The Morningstar Institute is partnering with Africa Nazarene University (ANU), Nazarene Compassionate Ministries International (NCMI), The Servant Forge, Strategic Application International (SAI), and United States Agency – International Development (USAID) on the Kenya Youth Empowerment and Employment Initiative (KYEEI). Morningstar will facilitate and oversee the creation, development, and operation of business incubators to fulfill the small and medium sized business and job creation components of the KYEEI.

For more information on the KYEEI, please see the Blueprint for Action.

 “The Kenya Youth Empowerment and Employment Initiative (KYEEI) was conceived three years ago when representatives fromAfrica Nazarene University(ANU) participated in a two day summit on public-private partnerships. Professor Leah Marangu, Vice Chancellor of ANU, and three Kenya business leaders presented data on the youth bulge and suggested Kenya needed to respond with programs to stimulate job preparation and job creation. Jobs were the only hope for economic and political stability.

Immediately, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries INC (NCMI) and ANU began to forge partnerships. Together, they conducted over 130 structured interviews and meetings to determine the best way forward. Under the framework of Vision 2030, leadership within KYEEI began creating partnerships among business, environmental, faith, agricultural, NGO and government leaders. The US Government with assistance from USAID entered into a Global Development Alliance with NCMI and ANU with funding for the Secretariat to facilitate and broker initiatives to stimulate job preparation and job creation. The Secretariat is led by Professor Linda Ethangatta, Ph.D.

All parties realize this is a long-term initiative and job creation will not happen overnight. It will take significant commitment and resources to reach our goal. Last year when the initiative was launched at the KYEEI summit by the H.E. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, he challenged participants to stay focused and to resolve to do the hard work of stimulating economic growth through job creation. We accept that challenge.

Today we are encouraging Kenya leaders to fund their commitments and to continue supporting initiatives that create jobs and prepare Kenya’s youth for the world of work. This initiative will require every one of us to incubate new businesses and to facilitate business expansion in all sectors of the Kenyan economy.” – Dr. James E. Copple, Co-Founder: Servant Forge

As part of the Kenya Youth Empowerment and Employment Initiative (KYEEI) program, Morningstar is planning on sending Cody Lidster as the project manager and four to six interns per year for two years to Nairobi, Kenya. The success of this program in Kenya will open the door of opportunity in other African countries such as Swaziland, or regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America in the future as well.

Report From Herskowitz/Lidster trip to Kenya, June 2011:

In June of 2011 Dr. Tom Herskowitz and Cody Lidster spent a week in Nairobi, Kenya. This week was spent attending meetings and building relationships with the key participants and stakeholders surrounding the Kenya Youth Empowerment and Employment Initiative (KYEEI). Meetings included: KYEEI staff meeting, Africa Nazarene University (ANU) administration and senior faculty meeting, Youth group leaders from the slums meeting, solar water system meeting, ANU senior business faculty meeting, and potential incubator participants meeting. These meetings were very beneficial, informational, and productive in Morningstar’s preparations to send Lidster to Kenya to launch Morningstar’s internship program there in conjunction with ANU. Through these meetings the need for the Morningstar program and interns in Kenya was well established. All of the participants are eager for Morningstar to begin their operations at ANU. The need for the business incubation that Morningstar plans to focus on was seen as being needed in a variety of areas and ways and through a spectrum of demographics, not just the poorest of the poor. Morningstar’s model of business incubation has been modified in order to meet these needs and challenges. Also, while at ANU, Herskowitz and Lidster were able to have conversations with the ANU administration and admissions as to the elements of having internship students studying, and living on campus. The living situation and coursework available for the interns was researched and inspected. The meetings with the youth group leaders from the slums and the potential incubator participants gave real insight to the situations and needs for business development and job creation in Kenya.

Oct. 9, 2011                                                   Update Week 1

Greetings to all,

This is my very first update/emailing/newsletter of my journey in Africa. I want to first thank all of you who have held me up in your prayers during my preparation time, travels, and this first week on the ground in Nairobi. It means a lot to me.

Travel:
I began my journey by traveling with my parents and grandparents from Dalhart, Texas on September 30, 2011. I flew first from Amarillo, TX to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, which is where the trouble began. Everything was normal in DFW until we were taxiing towards the runway for takeoff, heading for London. The pilot came on and announced that we had to turn around because of an issue in the rear cabin, the issue he later informed us were some “red bugs”. Come to find out two hours later as we’re still sitting on the tarmac halfway between the runway and halfway between the terminal that these “red bugs” were in fact small roaches. They were holding us away from the terminal because they didn’t know if they wanted us docking back up with this unknown bug threat on the plane. So after the department of agriculture and the department of customs and immigration officials came out and checked on the plane, the infected area was treated and taped off and then we were on our way, four hours late. That was problematic for me because my layover in London was only two hours, so obviously I missed my connection in London and had to rebook a flight that got me into Nairobi a day later than expected, which was a little stressful since I didn’t know if communication would get to the appropriate people in Nairobi, that there would actually be someone at the airport, or if I would just find myself there waiting. Luckily through help from my one phone contact in Nairobi and the coordinated emailing efforts of people in the US, the communication was made and I did have a ride at the airport when I finally arrived on Sunday morning.
Arrival: Sunday, shopping, cell phone
After arriving on Sunday I was transported to Africa Nazarene University (which is a little distance outside of the city), where I will be living until I can find housing in Nairobi city. Later that day, one of the KYEEI staff and now my colleague came and picked me up and we went for brunch and then to run errands in the city, mostly to get me set up with some of the things I needed like groceries, a cell phone (very important), and some of the basic things that I simply couldn’t afford to bring in the baggage allowance.

Week one:
Monday was my first day on the ANU campus. First things first I got my laptop set up to work on the internet network. Then that morning before lunch we (Linda Ethangatta, Rosemary Bett, Cassie Bixler, and I) had our first meeting as the full KYEEI staff, including me. It was an informative meeting about the background and the current situation as well as the future outlook, expectations, and objectives of the organization. At lunch I ate with Dr. Rod Reed, who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor at ANU, and after lunch we discovered we had a scheduled meeting, which neither of us really knew about. That meeting was also very instrumental in beginning the relationship and foundation with which we will need to move forward with the Morningstar internships and study abroad for SNU students at ANU.
On Tuesday I was set up with an actual work space, although it isn’t in the KYEEI office with my colleagues, it is in the finance department. But a space to work is a space to work.
Wednesday was one of the first meetings I had in Nairobi. This meeting was with the leadership of the EmpowerME network, which is a collection of youth groups to facilitate empowerment, networking, and training for the youths. After the meeting I had my first opportunity to do some car shopping although this first attempt was unsuccessful. There will be more car hunting this week as well as searching for some housing.
On Friday, Cassie Bixler and I jumped on a plane and flew to western Kenya to a town called Kisumu to visit a farming project that we have some serious interest in partnering with. It is called Dominion Farms Int. and is owned by a gentleman from Guthrie, OK. Our time out at the farm was simply phenomenal and unforgettable. There is serious interest on both sides between the KYEEI with Morningstar and Dominion Farms about how we can be mutually resourceful for one another and we are looking forward to further talks of making it an official partnership. More to come on this. We were on the farm for Friday evening and Saturday and flew back to Nairobi this morning.
There are so many other things that have gone on, but I will refrain from boring you with all the details. But it is sufficient to say for now that week one has been a success and if things continue to move forward in this fashion I foresee nothing less than astounding outcomes here in Kenya.

I hope that this letter finds you all well and again I thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me while I’m here and for the work that is being done.
Sincerely,

--
Cody Lidster

Project Manager
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