Bungoma

The last item on the agenda for Bungoma was to introduce Jenn and Skylar to the workings of One Acre Fund. Taking Jenn and Skylar to a business meeting facilitated in a mixture of English and Swahili would be very entertaining. The bases of the meeting was no different than any other business planning meeting I have ever attended. Set the goals for the new year, develop a plan, establish targets and time commitments, and ensure everyone has a clear understanding of what needs to be done before they leave the meeting. What was different in this meeting was the interaction between the staff having fun as they publically tested each other on their understanding of the instructions and taking a break during the meeting for song. They took the time to stand, sing, and clap a motivational song. Don't ask me what it was about, as it was all in Swahili, but the tune and the beat where captivating and we joined in as best as we could. Part way through the meeting it was time for us to go and several members of the staff came to thank us for visiting them and participating in their meeting. We felt so very welcomed. I wonder if Jenn will incorporate some singing and dancing segments in her next business meeting. Probably not but it was fun and very appropriate here. For some reason we didn't get any pictures. I think we felt it would be imposing in this setting. After lunch we visited the dairy research facility. One Acre Fund does extensive research on what type of feed, vaccinations, and breeds of animals (cows and chickens) will produce the best results and help maximize the farmer's income. A major component of One Acre Funds' support to farmers is training and education. Using quality seed, fertilizer, proper planting and harvesting techniques farmers have been able to at least double their harvests and family income. Nothing makes a farmer prouder than being able to feed his family the entire year and have enough money for school fees. Since I didn't seem to capture any pictures of the dairy farm or business meeting, I just have to add a few more pictures of the kids. They are just so cute!