BDS Training - Day 1

Business Development Services (BDS) is the name of the Micro-enterprise ministry with which I work. We have clients from several of the communities within the Mathare slums. Every two months we conduct a training for the new people who join our ministry so that they will have as many tools for success as we can provide. What follows is an overview of Day 1 to give you an idea of what we teach them and also how they respond...

As always each day starts with a time of Praise and Worship - I love this time! Especially when I am the one to deliver the devotions, as it invites the presence of the Holy Spirit and calms my nerves!My devotion was based on the Lord's prayer...I broke down each section and shared how we move from a sense of adoption ("Our Father"), up to fellowship with our reigning Lord ("Thine is the Kingdom...") as this short model of prayer conducts the soul.
Virginia translated from English to Swahili for me...

And Paul took photos for me...yes, one of my responsibilities for the training was to be the official photographer - except when I was in front of the group...which was twice.

First things first...Paul, with Virginia's assistance, establishes the groups' expectations as well as the rules for the two day training...here are a few of their expectations; how to manage our business, bookkeeping/record keeping, how to expand our business, customer care, overcome business challenges - there are others, but you can see these people are serious about succeeding!
The rules for the training included; punctuality (which always makes me smile - you can see that even by 9:20...[registration was at 8:30]...the room is less than half full!), silence cell phones, pray to start and end the day (and even each session), be disciplined, implement what we have learned...again, just a few of the rules...
I love the fact that the women even bring their babies, and am amazed that these little ones are content to sit with very little disruption to the group, all day, and that other participants take little notice when they do 'speak out'...
Virginia facilitated our first session "What is Micro-enterprise / Characteristics of a Successful Business Person"......it was a big topic...she was given 30 minutes (not enough time) and took an hour. Can you tell that the whole time thing is a big deal to me?

Much of my concern about time is strictly selfish...the later I leave at the end of the day the bigger the jam on my way home. The bigger the jam on my way home, the longer it takes to get home. Then my evening is cut way short...so - purely selfish!
Below you see two of our clients engaged in a role play - it was done in Swahili so I could not follow the words, but the idea was to demonstrate the characteristics of a successful business person...I think this business person was not doing it right!


After each piece of newsprint is filled up, one or two designated 'hangers' tear it off the easel and tape it to the wall...this helps our clients in case they missed anything they can check the charts.
Tea time! A very important part of the day...cannot miss tea - although of course it was late! Scheduled for 10:30 - 11:00, it began at 11am so we are a half hour behind schedule already!
Above Mrs. Gacau is serving bread and below one of our clients took on pouring the tea...
Two of our clients studying the flip charts to complete their notes...
After tea break we were blessed by my friend Josephine, the head social worker for our ministry, as she spoke on Integrity. We talked about what it is to be a person of integrity, and referred to many scriptures to see what God has to say: Matt 5:36, Prov 10:4, 11:3, Rom 2:21, 1 Cor 10:13 are just a few...
Then Mrs. Gacau led a session on finding Resources. She helped our clients to see that there are resources within their reach...
Several clients offered their ideas of available resources such as friends & family, loans, personal savings, even their own God-given physical strength...

Then we had our lunch break! Beans, rice and cabbage...yumm! Yes, I helped serve - I took over the cabbage from Virginia...

After lunch the plates stacked up!

We had more clients than utensils so this mama from the kitchen brought water to wash some of the used spoons so that all could enjoy lunch!

Our time-keeper Daniel will be more effective now that he knows what time we are to begin and end each session...and truly, he did a great job! He announced the beginning and end of each session - although the presenters did not always respect his direction!
Another role play to demonstrate the importance of marketing in helping a business succeed...
As our clients share what they saw and heard in the role play...
...Virginia made notes on the flip chart...
Paul repeated a quote "Doing business without marketing is like winking to a girl at night." The analogy was lost on many of our clients so John very entertainingly explained...
Paul taught this session on Marketing with Virginia's assistance...he urged our clients to know their market, to choose a good location, to get the word out. He defined marketing as "helping people to know about your product/service"
He shared with our clients the "Four Legs of Marketing"; Product/service, Price, Promotion, Place...in Kiswahili; Bidhaa, Bei, Kuinua, Mahali...
After a discussion session we ended the day with prayer...led by our resident Pastor, the Chairman of one of our newest groups Halala, Benson Kinutha. He is pictured below to the far right in the tan colored suit...
Oh - and here is the song Paul expected us all to learn...yah right!
It was a good day and a great start to our two day training. Our clients were attentive, receptive and appreciative.

To God be all the Glory for this day!