay him better and entice him to leave the company that would otherwise claim half the fees I paid for security services.  When I asked Jean Pierre what he really wanted to do, he told me he would do anything, but loved gardening.  Thus, I was able to give him the title of Chief Gardener and a uniform more to his liking as well.  Jean Pierre tells me that this is the only job he’s had that has paid him regularly since he left the Akagera Hotel.  You should have seen the look on his face when I got to tell him he would receive a raise after a year of great service to our family!

To share his story certainly takes some vulnerability and risk.  As such, I felt I should reciprocate and tell him my own.  You can probably imagine how odd that felt!  So much of his life has largely been dictated for him…. by others, by circumstance and by poverty.  As I began telling my story, I realized how many resources and choices I have had (and often took for granted).  I told him that I too scored well in primary school, but I was able to progress to middle school and eventually go to university and choose to study business, and even had the luxury of choosing a field and company I wanted to work in when I graduated.  I complained about the one hour commute I had to drive twice a day when living in Los Angeles, but felt silly complaining since I never faced the jaws of a lion as he had on his commute as a boy!  I told him I loved working hard and he said he did as well (and it shows!).  He was amazed that I would leave a job that had the potential for riches American companies like Microsoft had offered.  Although not a believer, he somehow understood that my faith compelled me to chart a different path.    

By the time I had finished my story and answered his questions, we both sat with a deep appreciation at the life the other had lived.  Although roughly the same age, being born in such different contexts made it quite amazing that two such people could ever find themselves friends.

Onward and Upward,

-Carter

Introducing Chief Gardener: Jean Pierre

Jean Pierre Barahira is the trusted Chief Gardener (and guard) we have  relied upon at our home this past year.  His capacity for English is developing faster than my Kinyarwanda, yet there are many conversations we've not yet had.  I’ve been anxious to know about Jean Pierre’s life, yet I’ve not wanted to dive too soon into a story so personal. With the help of my language tutor, Silas, I finally found the words and time to get to know this man better.  I will attempt to highlight some of Jean Pierre’s fascinating story here.

Jean Pierre estimates he was born around 1965-1966 (birth records are sometimes unreliable here). He is the 7th of 14 children born in the town of Rwamagana, in the Eastern lowlands of Rwanda. He did well in primary school, and earned the right to continue his education but was frustrated when it became known his parents were too poor to support the modest fees required.   So, at about age 12, Jean Pierre began working in the local cassiterite mine. Many boys his age were injured or died in this dangerous underground work, but after three years in the job, he left to accept a job he now claims turned out to be even more dangerous. Jean Pierre began working for the only major hotel in his part of the country, the Akagera Hotel. His duties entailed cleaning the rooms, washing and ironing clothes. It was deemed a very good job, but the danger came in the commute. Jean Pierre and the other boys who worked at the hotel lived 30 Km (18.6 miles) away. Some had bicycles and all would speed as fast as possible, but many fell prey to the lions and Cape buffalo that lived near the road. After four years, Jean Pierre had the opportunity to live with his Aunt in the big capital city of Kigali.

The first year Jean Pierre lived in Kigali, he was unsuccessful in finding work. The second year, Jean Pierre found a job as a taxi-bus ‘conductor’, helping to fill and collect fees from passengers on the road to and from Gisenyi. He kept this job for nearly three years, but developed some stomach problems that eventually made it impossible to eat properly or go into work. It was also about then that the disturbances leading up to the genocide reached a fever pitch. Jean Pierre’s friends and relations would travel from place to place trying to get away from the killing and angry mobs. For three months, they never stayed for more than two nights in one place, and every day they faced the possibility it would be their last. By July, the roaming group decided to escape over the Western border to D.R. Congo, choosing instead to face the squalor of a refugee camp, where at least you could be assured nobody would try to kill you. After three months, Jean Pierre prepared to return to Rwanda, and offered to take others with him. Most of the friends and relatives he knew refused to return (although disease and hunger took many lives each day), fearing what they would find if they went back. Jean Pierre has since learned all those that remained have since passed away. Of the 14 brothers and sisters in his family, Jean Pierre is one of only four that survive today.

It was at this point I told Jean Pierre I now realize how fortunate I am to know him. (to be continued…)

Onward & Upward,

-Carter

Rwanda: An Easy Place To Come Home To

One of the best ways to better understand the culture your in is to leave it. Upon experiencing a new or different culture and re-entering the one you knew, new aspects of each come into view. I have now lived in a few different countries, and traveled to many more, and I am still struck by how much there is to grasp about the distinctive qualities of every place. For instance, on my first visit to the US in almost a year, I was struck by the sheer amount of discretionary time and money Americans have (for hobbies, pets, sports, etc.), the overwhelming number of choices and conveniences available (300+ TV channels and 30+ types of toothpaste!). The Internet and much of life runs at a much faster pace than in Rwanda, yet few seem satisfied they are running fast enough (or have the time or money to support the pace). I suppose this once described what I called ‘normal’, but it strikes me now as ironic so many people have so many resources to chase their dreams yet find them perpetually out of reach.

Such observations remind me of a classic Time magazine article from 1956 that claimed, “not far distant is the time when Americans need spend comparatively little time earning a living…” freeing them to “unleash their considerable powers for cultural, ethical and spiritual accomplishments.” From my vantage point, in the Southern California of 2010, it does not seem such benefits of American conveniences have proven as real or satisfying as suggested.

While in the states, we were able to share and celebrate the Karisimbi Partner’s story with over 200 people at various events and over meals. This video is a wonderful summary of what we are doing (and the work of some extremely talented and generous people!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcF0U7QQauQ. Wherever we went, people asked for details of the place we now call home, so I am happy to give a few...

Observations of Rwandan culture and life are also easier to see when juxtaposed with North America. While the Kigali airport has very few amenities (effectively a one terminal, one gate airport), disembarking passengers are greeted by a giant billboard for a local telephone company featuring a larger-than-life image of an entrepreneur friend of ours (who also happens to be an advertising model). The customs official has that particularly Rwandan air about him as he takes pride in the execution of his duties to ensure paperwork is in order, but is also quick to offer a smile. On the way to my house from the airport, I was able to see many friends and familiar faces walking the streets. Since the Presidential elections are coming, the major roads are likely to be lined with police and military personnel in order to thwart any would-be disturbances. I am grateful to know that what Kinyarwanda vocabulary and pronunciation I had are still intact. There is a perpetual cloud of dust over the city now that the dry season has descended in earnest. The night air has the familiar smell of distant coal fires, Islamic chants from the nearby mosque, and a chorus of tropical-sounding birds from 4:30AM on. When nearly a mile from my home, the boys that live on my street spot me in my Rav4 and chase me all the way to my house (where I am able to present them a soccer ball I’d purchased in the states). It seems people drop everything to welcome me back, and every greeting involves genuine warmth (and usually a hug).

It is easy to come home to such a place!

Onward and Upward,

-Carter

Human Values- Learning from Each Other

On a recent visit to the US Embassy, Ambassador to Rwanda, Stuart Symington, challenged us to think differently about the United States and about the future of US influence in the world. No nation remains forever as the global superpower. So if we value what the United States stands for and want the best of those values to outlast its period as a superpower, we need to be taking action toward that end. The Ambassador encouraged us in what Karisimbi Partners is doing, which he called being “pioneers,” and he encouraged us to bring what is good about the US into our relationships with people of other nations.

In the book, Dangerous Nation, author Robert Kagan outlines how up through the late 1800’s, the United States took actions for the purpose of expansion and spreading its values internationally, from the Revolutionary War, Civil War and Spanish American War to a more explicitly ‘capitalist’ expansionism in Latin America. His book only addresses US history up to the late 1800’s, but many have continued the argument with modern day examples.

It seems important that the Ambassador’s admonition does not resemble the US imperialism that people criticize. I think ’imperialism’, in its most negative connotation, comes when either greed or power or at least arrogance are the motivations. And that, given human weakness, unfortunately shows up equally in Generals, CEOs and even Missionaries. I hope, in contrast, that we at Karisimbi Partners are simply living out who we are. Who we are involves being the best we are able to be and at the same time loving our neighbors out of a quite different motivation than greed or power. And our neighbors are Americans, Chinese, Rwandans and anybody else we pass on the road.

We aren’t aiming to spread uniquely American values or hoping that America will somehow live on through our pioneering. In fact, I hope that by our interactions, we are learning more of what are simply human values and that others are learning the same from us. Maybe somebody is learning from me that telling the hard truth, though painful at the time, will help the teller and the hearer. I know I’ve learned that the impact of business on the surrounding community is equally or more important than the profit to shareholders. Maybe someone has learned from me that the proper amount of planning can make for more productive people and organizations. I know I’m still struggling to learn that relationships are as or more important than productivity.

I graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was trained as an Army Ranger. My Father was a Veteran of the Korean War. I took my six-year-old adopted Chinese daughter to Fort Sumter, Arlington National Cemetery and West Point this summer before we moved to Rwanda. I wanted her to feel the same debt of gratitude that I do to those who have sacrificed to build and defend the United States and continue to die every day in countries around the world for people they don’t even know. I can credibly say that I am a patriot.

But I believe there is a fundamental aspect of American culture that has nothing to do with genetics but is a result of a unique confluence of geographic, religious, social, economic and cultural systems. The United States, as a nation, values the individual, possibly above all else, and this is its greatest asset and greatest liability. I hope my Rwandan friends will soak up some of this deep respect for the individual that we have as Americans. And I hope that we will take on some of our Rwandan friends’ deep respect for family and community above the individual.

- Dano Jukanovich

Snapshots of "Workplace Bliss"

I have said little of the “internal dynamics” of Karisimbi Business Partners. Moving 16 people to Kigali entailed taking on risks to safety, health, reputation, finances, family life and our kid's education. On top of these risks, I didn’t want to acknowledge the strong possibility that the three business partners setting off to start a Rwandan company may not work well together. To be honest, quite a bit of our personal and professional lives together here have depended on a satisfactory answer to this question. As we begin to think about returning to the US to visit family and friends for the summer, one year after we began this adventure together, it seems an appropriate time to reflect and count our blessings.

Dano, Greg and I are three of the most ambitious businessmen I have ever known. Prior to Karisimbi Partners, I had known each for many years, but we had never worked together (even when Greg and I worked at Microsoft at the same time, we never interacted on the big campus). In our late 30's (ok, I'm 40), we have each developed our preferred working styles and standards. We each have different skill levels and preferences in the various aspects of management. Dano and Greg did not know each other well before we began. We are all fairly independent and hard-charging people. Team building experts would never put three such individuals in the same work environment. True, we have many things in common: a social (even Gospel) motivation, a heart for Rwanda, a preference for strategic impact, a practical bent for tangible implementation, and similar tastes in music movies, and humor. Yet none of these aspects guaranteed we would work well together. Here are a few actual “snapshots” of times in our working relationship this past year that represent more “workplace bliss” than we could have anticipated:

Snapshot #1: Over lunch with an investor who doesn’t speak English, Greg carries the conversation in French, Dano translates assumptions into anticipated financial returns on his laptop, and Carter says (through Greg) something of competitive advantages to be had.

Snapshot #2: Carter identifies and nurtures a new business relationship; Greg crafts the contracts that will ensure mutual expectations are fulfilled; and Dano drives the schedule and money to ensure we meet or exceed what we’ve signed up to do.

Snapshot #3: We glance quickly at each other with amusement and terror when the honey production company manager tells us as we approach a bee hive in Nyungwe Forest: “You might see monkeys here… but be careful, African bees can be aggressive.”

Snapshot #4: Dano expresses doubt we can succeed; Carter fails to see how we could possibly fail; Greg talks us all onto a realistic middle ground.

Snapshot #5: Carter begins a business plan speaking of global trends and concepts; Dano makes order of the chaos in the details; Greg creates the PowerPoint presentation to simplify a complex plan for company investors and managers.

Snapshot #6: Dano rides off after a client meeting with Carter perched on the back of his motorcycle. Dano offers the caption for this picture: “Karisimbi Partners does its part to reduce its carbon footprint.” You’ll probably see the picture in a future version of our monthly newsletter (Makuruki) that Greg writes.

I will go on record: these moments have brought an occasional tear to my eye. As expected, we have had challenges as well, working to curb and accommodate the edges and elbows we didn’t know we had. But I feel I can safely say that the fear we would not work well together has been largely put to rest. Recently, a number of our clients have commented on what an “outstanding team” we are, noting the diverse opinions and skills we bring to assist their organizations. Some days I feel anyone could succeed if they were partnered with Dano and Greg—I am that fortunate! I must say it again: doing great work with great friends is certainly one of the highest rewards of our first year here!

Onward and Upward,

-Carter

Launching a New Networking Event in Rwanda

It seemed an idea whose time had come. From what we can tell, if Rwanda fails to reach its ambitious development goals it will not be for a lack of vision, hard work, international goodwill or even a lack of finances. The chief barrier that public and private organizations here must overcome is a lack of management capacity. While Karisimbi Partners continues to assist a handful of companies in this regard, this pervasive challenge seems to require efforts on an entirely different scale. With the prompting and encouragement of the US Ambassador to Rwanda, Stuart Symington, Thursday marked the day we began to tackle this issue with the creation of a monthly networking event we’ve called the Management Exchange Roundtable.

While the result was uncertain, the recipe was simple: gather a dozen business managers, mix them in the same room with a dozen business support organizations (NGO’s, Government agencies, etc.), place a compelling talk from an insightful person in the middle, and sprinkle food and drink around the edges. While private sector networking events are a common occurrence in other countries we’ve lived, they are still new here. The hope was that creating such a forum could identify management needs, offer management support services and have some success in connecting people and solutions that would not have met otherwise. This initial event was immensely boosted by our adviser and friend Eric Kakou, Managing Director of On the Frontier (OTF), speaking on “The Leadership Gap: The Case of Customer Service”. The research and thought-provoking ideas presented during Eric’s discussion were illustrated by Emmanuel Murekezi, Operations Manager for perhaps the best-known restaurant in Rwanda: Bourbon Coffee. Now our challenge will be to improve on this event with future events!

To leave you with a small taste of what resulted from this recipe, one of the recurring themes expressed by those present was this: Customer service is not only an issue for the person facing the customer. Customer service also involves shaping the expectations of the customer. Importantly, customer service is a mindset, or attitude, that must also permeate the ownership and management of a given organization. An example was given of an owner that trained service personnel extensively, but seemed surprised when their training was not evident following months when the owner failed to pay salaries (an unfortunately common occurrence here). The good news: mindsets can change; the bad news: changing mindsets can be a long and difficult task that must affect everyone from the owner to the customer.

Onward and Upward,
-Carter

Social Entrepreneurship: A Useful Term?

The term ‘social entrepreneurship’ is increasingly common, although it was virtually unheard of 20 years ago. As an academic, I was one of those that wrote articles and spoke at conferences on the subject. Because there was (and is) little agreement on the definition of the term, I even coined one of the definitions (borrowing heavily from the work of Howard Stevenson): “The pursuit of an opportunity to benefit society beyond the tangible resources currently controlled.” Fast forward to a different time and a different place, I wonder now more than ever if the term is as useful as many of us once thought…

Usefulness over Time
Years ago, I commented that social entrepreneurship, as a concept, is too important and bold to be merely a subset of conventional entrepreneurship or business. My concern then was that the more we did to develop a field that represented a marginal ideal, the more we may prevent the value of the concept from being adopted as part of the mainstream ideology of business. As with the term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as soon as every organization makes the tenants of social responsibility part of their core values and explicit statements, the term losses its value as a differentiator, and it no longer makes sense to demarcate some companies as ‘Socially Responsible Businesses’. Clearly, society benefits more when CSR or social entrepreneurship become part of the assumptions, values and language of the mainstream business paradigm rather than remaining an idealistic notion subscribed to by a few within the larger paradigm.

Usefulness from this Place
Working in Rwanda, it is even less clear that social entrepreneurship is a useful term. In recent weeks, we have asked four CEO’s what had been the driving motivation to found their respective organizations. One said he did it to create jobs for those who had been poaching and killing Mountain Gorillas. Another said he did so because President Kagame asked him to alleviate poverty in the region he was born. Another established his company to improve the technological, social and economic status of his country after the war. The last CEO said his organization was established by the Rwandan Army because the army was expected to dedicate a portion of its resources to improving the development of Rwandans. It seems to me the term ‘social entrepreneur’ is more useful in the West, where identification of some in business that pursue merely selfish ambitions seems plausible. If such a person exists here in Rwanda, I’m not certain I have met them yet...

Onward and Upward,
-Carter

Volleyball Saved His Life

Robert Bayigamba is certainly one of the best friends Karisimbi Partners could have here in Rwanda. Initially, we were drawn to him because of his warm personality and capacity to appreciate what it is we have moved here to do. Over time, he has become a personal friend to each of us as well as one of our chief advisers, clients and advocates. His biography is truly amazing, spanning key leadership positions in sports, politics and the private sector. Current duties include Chairman of the Private Sector Federation (something like the “chamber of commerce” representing the business community in Rwanda) and Managing Director of Manumetal (one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the country). It was months into our partnership, however, that we discovered Robert narrowly escaped death during the genocide. Since this week is a national holiday commemorating the genocide that took place 16 years ago, it seems appropriate to share Robert’s story with you.

As Roberts puts it “Volleyball saved my life”. On April 7^th, 1994, Robert’s name was on the list of people the Hutu-led government had disseminated to vigilante mobs for extermination. After a grenade blew a hole into the compound where he lived, Robert found himself face-to-face with the Interahamwe militia, preparing to plead for his life and the lives of his wife and children in the house. Since Robert’s father was a Hutu of some prominence, it was surprising that Robert’s name was on the list at all. Since Robert was once in the zone occupied by the Tutsi-led rebel movement (where he organized a volleyball match with a team from the rebel forces), he was likely tagged a sympathizer and supporter of the Tutsi-led rebel army. Under the circumstances, he had little hope in reasoning with his attackers. Amazingly, one of the mob pointed at Robert and asked, “Aren’t you the captain of the Rwandan national volleyball team?” Indeed, this had been Robert’s initial claim to fame, as he acknowledged in affirmation. Robert told the man “God has sent you here to help me”. His fame as a sportsman, combined with the Hutu lineage printed on his identity card, was enough to convince the mob there must have been some mistake in placing him on the list of targeted individuals, and he and the family were able to stay out of sight for the next few weeks.

As the pace and scope of the killing increased, Robert determined to take his family outside Kigali (the capital city) toward the southern border. As they approached the border, the only way to travel in safety was with military escort. A friend of Robert’s promised to arrange a meeting with a high-ranking officer so that Robert could make the request himself. When the official stepped into the hotel room, he turned out to be one of the most prominent referees in the national volleyball league, and someone Robert knew well. As such, Robert and his family were allowed to proceed into Burundi and safety, on April 19^th, the day before the tragedy entered its darkest period in the southern region. To this day, Robert feels a debt to the sport that gave him so much and contributed to saving his life.

Sixteen years later, every single Rwandan family has a personal story of the tragedy and loss of the genocide…many more devastating than that which the Bayigamba family felt. Some are traumatized as killers, others from ‘survivor’s guilt’, some that fled are only now returning to make a new start… this week attempts to remember, comfort and unify. Please join us in remembering this tragedy and celebrating the enduring spirit of the Rwandan people.

Onward and Upward,

-Carter

Introducing our first "Karisimbi Associate"

Karisimbi Partners aims to help clients reach the pinnacle of their potential, and this is one of the reasons we have named our company after Rwanda’s highest peak. Given some of the business sectors we have initially engaged, however, it is clear that some of our clients require the guidance of someone with particular technical skills we do not possess. As such, we have invited people we call “Karisimbi Associates” to help us guide our clients toward their full potential. Below is a story about Kiah Jordan, the first Karisimbi Associate we invited from North America to work alongside one of our client companies. Kiah works in commercial property management and financial planning in Santa Barbara. He is also a former student of mine and I recently worked with him on a consulting project in Santa Barbara, California, so I knew he could make a significant contribution at Misteph & Co., a client of our with a residential real estate firm poised to become one of the first “property management” companies in Rwanda. We hoped he could offer industry-specific insights that were critically needed at just now as this initiative was launched. The following brief interview highlights how things progressed over the 10 days Kiah spent in Kigali working with Misteph & Co.:

What did you want to do or expect before arriving in Rwanda to work with Karisimbi Business Partners?
I expected to use my career specific skills in a very focused environment, with a short time to accomplish a lot. I planned on working with Karisimbi Partner’s client on my own for the majority of the time and to be resourceful in quickly adapting to the needs of the client and the culture. I expected there to be very little structure in the client's industry and that I would need to build the process and procedure within the context of the client's needs. Lastly, I expected Rwanda to be much more primitive and more like the barren dry pictures of Africa that we often see in the western hemisphere.

What did you find when you arrived in Rwanda?
I found that Kigali was a relatively developed city and Rwanda was green and had many key resources and a climate that could sustain agricultural development. There was a market already created for real estate, however, it was unregulated, informal, and lacked consistency and efficiency. The specific needs of Misteph & Co. were split between targeting initial clients and building the processes and structures to support them. Misteph & Co. had a great vision and passion for future development, but needed the practical tools that would allow sustainable growth within the company and expansion of the company's role in the forming real estate sector.

What did you do in Rwanda with Karisimbi Business Partners? 

I went to Rwanda to work with Misteph & Co. to provide the specific skills they needed… establishing a new company in a new sector. What a thrill to work with the first real estate company in Rwanda specializing in sales and property management! I spent a significant amount of time learning about the Kigali real estate market, initially meeting and trying to understand the various ‘players’: the builders/developers, sellers, financiers, property owners, and potential clients. I trained the office administrator in Quickbooks and setup the proper accounts for bookkeeping. Since government regulations and industry guidelines have not yet been fully developed for this sector, there are no standard contracts, so I helped create contracts for leasing, listing, and property management. I helped a website developer create the company website. My time in Rwanda was full and there was so much more to do than could be accomplished in the time available, but the contribution to Karisimbi Partners and their client was substantial and the experience to me was priceless.


Indeed, being able to mobilize our contacts and friends like Kiah turns out to be one way we can propel clients toward their potential in a short period of time. Kiah proved particularly valuable, given his deep experience in a particular sector, familiarity with living in a developing country, and possessing the humility and other character traits required to adapt his knowledge in the best way possible. As a way of saying “thank you” our client treated Kiah to a day trekking through the mountains to see gorillas (Rwanda’s #1 tourist attraction). Also, the founder of Misteph & Co. may soon visit a real estate brokerage (another contact of ours) in America to understand how things are done in a more mature market.

We find ourselves uniquely situated to connect real business experts to the real business needs of our client companies. It is difficult to think how our first Karisimbi Associate could have been more effective, and we are convinced this is something we should do more often… so drop us a line if you feel you our clients may benefit from the excellent business competencies YOU have to offer.

Onward and upward,
-Carter

Time Flies Differently Here

For many years, scholars in the field of international management have highlighted the significant cultural differences one must face in understanding various orientations to the concept of time. In countries known as ‘sequential’ or ‘monochronic’ (e.g. the United States), appointments are kept, one thing leads to another and schedules generally do not deviate from the plan. In ‘synchronous’ or ‘polychronic’ cultures, appointments may be held simultaneously, start late, and end even later. The latter group of cultures tends to place a higher value on relationships than on meeting deadlines or pre-determined schedules. In case it isn’t already clear, Rwanda is a polychronic culture. Perhaps nowhere is this clearer than in surveying the meetings we have (or do not have) on the calendar each day. To give you a glimpse, allow me to share some of my favorite reasons scheduled meetings have been missed in recent weeks…

Ranking (Time Explanation Received) and Rationale for Delay

#12 (30 minutes before scheduled start) “Actually, because of the Umaganda holiday, we are not allowed to meet until after noon”

#11 (During meeting) “I apologize- the medication I am on makes it very difficult to stay awake”

#10 (1 hour after scheduled start) “We could not meet this week because of the death in the family”

#9 (3 hours after scheduled start) “He has a delegation of Americans he is showing the factory… stay there and he may come eventually”

#8 (45 minutes after scheduled start) “The line at the bank was terrible this morning”

#7 (1 hour & 2 hours after scheduled start) “I’m on my way coming”

#6 (2 hours after scheduled start) “His Excellency, the President, urgently asked to see a report today from my (govt.) agency”

#5 (8 hours before scheduled start) “I forgot- I need to drive two hours to see my dentist at that time”

#4 (15 minutes after scheduled start) “I was waiting for the rain to stop so I could catch a moto-taxi”

#3 (1 hour before scheduled start) “He would like to be there, but he must organize his daughter’s wedding today”

#2 (30 minutes after scheduled start) “My house and business burned down last night… could we re-schedule?”

#1 (15 minutes after scheduled start) “I know we confirmed the meeting last night, but I forgot I’m getting married this morning and need to submit some documents”

Thankfully, we have learned to laugh and roll with such delays. On any given day, it seems four scheduled meetings will materialize, two will not and at least one will be added impromptu. Any given in-person meeting may be interrupted by between two to eight mobile phone conversations or texts. For us, patience and flexibility is key. Thankfully, Rwandan businesses are aware of their need to honor schedules better if they are to be deemed serious. In a small country like this, ‘gatekeepers’ are rare, and there is perhaps nobody you could not schedule a meeting with if you tried. But no matter which Rwandans you intend to meet, you should not be surprised to hear excuses such as those we’ve listed here.

Onward and upward,

-Carter

From "Donor Mentality" to "Owner Mentality"

Perhaps more so than any other part of Africa, there is a popular notion in Rwanda that we must depart from a “donor mentality”. This new mandate has been poignantly communicated in books such as “Dead Aid”, a book which President Kagame handed out to every member of his administration. The thought that local problems can, or should, be solved by benevolent outsiders is perhaps one of the most crippling legacies of Africa’s colonial past. Government, NGO and philanthropic aid continues to pervade countries like Rwanda, and while these people and institutions often have truly noble intentions, Kagame and others are fearful they may stunt the Rwandan mindset required for truly sustainable development. Karisimbi Partners is committed to the market-based sustainability of its client companies, and we feel we can do this best by being profitable and sustainable ourselves. This approach makes us somewhat odd among the many Westerners here representing religious, political or non-profit organizations, but it has also made us popular among the local public and private sector leaders seeking an alternative to traditional aid. I have been struck this week by some of the interactions we have witnessed from this vantage point…

Exhibit A. Too often, Rwandans will wait for aid to come to the rescue rather than working to rescue themselves. For instance, we know of a village that refused to build proper latrines because the village next door had them donated and they thought it would be easier to wait until they received similar help. One of our client companies has recently received a significant investment from a European businessman. As Karisimbi Partners has been asked to evaluate the caliber of the existing management team and supplement where necessary, I have had the opportunity to interview 16 of the top employees in this agricultural processing company. I have asked each, “What changes would you make if you were the owner of the company?”. Almost without fail, the initial response has been a laugh or smile and a comment which indicates they had a) never considered the possibility of their being an ‘owner’, and b) have little reason to think such could be any more than a hypothetical exercise.

Exhibit B. I met with a leading Private Sector Development manager working for a European embassy this week. He has lived here for four years and personally overseen millions of Euros in aid via more than 13 initiatives led from his office. When I told him what Karisimbi Partners was doing, he thought it a refreshing new approach. When I told him mid-sized companies here are paying us such that we are getting closer to profitability every month, he almost fell out of his chair. Like the recipients of donations, those giving donations may also suffer from this mentality. It becomes difficult to believe it could be done differently when you become an expert at giving money to those who are incented to solicit it from you. The donor mentality can be debilitating on both sides of the transaction and fail to recognize the full dignity and equality deserved by each party.

Such experiences reinforce our belief: an “owner mentality” is the best antidote for those suffering from “donor mentality”.

Onward and upward,

-Carter