BDS Training

September 11 and 12 were the days chosen to conduct the two day training for our clients. Our clients are the people living in the Mathare slums and other communities who have a desire to improve their lives through the building and growing of successful businesses. I described our ministry, Business Development Services, in an earlier entry so I won't spend time (or space) here to explain what makes us unique...but this training is most definitely a powerful part of why the program is so successful in helping to show people a better way.

Both days began with devotions, led by yours truly! This photo was taken on Friday and that is Henry beside me. He translated for me since many of our clients speak limited or no English and I most definitely speak limited (borderline NO) Swahili! I focused the messages on the power of the Holy Spirit...first challenging them to ask the Holy Spirit to open their ears and minds to absorb and utilize all they would be learning during the training, then inviting them to be 'empty vessels' waiting to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (that teaching was based on the story in 2Kings 4:1-7.)
Registration the first day was an interesting process...and started out in the same room as the training, which delayed the start of the program - and my devotions!
Virginia greeted our clients...who ringed the back of the room! I guess some things are the same no matter what country you are in! By the way, this room is known as "the room that is not complete"...it has walls, but that's about it, which meant we were at the mercy of the weather - which was cooooold both days...brrrrr...
Paul, the head of our department, spent some time this first day establishing expectations - of our clients for what they want to learn, and of the team for the clients (like being on time!)
The training was to begin at 8am...here it is almost 9:30 and you see how many empty chairs there are! By the end of the day, all chairs were filled and we added about 20 more chairs!
One of the expectations was participation by our clients...they were great with chipping in comments and questions as they arose...the topics included; Characteristics of Successful Business People, Customer Care, Investment, Record Keeping, Budgeting & Cash Management, Biblical Aspect of Leadership...
Henry is listing the expectations as Paul and our clients express them...

Henry taught the sessions on Characteristics of Successful Business People and
Budgeting & Cash Management

These two fellas were enlisted to help with hanging the pages as they were completed...which was quite a challenge since they were using masking tape on brick...and the wind was gusting on and off both days!

Tea Time!

One of our clients, Tabitha, jumped in to help serve tea and then again at lunch time! We had a chance to chat on Friday and I grew quite fond of her. She is truly working to better her future and is grateful for this ministry...very gratifying!

Here are the first two pages - listing Features of Micro-Enterprise and Expectations...

And of course we had times of dancing and singing! Even though it was all in Swahili, I was blessed every time!
Jane (we call her Mrs. Gacau) led the session on Customer Care - which included Integrity, Faithfulness and Honesty...

Lunch Time! We had rice, greengrams and cabbage - yum!
I got to serve the cabbage (I took over from Jane)

Paul led the sessions on Investment and Biblical Aspect of Leadership...

Virginia led the session on Record Keeping...

Here is Tabitha showing that she absorbed what Virginia was teaching...

Henry finished for Virginia who was freeezing!

I just had to snap this photo of a broken chair propped up - one of our customers got creative in trying to figure out how to use this chair...which prompted me to give up my seat!
Here is Paul adding chairs to the room...see behind him? All of that is building materials...all on this side of the room had to climb over all of that to get to their seats - I love it!

It was an honor and a privilege to watch the exchange between our clients (there were over 90 in attendance - we had expected about 80) and the team. The ones I talked to indicated how much they appreciated all they were learning and believe that it will help them to be successful in their businesses, to be trained in this way.