AIESECing in Kampala

Attention: this may be the most intelligent post ever, since I've just come from a weekend of eating so many fish brains that my coworkers say I'll be a genius.

Or at least this post will serve as a long-delayed "hello" from Uganda, where I've been for the last 17 days getting into my AIESEC traineeship with a renewable energy company that has overtones of social entrepreneurship. Internet has been exceedingly scarce here -- they're in the process of laying cables underground so it will be harder for people to illegally tap into the internet ... and let's just say certain things take their time here. The upshot is I get to walk up to the second-highest hill in Kampala a couple of times per week to use the wireless at a charming hotel. See my blog for some of the pictures.

AIESEC Makerere University (Kampala) has just rounded out a tremendous year, beating out AIESEC Nairobi for the top spot in the Africa GN. It's been exhilarating to be involved -- as their only trainee with more than 3 months AIESEC experience, they've been receptive about including me in their activities.

For one, I got to go on a sales call with three AIESECers to speak with the Vice-President of the ruling political party, whom we met at his PALACE (he's been involved in stealing over $2 million in HIV/AIDS development funds, but remains in high esteem with the people despite his extravagance). Eunice, current OCP of the AfriTour PBOX and VP-TM-elect, managed to get the meeting by meeting the guy's secretary at a nightclub the previous weekend :-p . Anyway, Eunice pitched this program to empower youth entrepreneurship in Uganda's tourism sector. It was a success, and AIESEC MUK seems poised to be the first to realize this new PBOX. woot!

I've spent a couple of evenings sharing Ugandan beer with the CEO of the company I'm working for -- he was involved in AIESEC Kenya's leadership and a former AIESEC trainee to Portugal. He's asking for another three AIESEC trainees next year, with a preference that they specialize in business, medicine, and chemistry, and that they come from Yale. It would be one hell of an opportunity, and we'll see where we can take it.

This Tuesday I'll be running a session to transition the new LC EB into their roles. It'll be a challenge, since I'm only inching up the steep learning curve of their local reality. Frank, the current LCP and MC-VP-ICX-elect, had drafted a two-page chart of key transition areas, for which he budgeted a total of 27 hours of sessions (imagine: three 9-hour days). He had noted about 8 people who he hoped would facilitate, drawn from the outgoing EB and MC members. However, the only facilitators who showed up to the Transition Prep Meeting were me and Frank himself. It's a pity that the outgoing EB seems to have drifted (despite the strong year), and the MC are all full-time students or employed. And in response to the pleading from the incoming EB, we shortened the 27 hours down to about 8. I can tell they're nervous -- there are so few student organizations at Makerere that this will set them apart from many of their friends. But I'm excited about the chance to cultivate some AIESEC spirit among them ... they're already pros at Bebot!

Finally, I've got the green light to go to the Safari East Africa Leadership Development Seminar in Kenya during my last week! Get ready for some wacky roll calls and dances back on campus this fall ;-)

Shout-outs to all who have posted so far on the AIESEC Yale blog -- missing you, and looking forward to seeing more updates on this blog!