- Ronald E. Osborn
Preparations for the Final Report
This whole assignment has been living and learning. Some of it will surely come first after we all have taken a step back and the time to observe it all from a distance. But it has changed my life...as it has for most of the group.
After getting the midterms reviews through and confirmation that we were on the right track, despite our rather bold approach...it was time to push the last pieces together and finalize the preparations for the final report and its presentation to the key stakeholders.
After having interviewed the people and feeling the spirits of Nakuru, I was definitely in this with my whole heart. Wanting to get the message across that people were hurt...hurt by the goverment's egoistic acts. Huge damage was done in 2007 and that could not be fixed simply by technology, but it requires understanding the thoughts, feelings of the people.
We were going against all the odds....news headers have stated all this time very strongly that voting in 2012 will be electronic. We are going to suggest to hear out the people first...understand how they feel and gain back their confidence first.
Let us see how it will be received by Dr Ndemo, the permanent secretary of Ministry of Communication and Information. The signs from the IIEC (now known as IEBC) and ICT board representative are positive, but of course Dr Ndemo is at the end of the day the person whose support is needed heavily to get the wheels turning.
Me being me...wanting to stand behind my words, I would not want to take any other direction than what we have taken. Even if we are going to go against the media thrill and our recommendations might not be noted with such a big thrill as what were the head lights in the beginning of the assignment. At the end I still know, I did the right thing.
Final Presentation
On Friday morning our KENET team presented their final report. It was great! KENET even recorded it with video cameras. Brooks, Virve, Andrea and Luigi did a great job and were definitely the super stars of that video, which came out of that meeting.
In the afternoon we had to split into two, which was bit unfortunate. Our team presented at the same time with e-Government Service team (Sugandha, Lynn, Krishna and HwaYoung). The spirits were high as were the excitement. We wanted to share our findings, our recommendations.
The meeting started in rather normal Kenyan way...the key persons were bit late due to traffic. Traffic in Nairobi is not in the control of a man. One day all may be well and next day, at the very same time, it is a pure chaos. In Kenya one learns that not all is in our control and the best is to live by: Hakuna Matata (No problems). No use worrying over things that we have no control of ;o)
After spending the first hour chit chatting and waiting for everyone to arrive...I had flash backs from a training I participated, and nowadays co-tutor...where one plays the impossible client situation as a role play for the fresh consultants. This was just like my final presentation in that training course ;o) Which made me at ease, as I knew that it would not be as extreme than in that training.
Finally the moment was there....all the people were there. This time we skipped the Kenyan custom to drink tea. I had nothing against it, as in the last 4 weeks I have drank more tea per day, than I drink in any business meetings otherwise. Though I love green tea and drink alone that a liter per day...but on top of that in Kenya I drank one liter Kenyan tea after busy meeting days.
One day we had 3 client meeting and in each we drank bug cups of the Kenyan tea. It is a local business etiquette to offer tea to business partners and also in private life, offering tea is a warm gesture. Means that you want to share from what you have and take a moment to talk outside the meeting with the people. I quite liked it...apart from the fact that after drinking so much tea in the meetings after each other....the bubbles on the forehead reach a maximum limit ;o)
So, without any tea we started sharing our findings and recommendations. I am normally cheery, and tend to normally dress my message in a positive way. I did it this time too, but with lot more feeling, pauses and sense of power. It was actually rather amazing feeling, an adrenalin kick took over after the presentation when I realized that I what I had just said to the Dr Ndemo and his team.
The best part of it all was that he agreed fully!
So, our presentation was a success.
Now remains to be seen if agreeing results to actions. As I noticed that having people to agree with you in Kenya is one thing, but taking actions to support the agreement is another thing. Execution is not self-explanatory though people around you would be agreeing on your points and recommendations.
Kenya has no other choice than change, thus I want to believe that in one way or another our recommendations will lead to something, which will improve the confidence of the people towards their government.
After the presentations were all done, and all with great success...we had the last official dinner together. My head was still so in the presentation, that I did not register too much the fact that day later we would all apart our ways.
Heading Home
On Saturday we did final shopping....all ladies saying that our luggage was already so heavy...and funny enough, we all found something more on the triangular market.
Among our team we had still the really, really final dinner together...which was so much fun. We joked, sang and laughed together.
When it was time for me to say "good bye" to the team mates....I had promised myself to be brave and not to cry. Yeah right, it worked about few minutes and then the niagara falls opened. I could not stop crying till I took a hot shower, and had the water calming me down.
Yes, in 4 weeks, with people you did not know before...there are ones with whom one grows fonder than "just colleagues". Same sense of humor plays a big role, whether the chemistry matches or not, as well as the values in life.
Here is one funny joke we laughed about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBaPI2AKu2g
Bobby Lee as North Korean Scientist ;o) Sometimes I do....
There is so much, which I have not thought about writing...many details, which might partially overwhelm as well. Somethings cannot be written to such detail as they were experienced. Or maybe I will cherish those experiences few years, till I have found the perfect vocabulary to express them...and then write a book ;o)
There is a lot that I will take with me from this assignment, when going forward in life...some new friends, team colleagues, passion for Kenya...not being unsure to break my own borders, not thinking so much if I should or should not do something, but following even more my instinct. Taking things as they come. Hakuna Matata is carved into my mind and heart. I will spread it, pay it forward where ever I go.
In Kenya we were welcomed. What we did was wanted...our efforts were making a difference and our meetings, presentations did not go to deaf ears, they were active sessions with signs of appreciations. What more would one want?
We went beyond our professional efforts and paid forward to the community.
Being able to make difference and the fact that we were always warmly welcomed, where ever we went....left a warm feeling for working in Kenya. Outside work there is of course a whole lot about the nature, culture and whole variety of things.
Asante Sana Kenya, our IBM CSC Kenya team 3 and Muriuki.
Thank you for the experiences, the moments, the joy and laughter, sharing the differences and cherishing the diversity in our own ways. Man sieht sich immer zwei mal (German saying: one meets always twice)...I believe in that and trust that we shall meet again.
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