One of my favorite entrepreneurs is an incredibly hard working man by the name of John. John lives in a community called Cosmo City–about 20 kilometers north of Johannesburg. He lives in a small (government provided) RPD house with his wife and kids. He has been one of our most faithful entrepreneurs throughout our current training cycle.

Recently, I was speaking to John before one of our Weekly Meetings and he shared with me a little more about his life and his future ambitions. What he said was nothing short of inspirational.

John, who runs a (micro) construction company, is studying to be a lawyer. He started university in 2005 and has been studying part-time ever since. After his first semester, he was able to earn a full bursary (scholarship). Thus far, he has finished 18 of 40 modules–almost halfway there. He said his original goal was to complete the degree before his 40th birthday; however, he said he will be turning 40 in October, so he thinks 42 is a more realistic goal.

John mentioned that lately things have been tough. He is working long hours in his construction business to support his family–and he said his constitutional law class was incredibly difficult. I found this statement to be an interesting juxtaposition of where he is now, and where he sees himself in the future. John’s perseverance is absolutely astounding. He is the kind of man who is undeterred by life’s circumstances. He knows what he wants and he intends to pursue it.

Few things in John’s life have been easy, but he refuses to let his current situation affect his dreams. There are so many things I can learn from John, and I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg…

Below you will find the sixth issue of Business Trainer Times : ) Click on the image to read the newletter!

Below you will find the fifth issue of Business Trainer Times : ) Click on the image to read the newletter!

Below you will find the fourth issue of Business Trainer Times : ) Click on the image to read the newletter!

In mid-March, an article entitled Leaders’ Lavishness Gives Rise to Lifestyle Audits ran in the New York Times.

There are few things in life that bother me more than government officials taking advantage of the very people they are entrusted to help. Corruption within the South African government has long been a significant problem. After the fall of apartheid, South Africa was able to become more fully involved in the international community at-large. But with this increased participation came a closer spotlight on the activities and interests of officials in the “new” South Africa.

But it’s not just South Africa…it appears that corruption runs rampant over the entire continent, and much of the world.

An organization called Transparency International publishes an index measuring ‘perceptions of corruption.’ The aim of Transparency International is to bring people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world. Huguette Labelle, the president of Transparency International, makes a compelling argument as to why corrupt governments are particularly harmful to those living in poverty. Her points are as follows:

• Corruption has dire global consequences, trapping millions in poverty and misery and breeding social, economic and political unrest.
• Corruption is both a cause of poverty, and a barrier to overcoming it. It is one of the most serious obstacles to reducing poverty.
• Corruption denies poor people the basic means of survival, forcing them to spend more of their income on bribes. Human rights are denied where corruption is rife, because a fair trial comes with a hefty price tag where courts are corrupted.

Transparency International also lays out some important factors in eliminating corruption:

“Stemming corruption requires strong oversight by parliaments, a well performing judiciary, independent and properly resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law enforcement, transparency in public budgets, revenue and aid flows, as well as space for independent media and a vibrant civil society.”

It is undeniable that governments play an important role in either helping to eliminate poverty or further exacerbating the problem of poverty within their borders. As citizens, we must demand accountability from our leaders and transparency from our governments.

Below is an image of the 2009 CPI (Corruption Perception Index).

Below you will find the third issue of Business Trainer Times : ) Click on the image to read the newletter!

Last month I began sending out a publication to our volunteers who facilitate the business training aspect of our program. The purpose of this newsletter is to help our Business Trainers feel connected to one another, to suggest facilitation tips and to serve as a reminder of why we do what we do.

Below you will find the second issue of Business Trainer Times : ) Click on the image to read the newletter!

Sometimes in my spare time I like to check-out the CIA World Factbook : ) The Factbook is a compilation of all kinds of information on every country in the world, ranging from population demographics to world maps to country flags to the latest stats in economic development. I was looking at some stunning photos of South Africa when something else caught my attention. And I don’t mean in a good way.

The life expectancy of the average South African is a shocking 48.98 years. This puts South Africa in 212th place out of 224 countries ranked. Alarming indeed. That number leaves South Africa several notches behind Sudan…and secures its place right between Somalia and Guinea-Bissau. The United States, far from the top of the list, has a life expectancy of 78.11 years–nearly 30 years longer!

Worse yet, Southern Africa includes 7 of the lowest 13 nations… South Africa (212), Swaziland (214), Zimbabwe (217), Mozambique (221), Lesotho (222), Zambia (223) and Angola (224). Just to give you a frame of reference…Afghanistan ranks 219.

Sometimes, in South Africa’s beauty and first-world amenities, I forget that there is a whole other part of the country suffering from rampant HIV/AIDS and high crime rates. [Note: South Africa has the fourth highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world. More than 18% of the total population is HIV positive.] It’s easy to lose yourself in all of the wonderful things about South Africa, and forget all of the terrible injustices that occur around us every day.

My prayer is that we’ll be able to rally together as a country, and start to provide practical solutions to these very real problems.

Full disclosure: There are not actually 224 “countries” ranked on the CIA’s list. Macau is listed as number one, despite being a “special administrative region” of China. And the European Union comes in at 41; however, last time I checked the EU wasn’t a country (not to mention they rank all European countries independently…). Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, ranks 42nd–and the list goes on with these types of “non-country” examples. Nevertheless, it still doesn’t change the fact that South Africa ranks 13th from the bottom.

Last Tuesday we began our second Loan Cycle and corresponding business training and discipleship courses. This is the first group of entrepreneurs who have applied for a second round of loans with our program–so it’s particularly exciting! We’ve known some of these entrepreneurs for nearly a full year, and they’ve really welcomed us into their lives.

During the Pursuit of Purpose Course (the discipleship portion of the evening) the entrepreneurs were asked to share with one another one of the greatest moments of their life. We suggested examples such as your wedding day, when your first child was born and the day you begun your business. Through asking this question, we wanted to help our entrepreneurs understand that oftentimes who we share these special moments with is equally as important as the moment itself. Life wasn’t meant to be experienced alone–and neither is God. We can experience God through relationships, through family and through our communities. 

One of our entrepreneurs was asked to share with the group what one of her greatest moments was and at first she was reluctant. She can sometimes be a little shy, so it’s not at all uncommon for her to avoid speaking in front of the group. But without further provocation, she proudly proclaimed:

“Graduating from Paradigm Shift and getting my business training and discipleship certificates was one of the greatest moments of my life. I finished my coursework for my matric (high school graduation) but never got my diploma and didn’t have a celebration. Graduating from Paradigm Shift has taught me that the sky is the limit. You are never too old to do what you want to do and to accomplish your dreams.”

As I sat in the back of the room, my jaw dropped to the floor. I could hardly believe my ears. In some way, in some small way, my being here in South Africa and working with Paradigm Shift has contributed to one of the greatest moments of someone else’s life. One of the greatest moments in someone else’s life! Not something they enjoyed. Not something they thought was useful or beneficial. One of the greatest moments in someone else’s life! Wow.

By earning her certificates, this entrepreneur proved to herself that she IS smart and that she CAN do anything she puts her mind to it. At the core, our program is about empowering individuals to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. I have never felt this concept so deeply as I did last Tuesday night.

As the Johannesburg Training Manager for Paradigm Shift, a large part of my job is helping to train local volunteers to serve as Business Trainers within our program. Business Trainers facilitate all of our business training materials for our entrepreneurs, including: the Business Experience Course, the Business Growth Course, and the Business Advancement Course. Our Business Trainers are all business professionals with a wide range of business experience and an incredible heart to serve the poor entrepreneurs of Johannesburg. It has been such a blessing to work with them and to play a part in this ministry.

Starting this month, I am sending out a monthly publication called, Business Trainer Times. The purpose of this newsletter is to help the trainers feel connected to one another, to suggest facilitation tips and to serve as a reminder of why we do what we do.

Below you will find the first issue of the Business Trainer Times : ) Click on the image to read the newletter!