Itchy Feet Syndrome

Investors Visiting Uganda

2009-10-09T08:14:00.011Z

Last week was fun and eventful.

Part of what we are involved in at BiD Network, besides preparing emerging market entrepreneurs for investors, is connecting those entrepreneurs with investors.

I had the pleasure of spending time with two informal investors that had been travelling in Kenya and Tanzania and that were now in Uganda for a few days to visit entrepreneurs and to get to know a little more acquainted with the Ugandan private sector.

The team in Amsterdam had done an amazing job raising the profile of Uganda as an investment environment with growth potential. We had initially tried the formula of mixing business with pleasure (Meeting Entrepreneurs and Do a Safari) but this proved a little too ambitious for a first attempt.

Instead, I got to spend a few days with two wonderful people from Holland. This husband and wife team, have had successful careers in their respective fields and somewhere along the way fell in love with East Africa. They have decided to take all those skills and ambitions that had brought them professional success and to put them to work in a very different environment.

They had specified a number of criterias; first that they wanted to see businesses that have a positive social or environmental impact in addition to being financial viable aka "social investments/businesses". These social investors as they are called, are becoming more prevalent, and that's a huge leap forward. They embrace the idea of investing in entrepreneurs that are changemakers and who run projects that will provide a double bottom line of financial profit and social change.

In addition to what I could call "social" projects, they also wanted to learn more about microfinance and meet a few microfinance institutions. Now that got me excited !!!

They were only going to be here for 4 days so I had to create a top-notch program for them, which would include meetings with the Ugandan Investment Authority, the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda, 4 entrepreneurs, 4 MFIs and a visit to the Trade Fair.

The entrepreneurs were all of extremely high quality - businesses varied from the production and sale of solar lamps and the resale of refurbished second hand computers to the purification and sale of bottled water. We even visited a start up that is looking to distribute Liquefied Petroleum Gas in all the households in Uganda. Quite an ambitious business model!

Meeting with Entrepreneurs

On the microfinance side - the quality and social appeal of the MFIs we visited was wide ranging. We met a reglious based organisation that is doing a great job targeting the rural poor in the South West region of the county but also a Kampala based organisation that is focusing on the urban - quick loans where I thought the social impact of its activities was hard to determine.

Luckily, the checking and re-checking of the schedule with all the participants meant that the program was executed without any glitches or delays.

It was a priviledge for me to be able to spend time with these two extremely knowledgeable professionals. I learned a lot from interacting with them, bouncing ideas and getting a different view point on businesses, financials, overall appeal and the importance of the entrepreneurs above all others.

If the entrepreneur was engaging, precise, knowledgeable and passionate about his business - this made a huge undeniable difference. There is still a lot of work to be done on teaching entrepreneurs to structure their thoughts, present their idea in a coherent logical manner and most importantly engage the investor. Hopefully BiD's Ready 4 Equity Training sessions will do just that!

Visiting the Uganda Trade Show

Especially with social investors, i found that the social return could easily overshadow the financial component if they could identify with the project and feel that they were needed ("the if not me, then you have no chance to succeed and i want you to succeed!" factor was quite important!) .

So if any entrepreneurs are reading this - know that it is possible to get finance. You need to know your business perfectly, recognise your weaknesses and show that you are working on improving them and most importantly you need to be able to convey your passion to those listening. Learn the rules to play the game ... and from there you will have a better chance of winning!

One final note - to my first informal investors - thank you for sharing your thoughts with me and allowing me to learn from your experience.

Now the real work begins to make it happen!

Eid Mubarak

2009-09-21T08:42:00.002Z

I discovered a new religious festival last week - Eid El Fitr. I obviously already knew about Ramadan. When I think of what Ramadan means to me, I have to go back to Cairo when I was a child. We were there once during Ramadan and I have a vague memory of things being very quiet during the day and extremely festive at nigh. I remember seeing big long tables set along the streets and big groups of people having a jolly good time all eating together. At the time, I was told that everyone could join in. As we were not allowed to go out alone, i would go to the window and slowly spy on the street below waiting for all the people to arrive a dusk, eat and be happy.

My second memory takes me back to my University years. I had become good friend with two Egyptian students on my Masters course and we decided to join in the class trip around the Stock Exchanges of Europe (this was basically a bus drive from London to Paris to Frankfurt and Brussels ... with the excuse of seeing stock exchanges - I say excuse because the Euro and the creation of computerised systems for recording financial transactions have meant that the exciting images of "Buy! Sell!" seen in the New York Stock Exchange is long gone memory in Europe. Anyway, during that trip it also happened to be Ramadan.

So here I was with my two egyptian friends looking at them "endure" this tradition in an isolated environment - with no one else doing it - so to speak. And it look painfully difficult!

But this time it was different. I got to witness first hand the joy that emanates from celebrating this event with family and friends (not mine but ok). This felt like Christmas. Although it was without the tree, the presents or the weird uncle, the joy, the spirit of sharing and food were all present.

I was sat in a small crammed house in the Ntinda area of Kampala. Children screaming and playing outside in the baking sun. The succulent smells of the kitchen already making my mouth water. People coming in at regular intervals, embracing, holding their children all dressed to the T - saluting and sharing a few words of congratulations and of their experience of Ramadan this year.

And I was there, watching; cultural outsider. Taking all this in and slowly realising that like Christmas, Eid is shared around the world, uniting the muslims across borders. And for this Rachid my friend from Morocco was extremely grateful.

Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

2009-09-13T17:27:00.014Z

It came as a spur of the moment decision, followed by an opportunity to venture out of the capital city and ended up as an adventure with a friend.

Starting off @ Red Chilli Hostel in Kampala one of the only backpacker's hostels in town - we set off in a small van that would endure many bumpy roads, potholes, torrential rain, scary baboons, flying geese and the odd backpacker or 10.

My compadres for the journey were an eclectic bunch of travellers: Estelle (Partner in Crime in Kampala- Jambo Bwana!), Pauline (frenchie interning in Kampala for an MFI), Steven and Christine (Aussie brother and sister who were originally from Uganda, visiting family), Allison (awesome brit gal who is training to be a nurse and was volunteering in a small surgery 80KM from Kampala), an Austrian dude and another Aussie from Melbourne on a 5 month trip across East Africa.

The gals We set off at 9 am for a rollercoaster ride up to a town called Masindi located 215 KM north of Kampala. Although the scenery was rather unspectacular it was impossible for me not to be mesmerized by the scenes of rural daily life spreading across my eyes - children pumping water from a communal well, women carrying huge packages on their heads, farmers digging the rich red earth, cows walking across the road, small stalls of food along the road ... Uganda the Pearl of Africa was letting itself be discovered step by step.

Walking through Masindi

Stopping for food along the way

Africa Paradize

Having stopped for a quick lunch at the only "traveller's " cooking joint, where i opted for a rather disappointed chicken and rice (the chicken must have been the scrawniest chicken ever!) - we continued our journey to Murchison National Park.

Our accomodation for the night

Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda. It offers ‘big game’ viewing opportunities, chimpanzee tracking and truly breathtaking scenery all combined with the awesome river Nile

Safari in the rain

The National Park is named for the dramatic Murchison Falls, where the world's longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below.

Murchison Falls

Although battered by Idi Amin's wildlife policies and ferocious poaching in the 1980s, wildlife populations have largely recovered. We were lucky enough to see elephants, buffalos, giraffes and a variety of antelopes. We cruised the Nile to Muchinson Falls and witnessed one of Africa's densest hippo and crocodile populations including a dazzling variety of waterbirds (including the rare shoebill stork).
Despite the ferocious morning rain which meant that the skies were grey and the light pale white (making for poor photo conditions -boohoo) , I still enjoyed myself. I soaked up the images of wild animals going about their daily routine and stopping to "watch us, watch them". The sun made a brief appearance and allowed to take in the truly heavenly beauty of this little spot on earth. If I believed - I would have thought to be in the garden of Eden.

After spending two nights at Red Chilli's we moved on to another camp where we set off tracking chimpanzees. Although we were encouraged by the statistics (70% of sightings) our chimp tracking adventure will be remembered for a 4 hour crawling exercise through deep and thick African forests in search of the elusive chimps.

Chimpanzee tracking exercise

We heard them around us, sighted a few chimp ears and bums ... but unfortunately we were to be in the 30% group to barely see them. The lodge in itself was amazing - a nice blend of clean, eco-friendly facilities that blended nicely in its surroundings. Unfortunately the illusion of safety would soon to be shattered by the discovery of the mother of all spiders in our dorm , minutes before setting to bed.

Our spider

Needless to say we didn't sleep very well.

The learning curve continues to steepen !

2009-09-05T09:26:00.003Z

What do you call a job that sends you to remote places to visit businesses that sometimes unfortunately don't quite match up to expectation, that encourages you to mingle with the local expat community, that generates so much hope for change but at the same time makes you face the reality of a country and of its people...

... I would call that a rollercoaster ride.

I always thought that with time you could expect to master your subject, but in this case the more I do, the more I realise I need to know more.

My week so far has been broken into learning about energy efficient cookstoves and the use of Jatropha seeds, how to produceTofu using Ugandan Soya, rural electrification through the sale of solar LED lights and running an ICT incubator program for young graduates.

Picture below with Brenda on a Matatu

Combine that with long drives in a matatu (local taxi bus) with Brenda - trying to get hold of entrpreneurs and making sure they commit to their appointments ...

This will probably be one of my lasting memories of Brenda, on the phone to an entrepreneur in the middle of nowhere!

take all this ... add some more meetings with expat businessmen and govermnent agencies and you would get a rather accurate idea of what it's like over here.

Besides work, life here is good for African standards (from what I hear). The roads are clean, the shops are plentiful, western products can be found easily, there are very few children begging on the streets, poverty is not so apparent and the city itself is pleasant , manageable, with limited congestion (as long as you avoid the center) and very green.

I also met the local AIESEC'ers on Thursday. They were awesome and as friendly as I remember AIESEC to be. We had a great night out dancing at Matteos trying to get the moves right and not feel like complete muzungus!

Pictures of Nile River Rafting (Grade 5+)

2009-09-01T20:46:00.000Z

Scary ... but so much fun !!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/despoeitugiu/

Working in Africa

2009-08-27T14:15:00.008Z

Now for the meaty part. What on earth am i doing in Uganda and who would be crazy enough to send me here.

Well, the crazy people are an organisation called the BiD Network , who aims to foster economic growth by promoting entrepreneurship in developing countries. How does that work ? BiD provides the material, web support, online community, assessment team and investor matchmaking team. They then link up with a local agent (in Uganda, we work with the Makere University Business School's Entrepreneurship Center), who has the knowledge, resource and network to find these entrepreneurs.

BiD is excited about Uganda - it presents a lot of potential for growth, a stable political environment, positive economic reforms and a lot of Small and Medium Entreprises. They're piloting a new service here and organising an "Investor Safari" to encourage international investors to come and take a look for themselves and go on a Safari at the same time.

So that's where I come in. They decided to allocate an additional resource (me) to the local effort. So my job here, is to network extensively with the local expats (potentially business owners/investors), help with finding entrepreneurs, give presentations about BiD, oversee the implementation of the Investor Services project and help with the organisation of the Investor Safari. This is all very unstructured and different to my previous work experience but to be honest, I think i would find it difficult now to be pigeon-holed like that again! I feel like I am thriving in this kind of environment, where it's all really up to you and no one else.

I have teamed up with a young girl called Brenda, who has been hired to help with sourcing entrepreneurs. So far, I've been ask to present to a room full of entrepreneurs (30 people) - all done with very little prep' but i think it was a great success. And most importantly, I really enjoyed it!!! Next week I will be spending some time with Brenda, visiting entrepreneurs in and around Kampala. I have also made some good progress in terms of the "networking front". I've met some very interesting people, many have lived here for over 10 years and know the local community of foreigners pretty well.

How hard has it been to work here? Top frustration has been the excruciatingly slow internet connection (remember dial up ?) and a close second has been the unreliable phone lines (how frustrating is it to be speaking to someone, "selling you idea" and the lines cuts off 3 times!!) . Timeliness is another issue. Flexibility is key and I think patience is of the utmost importance in order to keep your sanity. Although all this sounds "normal" - it's been a bit difficult to adapt to. Everything is so relaxed - sometimes a little too relaxed, it's easy to go crazy when you actually want to get something done. Reminds me of all the "mananas" I encountered in Mexico :)

But all in all, everyone has been extremely friendly, welcoming and polite. I have been treated better than in many situations in Europe.

Here's a little glimpse at what I see in the morning as I enter the Business School on my way to the Entrepreneurship Center.

Walking in

The Business School

Fresher's Fair

The Chapel (Yes, religion is very present)

The MUBS Entrepreneurship Center

First few days in Africa

2009-08-25T19:46:00.008Z

Welcome...

This is probably the most utilised word in Uganda (when in fact i think they mean you're welcome!).

I have only been in Kampala for a few days but my time has already been packed full with eventful anecdotes and meetings. The arrival into Entebbe Airport was as breathtaking as I had expected. Landing on Ougandan soil is precluded by a low flight descent over the mighty Lake Victoria. Although I am definitely not a nervous flyer (or lander) I definitely felt a little queasy as the plane descended over this huge plan of water, with the ground only appearing at the last minute.

The drive from Entebbe into Kampala takes approx 1 hour and unlike most other roads in the country, makes for a smooth ride on a fully tarmac-ed road with trimmed grass on the side.

My first impression of Uganda has been more a sense of surprise and wonder as to how green the country seems to be. The soil is rich, dark copper in colour and could probably get anything to grow out of it with the right amount of water!

The side streets are full of people walking, carrying items on their heads, children playing barefoot in the dirt.

But somehow everything seems right.

I was driven to my apartment complex and got my first glimpse at the local hospitality. Ugandans are famous for their quiet, calm nature and friendly approach to foreigners. Local staff smiled and welcomed me warmly. I set up shop in Salama Springs Apts, a complex which was probably quite modern in 2002 but now is more of a “rather adequate level”. The apartment is big (2 bedroom), is fully catered with a kitchen, two toilets, a lounge and TV with cable/satellite. It’s not super new but it does the job and is very clean. And I guess that the main appeal lies in its proximity to work/the office.

Once I had had my little siesta, I ventured outside in search for some food. I was greeted by a main road with horrendous traffic and more people walking everywhere. I found a supermarket called “ Payless” ventured inside, looked around and then wondered what on earth I would be eating for the next few months.

This is what I bought.

On that same evening I went out with Tefy (a friend of my uncle who works locally), his wife Boula and met Estelle (ex MSF now working for Vinci but leaving soon) and Rachid (her replacement). He took me to probably one of the swankiest places in town called Emin Pacha. And boy I felt at home. We could have been anywhere in the world. Beautiful outdoor setting, live music big couches … just like at home. I tasted the local brew called Warangi which is a tasty blend of rum and gin (well that’s what my taste buds told me!). I spent a great evening speaking French not really realizing that I was in Africa.

That evening, Estelle invited me to join her and a group of her friends to go White Water Rafting on the Nile. I have already been whitewater rafting 3 times previously (Indonesia, Costa Rica and Argentina) and I can honestly say that this was the best ever. The company we used was called Adrift. They were extremely professional and very safety focused. We practiced all the necessary maneuvers included flipping the boat over. Our guide was called Tutu. He was a beast of man with huge muscles J and saved me more than once from intaking huge amounts of Nile water, un-wantingly! The rapids were amazing. Scary as hell and definitely got the adrenaline pumping (yes we flipped the boat!). The scenery was stunning, very green, unpolluted, with a lot of wildlife (birds not hippos!). The nicest thing was probably the opportunity to see the shores of the Nile scattered with villagers washing their clothes all along the way. I don’t think I could have wished for a better first Sunday in Uganda!

D-2: Still packing

2009-08-14T13:28:00.001Z

Imagine a 30 something, attractive, bright young lady (erhem) sitting on the floor of the bedroom she grew up in (yes, the posters are still there!), a beloved white mac on her lap, surrounded by stacks of clothes, toiletries, medecine, travel bags and any of the other "indispensable" items she will manage to fit into her luggage.

This is Friday 14th August - I leave on Sunday 16th August.

Am I ready ?

Erhm...not quite.

Microfinance Training - Done

2009-08-14T13:25:00.004Z

From July 20th to August 8th I attended the Boulder Microfinance Training Program. Although the title might suggest that I was soaking up the crisp mountain air of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, I was actually located in the beautiful (yes, beautiful) city of Turin.

First, let me dissipate all your (and mine) preconceived ideas about Turin, namely industrialisation-soaked architecture and the italian carmaker FIAT. Turin's city centre was a delight. It has maintained it's sense of history, bathed by the River Po on one side and by the numerous imposing and sometimes surprising piazzas on the other. The food is excellent and the ice creams ever better! What more could we ask as a location for a 3 week course on microfinance?

Now back to the course. Microfinance is on the up. The Boulder Program is unique in the sense that it's been going for 15 Years and manages to attract the top industry experts (ie. those that wrote the books) and provides an extremely enriching plateform to exchange ideas, communicate and learn. There were 300 participants this year, one third from francophone africa and over 90 nationalities present....all this makes for extremely interesting coffee breaks!

My objective in attending the Boulder Program was to increase my knowledge base in such a way that I could actively contribute to any microfinance project I might be asked to tackle from now on. This objective has been met. I have learned so much is so little time - from mobile banking to commercial microfinance ... it's been a steep learning curve but a rewarding one.

The second objective was to meet fellow industry practicionners. The program provided a great playground for meeting MFI managers, donors, regulators, investors etc...from all over the globe.This was particularly interesting as I was also preparing a consulting project in Uganda and was able to meet a number of people that I will contact when I am in Kampala.

On the negative side - I guess I would say that the program could be shortened and re-jigged a little bit so as to increase interaction and participation during some of the classes. But all in all - I would recommend the program hands down.

Last but not least - "the power to create change comes from the people" not sure who said that but I now truly believe this. I had the opportunity to meet some very talented people who are working hard in their respective countries to instigate change.

Now it's for me to become a part of this ...

Amsterdam - Reflexions

2009-06-10T12:04:00.004Z

To the surprise of most, my current home is a now called Amsterdam.

How on earth have I ended up here when my last foray into foreign lands was in Warsaw, Poland ?

Luck ? Opportunity ?

Maybe a bit of both.

I am working for a foundation called BiD Network, where a small group of motivated people believe that sustainable economic growth can be achieved by helping and promoting entrepreneurship in emerging economies. BiD Network has created an online meeting place for entrepreneurs, investors and experts who all share a common goal of making a difference. Part of my work involves assessing business plans, providing feedback, finding expert coaches that can provide guidance and finding investors to finance these businesses.

The work is very different to anything I have done before, which in itself is extremely exciting. The challenge now is to get up to speed as quickly as possible with the ins and outs of the processes in place and figure out how I can make a tangible contribution to the organisation.

So apart from work, I am slowly getting to grip with living in Amsterdam. When the sun is out, this city is absolutely glorious. Unfortunately, the sun seems to have other priorities at the moment (I am thinking the south of europe), so the weather has been a bit dull.

I have found it easy to feel comfortable and relatively at ease here. The transport system is excellent (trams and buses and bicycles), the people are friendly, speak english...what more could anyone ask for ?

Highlights and LowLights so far

1. most places do not take credit cards (I am talking supermarkets, restaurants, franchise shops..etc..etc) , which makes Holland the most financially backward european country to date.

2. Team lunches are a daily occurence. Food is purchased by one different team everyday and we all eat together, which makes for a nice time to catch up especially as the office is divided into two locations.

3. Bicycles. For those that have never been to Amsterdam, everyone here rides a bike. Bikes rule the road. I can't think of any negative point about this truly dutch tradition. The city is peaceful, there is very little noise pollution, people seem healthy, bike lanes make this a safe mode of transport ... and ultimately, given the combination of the terrible rainy weather and bike riding, it creates a no-nonsense type of person, where women in heels and men in suits, just ride to work under ponchos if it rains. People even seem to get married on their bikes (see below!)

4. Rent. Finding short term accomodation has been a bit of an adventure, but lady luck stood by me on this one. I am subletting a lovely flat, 10 min walk from my office and 2 min walk from a park. It is costing me 500 Eur a month, which I have heard is a bargain as flats here seem to go for over 1000 Eur a month. Yikes!

5.Making dutch friends. I am not sure if this is really going to happen. Amsterdam has a young and growing expat community and it just seems like the two don't really mix. Despite it being very similar to London, I somehow never felt like an expat in London. I was just a (ok half) foreigner in London. But here you definitely feel like an expat (if only the salaries would follow !!!) .

I had a great evening last night where complete randomness pushed me to meet an ecclectic group of people which included 2 argentinians, one mexican, one english, one american, one polish and one japanese. All have been living here for over 2 years and seemed happy about it. I guess that is the big difference with London, most foreigner would always moan or complain about wanting to go home...but here people actually seem happy and settled.

On the family front, my mum was over last weekend and we did all the tourist stuff (well the legal ones!). We saw Anne Frank's museum, walk around the Jordaan, passed through the red light district, went to a vernissage, had beautiful diners. I was happy that she got to come over and see where I would be staying for the next few weeks. Mum always seems to follow me :)

Next weekend Miss V is making her way over from Paris and the weekend after that it will be Miss C's turn. So busy weekends ahead! Bring it on ladies!!!

Blog Revival

2009-04-29T07:58:00.007Z

Time has come to roll up my imaginary sleeves, settle my watch on the desk and start moving magic fingers to the rhythm of my imagination.

REVIVAL

As a first posting, I will aim to concisely summarize my last few months activity, in bullet point form:

Job Search: Microfinance is a bastard of an industry to break into - but the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to shine with hope and possibly opportunity.
Living at Home: Life has been rather calm and peaceful. Cohabitation with the older generation has proved successful and problem-free.
Eptm-photos - my cyber baby is slowing growing into something beautiful.

I will also admit that the urge to write has been in no small part induced by my presence here in Warsaw. This is my first foray into "Eastern Europe" and the closest I have been to Mother Russia. Before coming here my only glimpse into Polish life had been limited to Polish emigrants in London and having a polish friend who is just more Latin than polish.

The All Important First Impressions:

The People: rather homogeneous, beautiful women with little dress sense, strong men, very little contact, no smiling..there's a certain roughness inherent in people.
The City: Pleasant city center, re-modeled old town that doesn't have a Disney Land feel (despite being completely re-constructed), surprising glimpses into Communist history with their uninviting buildings and various communal areas.
The Food: Not applicable really - have been eating Sushi and drinking Starbucks (I know not very open minded food-wise!).

The purpose of my visit was twofold. I came here to meet with a great organization called MFC (The Microfinance Center), a research /training hub that aims to harmonize the microfinance industry in Eastern Europe / Balkans region. They produce innovative research and are a bit of a local think-tank.

This professional excuse for a visit also allowed me to meet up with an old friend who I had met over 10 years ago whilst working in the US. It's amazing to see how sometimes very little changes and how conversations and jokes that were last voiced 10 years ago still manage to generate a smile.

It was also a good opportunity to further develop my collection of travel snaps - most of which can be seen on my website www.eptm-photos.com

Thriller like never before !

2008-12-01T23:18:00.001Z

Muhammad Yunus - Creating a World Without Poverty

2008-11-30T11:04:00.008Z

I attented a conference in Monaco yesterday called "Creating a World Without Poverty" hosted by Mr. Muhammad Yunus.

I secured a front row seat, got my red notepad out and waited eagerly for the Peace Nobel Prize winner to talk to us about his new book " Creating a world without poverty - Social Business and the future of capitalism".

My first impression of this great man was how he managed to touch people by his presence. We barely noticed as he entered the room, smiled shyly and took his seat. But once he started talking I was mesmerized. Unlike many charismatic people, his power of influence was subtle yet extremely powerful. He spoke slowly, calmly without using his intonation to stress points of importance rather, using humor to enable us to relate to the stories he was telling about Bangladesh's poor . It was extremely effective.

He spoke to us about Bangladesh; its history, economic environment, and the poor. He explained to us how walking through small villages surrounding his campus he came to notice villager's reliance on loan sharks. He compiled a list of all the people in the village who used the loan shark (47 names) and calculated their total debt (27 USD). What pushed him to action was the simple realisation of the extent of suffering caused by so little money. His first loan was of 27 USD. That's how it all started.

Today the Grameen Bank has 7.5 million borrowers, 100 % women borrowers and 100% owned by its borrowers. It is one of the only banks in the world that can post a 98% repayment rate. The Grameen Bank is having a tangible impact on poverty reduction and social empowerment all around the world, and it started with a 27 USD loan.

Mr Yunus then went on to explain his thoughts on social business. It is not a new idea, I had heard of it under a different name, " the third way". It's the idea that profit maximising and social impact do not have to be mutually exclusive in business. Through this idea, he is seeking to expand the notion of capitalism and socialism and merge them together, creating a new entity with new rules. He provided examples of work the Grameen is currently undertaking with Danone (creating vitamin and mineral enriched yogurts to help fight malnutrition) and Veolia (water treatment) to help illustrate his ideas of the future.

I was convinced. With millions of people at the so called "Bottom of Pyramid" being excluded from mainstream business offerings, the opportunities for business development are unlimited. More importantly it provides young, dynamic social entrepreneurs with a blank canvas, an opportunity to redefine the rules and create success in both financial and social terms.

The conference ended with a few questions and a small unorganised press conference. Thanks to my strategic front row position I was able to shake hands with the man himself muttering "it was a pleasure" - (lost for words would be a way to describe the encounter) - and I missed out on the opportunity to get a signed copy of his book (ie. no cash to buy the book :( ... ).

I left the conference inspired and actively thinking of ways to do things "the third way".

Tbc.

Gutted

2008-11-25T17:30:00.002Z

Unfortunately - I didn't get the job of my dreams (well the current dream job that is).

Gutted.

Someone with more private equity AND microfinance experience.

Not much I can do about that.

Neeeext.

Things are heating up - EPtM

2008-11-24T22:13:00.002Z

I have just finished my new website, a photography website . Oooooh...aaaaah.....

It's called EPtM-photos

It's my amateurish attempt at putting what I see and like on the big wide web and if lucky even selling something (maybe? perhaps ? hopefully?) - who knows it might pay for a tube ticket one of these days.

Please check it out - and feel free to provide feedback.

I aim to continuously add to the portfolio whilst making the most of my new baby ZeNikonD60.

Spread the word .... i will be eternally grateful !

Heart-ing

2008-11-12T20:44:00.002Z

Responding to one of my daily read's request - (Spentrails, yes you) here is my vague and probably half honest attempt at heart-ing. Unfortunately for those seeking my inner thoughts, deep truths and querky personas ... i don't usually pass on email chains or respond to such requests. But hey, as I am here sitting in Cairo listening to the Iman preaching to the eternally buzzing city of the pharaohs - i will indulge in the moment of self-reflection.

Where is your mobile phone? In france (oops)
Where is your significant other? Somewhere out there
Your hair colour? Brown
Your mother? My best friend
Your father? Deeply loved
Your favourite thing? My new Nikon
Your dream last night? Logs floating on the mekong
Your dream goal? Carpe Diem
The room you're in? Sweet Marriott
Your hobby? Capturing moments
Your fear? The big D
Where do you want to be in 6 years? The top of the world (literally)
Where were you last night? Drinking tea and smoking shisha in Cairo
What you're not? Sad
One of your wish-list items? Having coffee with Obama Mama
Where you grew up? South of France
The last thing you did? Said goodbye to my grandmother
What are you wearing? Cargo pants
Your TV? CNN
Your pets? None
Your computer? MacBook
Your mood? Smiling
Missing someone? Yes
Your car? Has two wheels and is called a scooter
Something you're not wearing? Earrings
Favourite shop? Khan Khalili
Your summer? Lasted 13 months
Love someone? Always
Your favourite colour? Green
When is the last time you laughed? 30 minutes ago
Last time you cried? 30 minutes ago

A beautiful day

2008-10-29T21:26:00.004Z

Le Cinq de Depart

2008-10-09T18:50:00.007Z

D-1: London

I should have spent the day thinking about what clothes I would be wearing for Suhki's wedding on Saturday or making sure that I have a bed to sleep in tomorrow night ... but instead I spent the day having a girlie lunch and getting a hair cut.

Lunch was a fun affair with old friends from high school. Girls i used to spend a lot of time with both in and out of school mainly playing bball together. Ten years down the line, I am happy to say that most of them live the most normal lives possible.

What is normal, I hear you ask ?

Well, it is with a small invisible tear in my eye that I will admit to sometimes feeling that today, normalcy mostly means the two Bs ie. Boyfriends and Babies.

Today I was surrounded by girls all settled into long term relationships, babies,a roof over their heads and a "proper job". It did occur to me, between the steak tartare and the fondue au chocolat, that their state of affairs would produce copious amounts of cold sweat trickling down my back. Luckily, my back was having none of it. Although I have neither a permanent roof,a job, a baby or a boyfriend I couldn't help but think "isn't normalcy self-created?"

Apple red

2008-10-08T10:05:00.004Z

How can one disperse the fears of huge potential financial losses looming over everyone from the small saver to the huge investor. Isolated in my little village, I cannot avoid the media fears, the incessant commentary, opinions from "experts" who make no effort whatsoever to numb the growing panic and fear of contagion.

But has anyone been reminded lately of the successful investor's motto: " Buy low, sell high".

Either way, everyone needs a little humour in time like these. How about some geeky finance humour to add to the flavour of our times.

Friday morning - strollin' and rollin'

2008-10-03T14:49:00.005Z

Recovering from a late night spent with old friends reminiscing about the summers when we were 15 years old, playing basket ball with a group of cute boys from the next town down the road...I decided to go for a walk in "my village".

Setting the scene, I live in a sleepy roman village on the outskirts of MC. It boasts some cute streets, with overhanging balconies, and a roman monument built by the emperor Augustus to celebrate his victory over the Ligurian tribes which lived in the mountains of the area and attacked the merchants plying the Roman trade routes.

Adding to the existing dreamy village setting, the sky was beautifully blue and the air crisp, which made for some eye-catching moments for my little camera.

I enjoy being able to indulge in the luxury of being able to go for a walk on a friday morning, to pay 5 Eur to enter the roman sites on hand and to come out of it with a smile on my face.

Thirty Five Years

2008-09-29T21:10:00.004Z

Today my parents celebrated their 35 Year wedding anniversary. I guess in these day and ages it's not small feat.

How did it all start? Well the story goes .... that they met in a bar on the Kings Rd in Chelsea. Supposedly my dad was trying to get another woman's phone number and asked if my mum had a pen. TYPICAL!

I don't think they've had an easy relationship. Cultural differences, living in a foreign country and well basically being very different from each other ...has definitely made for some huge screaming fights. But all in all, I feel blessed to have witnessed l-o-v-e like that. It's cheesy but it gives a bit of hope.

It hasn't been easy, probably not always fun either but looking at them today, it definitely feels like it's worth it!

Could you say "Yes" ?

2008-09-28T15:12:00.004Z

Weekends have become rather fun recently as I have been able to go hang out with my 3 year old nephew William. He looks like an angel in this photo (beware of appearances!!!)

I say fun but maybe I mean "fun for a bit". Admitedly 3 year olds are cute, cuddly and playful. William is cute, playful but definitely NOT cuddly (well not towards me at least). He has gotten into the habit of answering "no" to everything I say, to refuse to give me a hello/goodbye kiss or any type of affection.

I think next time I will try reverse psychology and completely ignore him, say no to everything he says and refuse any type of contact.

Will see if that works.

Nah.

Sun where are thou ?

2008-09-19T10:36:00.003Z

I guess luck had been on my side. For the past 3 weeks I was baking in beautiful southern sun, enjoying the colours of "La Grande Bleue", thinking to myself ... it's really pretty cool to be back.

Now three weeks later, the sun has disappeared, it's getting colder and the rain/fog has started. But luckily for me, a friend is arriving today. We spent 1 Year + living together in London in one of the best flatshares I've had so far.

Catching up has never been this fun :D

New Look ...

2008-09-17T22:22:00.004Z

Is it because I have a bit of time on my hands (perhaps) or is it because Itchy Feet cannot scratch her feet as much as before (most probably!) ...

Either way, I thought it was time for a brand new look and a new address (look up ...)

It's not 100 % complete as yet .... but don't hesitate to let me know what you think.

Thailand...I can't stop smiling

2008-08-16T11:12:00.014Z

The land of the thousand smiles...and only a few more weeks to enjoy it.

Arriving in Thailand, we had taken the overland route from Cambodia and the contrast in wealth and infrastructure between the two countries was very apparent. As we walked the few metres across "No Man's Land" we quickly realised that there would be very few pot holes and a lot less apparent poverty. Entering Thailand, a land of solid unbroken roads, modern cars, working street lights and relative order, we couldn't stop ourselves from glancing back with sadness to a broken but unforgettable Cambodia.

I had already spent a fair bit of time in Thailand 6 years ago whilst on my 'first gap period' and as I was arriving to the end of my traveling slog, my main objective was to relax and ease my way back into reality. Arriving in Bangkok was therefore not what I would call a pleasurable experience. We took base in the in-famous Koh San Road, a backpacker's mecca of fake t-shirts, fake ID cards, Starbucks, McDs, KFC, Burger King, massage parlours, web cafes, street vendors and NEON lights ... it is an experience to spend time in this area, one that can be enjoyed for one day maximum.

We quickly left BKK and headed north to Chiang Mai for a little "peace and quiet" and elephants galor. Pressed for time, we had pre-booked our train to Chiang Mai and our day outting to the Elephant Nature Park. It was therefore imperative that we catch our train to make it to the Nature Park. As we arrived at the train station in BKK, I glanced at the train ticket, only to realise that unless a miracle happened which stopped the train from leaving on time, we would miss it by 5 minutes. Carrying our already too heavy, 15 kg backpacks, we made a run for it.

Arriving panting and sweating, we handed our ticket to the Thai ticket controller who, comfortably sitting behind his wooden table informed us (unsurprisingly) that the train had just left. By then, two motor - taxi drivers had already accosted us, trying to convince us that we could still catch the train, if they took us by motorbike to the next station - No it's not free : 300 Baht each.

Quick ... quick...think....decision

Before we knew it, we were zig-zaging in and out of traffic, holding on for dear life to this small thai man whilst trying not to fall off because of the 15kg backpack we are carrying. My helmet is too big and is nothing more than a thin oval shaped red piece of plastic with a strap ... I am feeling the fear!

We made it on time to the station. By then the price had increased to 600 Baht each, for a reason we still don't know. Haggle, haggle ... ok 400 Baht each. Done.

We sit for a minute waiting for the train to arrive. We jump on only to find that our seats are occupied. Why? How? MOVE! Finally the ticket controller arrives, and leads us off the train. He flashes his light on the ticket, points to the date and says repeatedly "No train, no today". We take a closer look at our tickets and become aware with dread that these tickets are for tomorrow, not today.

Crestfallen, we realise that the agency had made a mistake and we hadn't double checked the tickets. Damn it! To avoid losing the money we had paid for the train, the hotel and the elephants WE HAD to get to Chiang Mai that night. In the end, luck was with us. We avoided the 3rd class, wooden benches no AC carriage and managed to find two seats in 2nd class AC . Pfffff....

We arrived in Chiang Mai and were welcomed by the rain, which we would see a fair bit of over the next three days. We walked around town, indulged in a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee, walked around the touristy and overpriced night market and enjoyed the laid back vibe that continues to kick in this northern city.

The next day we headed to the Elephant Nature Park. The Elephant Nature Park is a conservation center that hosts 30 elephants who live, eat and play in their natural habitat - whilst "Eco Tourists" feed and bathe them. We enjoyed it ... they enjoyed it and it's for a good cause.

Soon it was time to train it back down to Bangkok, where we then had to catch a night bus (and subsequent boat) to the paradise island of Koh Tao. I had been waiting for this break from travelling reality for a few days now. I felt I needed to isolate myself a little from the world to prepare myself for the big return home.

Koh Tao was the perfect spot for that. It is a small island, which boasts amazing diving sites, a laid back attitude and very few activities other than:

Reading a good book propped back on a Thai pillow gazing at a turquoise coloured sea and Buddha Rock.
Marvelling at how awesome it is to be in such a chilled environment
Drinking pineapple shakes and eating banana pancakes.
Diving ... Diving ... Diving ... Diving ... Diving
Did i mention diving ?

My last week was spent doing little more than the above. I got the opportunity to hang out with a great group of people from Sunshine Divers, comparing travelling stories and drinking beer together waiting for the day to end.

The time to leave arrived too quickly. I was reticent and sad to leave this paradise-like bubble but excited nonetheless to see my family and friends. The journey back into Bangkok was nightmarish and long. We arrived on Koh San Road at 5 am and found ourselves walking aimlessly around smelly streets to find a hotel room. Luck was with us, we found the last available room in the only hotel that seemed to have 24h service.

The following day was a blur of lastminute shopping, plowing through huge shopping malls for gifts for family, friends and oneself.

Soon it was time to say Goodbye Thailand, Goodbye Asia, Goodbye Fellow Backpackers, Goodbye Utopian World of Discovery and Daily Surprises...

...my heart is racing at the idea that this great adventure is ending. That soon I will be having to adjust to reality, to the daily routine of life ... and say goodbye to my faithfull companion that has stuck by me over thick and thin during the past 11 months, through the cold, the dust, the dirt and the wet (...)

(...) until the next adventure.

For now, I am heading home to Nice, to enjoy the rest of the summer and to figure out what happens next ...