Visions

Last night I had a really nice dinner with Mike and Jo Mutungi. They used to be with Navs, but now have transitioned out. Mike started an organization called I Choose Life, to raise awareness and prevent HIV among university students. The organization has grown like crazy and is now taking a leadership role in the fight against HIV in Kenya. They have expanded their scope and vision exponentially as well- now their objectives include economic empowerment, leadership training, etc. And they no longer just reach out to University students but secondary schools and other populations at high risk such as commercial sex workers. The work has branched out in so many different directions its difficult to keep track of it.

Mike is such a visionary and a recruiter. As he was explaining to me about his visions and goals, how they fit with the Kenya 2030 Strategic plan, and the potential impact it could have on African development, I found myself getting very caught up. The possibilities for Kenya in the next two decades are really very exciting.

He says now that the government has a sound Constitution and coherent strategic plan in place, it has set the wheels in motion for unprecedented progress. He says the universities are now the factor slowing things down. He believes the role of Universities should be to observe the problems happening on the ground in Kenya- for example, ineffective agricultural practices. The universities should then research these problems, develop solutions, and then turn them over to the corporate sector to market them. These three entities (society, academia, and corporate) should ideally be highly interactive and responsive to one another. This is known as the "triple helix" approach to development.

Mike has started an initiative encouraging different universities in Kenya to adopt a county and focus on promoting development in that region. The initial reports are quite exciting.

I have concerns about the rate of growth of the organization and the extent to which they’ve deviated from their original purpose and focus. But Mike can’t be confined to small, safe ideas. He has the audacity to dream bigger and bigger all the time and it is great to watch those dreams take shape. I admit I normally tend to be a wet blanket when I hear wild dreams like this. But when I hear Mike talk it just gets me so excited! And I really start to believe its possible. The world needs more people like him.