GIRAFFES ARE GREAT KISSERS AND OTHER THINGS I LEARNED IN KENYA AS PART OF THE IBM CORPORATE SERVICE CORPS

@Lauren_Schaefer

The IBM Corporate

Service Corps is a

competitive program

that deploys IBMers

from across the world

for 4 weeks to an

emerging market.

Triple benefit:

1. Communities have

their problems

solved.

2. IBMers receive

leadership training

& development.

3. IBM develops new

markets & global

leaders.

Team Kenya 9

• 14 IBMers from 7

nations

• Diverse areas of

expertise from

marketing to

engineering to

finance to project

management

4 projects in 4 weeks:

1. Framework for

collaboration to

empower SOSTTI to

expand delivery of

vocational training to

youth.

2. Development of Kenya

government wide

enterprise architecture

model.

3. Data management for

the clinical and

diagnostic programme.

4. A framework for an

engaging

communications for

KNCCI membership.

My team:

Lauren Schaefer, USA

Susanna Lo, China

Kamaran Sheikh, UK

My sub-team’s

objectives:

1. Develop eLearning

framework.

2. Research job

opportunities in the

digital economy.

3. Identify key

partnerships.

4. Develop a

marketing

framework.

How we felt when we

realized none of us

had expertise in

eLearning.

3 weeks later, we

triumphed!

WHAT I LEARNED…

Giraffes are great

kissers…if you’re in to

big, sloppy, wet kisses.

Being a gender

minority can be

awkward. Being a

racial minority feels

completely different.

Kenya time does not

necessarily map to

the time on the clock.

It’s possible to deliver

high quality results in a

short amount of time

in an area you know

nothing about when

you have smart,

motivated people on

your team.

Freckles are

fascinating…and so

are our differences.

Business in Kenya is all

about relationships…

and tea. You gotta

have the tea.

Having teammates

who follow their

passions is incredibly

valuable…especially

when their passion is

photography.

When you go to

Kenya, you must go

on safari—you simply

must.

• To view more pics & daily updates from my time in Kenya,

find me on Twitter: @Lauren_Schaefer

• To learn more about the IBM Corporate Service Corps, visit

http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/corporateservicecorps

Photo credits

• Photo on slide 17 taken by Joseph Seo.

• Strathmore University photo and “on-camera” photo on slide 19 taken by Joseph Seo.

• Other photos on slide 19 taken by miscellaneous photographers.

• All other photos taken by Jason Schaefer.