Jambo!

The monsoons have arrived! Nairobi has cooled off and the earth is soaking up the much needed rains. They have come four weeks late and there is serious drought and famine in some regions. People are dying of starvation here. Local TV reports last night showed these people recieving aid and food from the government, but it is still shocking to see emaciation circa 1990's Somalia in a country where UN presence is so strong. In fact, Africa's largest slum, Kibera, sits in the center of Nairobi, walking distance from the massive UN headquarters. Such stark contrast between places like the Zen Garden of Nairobi, where our all day meeting for the new network, GIIN (Global Impact Investor Network) c/o the Rockefeller Foundation in cooperation with Kofi Annan's Fund, AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) and the rest of Nairobi demonstrates two things: Kenya is about to boom. Nairobi is upwardly mobile economically speaking, but the majority still live in extreme poverty.

It confirms what the impact (sustainable) investors, NGOs and a handful of development agencies focused on entrepreneurs rather than aid, are saying in our meetings over the past week, Africa needs no more handouts. This echoes Dambisa Moyo's book and recent WSJ article
that Aid has hurt Africa, not helped it. The focus now must be on strengthening systems, agricultural development, and capacity building en mass. What is exciting to see is how many key players are speaking the same language now on this subject and finally, finally, taking action!

'Til next time,
Hilaria