The best relationships are built on trust and transparency, aren’t they? So here it is…

“Last year, in 2010, while attending the Skoll World Forum (SWF) for the first time as a Said Business School MBA student native from DR Congo, I have noticed that there were few, even close to no delegates from Africa. This fact has popped the question inside me if there was no social entrepreneurs at all in Africa. Now that I am working in the social entrepreneurship sphere in South Africa (Cape Town), I have a better view of the numbers, well still few, of African social entrepreneurs. But still, there ARE social entrepreneurs in Africa!

So I was quiet surprise to see again, few delegates from Africa at the 2011 edition of the SWF! We might argue that most African social entrepreneurs (and mostly NGOs), when they are aware of the SWF, cannot afford attending the forum, but isn’t it a – huge – room of improvement there?  Particularly when, strangely enough, Africa was everywhere during the forum: on stage with Baaba Maal, among the great leaders thanks to the attendance of Archbishop Dr Desmond Tutu, in the different panel sessions as several solutions presented were based in Africa.

And Africa was also present in the music of all the pre/post ceremonies in the New Theatre. So why SWF is not putting Africa and Africans by its side instead of showcasing few good music and not listening to what African social entrepreneurs are desperately whispering? Because African storytelling did not  stop while Baaba Maal has stopped singing, the music from Mbenda Bilili was still whispering a message when we were leaving the theatre but no one seems to care – actually no one dare to care! Well to be fair, I think no one understood; I can bet some thousand USD that no more than 5 persons in the audience – including myself – understand the lyrics of those songs in lingala, one of DR Congo national language.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying here to be nationalistic or “african-istic” as I truly believe that help and compassion does not hold any particular citizenship and all genuine solutions are welcome.  But I have learnt and observed that ALL long-term successful solutions must employ locals/nationals, and even more, they should make them part of the strategic decisions of the social mission. Riders for Health from Bary and Andrea Coleman is one example of this principle (even if I am waiting to see how they will integrate nationals in their executive positions).

The “Superman” model is not realistic or scalable and should not be the sole approach taken when a social entrepreneur works in a country which is not his/hers country of origin. In fact, taking here the analogy made by Pamela Hartigan(*), a change agent should be like the slime mold – as the fertiliser in a desert  land – and performing the main role until he has been able to create an ecosystem of diverse institutions, not for profit or traditional for profit organisations that will support and escalate his initiative. I believe that we will succeed in a social mission only if we, internationals and nationals, work CLOSELY together.

As a Chinese proverb from Lao Tzu says “Go to the people. Live among them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have. But of the best leaders, when their task is done, the people all remark: ‘We have done it ourselves.’”

I hope next editions of SWF will showcase and award those BEST leaders.”

(*)analogy described in  “From Enterprise to eco-system: rebooting the scale debate”, by  J Elkington, P. Hartigan, A. Litovsky, December 2009

Déjà, parlons du temps “San Franciscain”: une merveille et une bénédiction pour les personnes sujettes au crise d’asthme à chaque changement de saison: températures douces, constantes et ciel bleu. Tenez, pour vous faire une comparaison, prenez un ciel aussi bleu que celui de décembre, quand le froid glacial semble chasser tous les nuages et que ce bleu se détache si bien des plaines haguenoviennes. Ou bien, c’est comme le bleu du ciel anglais quand… en fait, jen’ai pas de comparaison en Angleterre ca j’ai eu très peu de ciel bleu là-bas! Donc prenez le bleu alsacien comme comparaison!

Ensuite, le thème de la balade… Enfin finalement, il n’y en vait pas vraiment si ce n’est déambuler dans la ville… Et c’est après avoir aperçue plusieurs maisons bleues que je me suis rappelée de cette chanson de Maxime Le Forestier mon époque (enfin je pense que la chanson est des années 60 donc BEAUCOUP plus agée que moi). Et je me suis demandé de quelle maison pouvait il bien parler. Vu que je ne connaissais pas les paroles exactes de la chance et n’avait aucun accès Internet à portée de main (à quand les lunettes de soleil avec connection Wi-Fi??), je me suis mise en quête de la maison bleue, qui, pour moi, représenterait cette chanson.

Alors je dois tout de suite vous dire que le début de ma balade ne fut pas joyeuse. Dans la partie pauvre de Mission St, les maisons ne sont pas bleues, et les vies ne sont certainement pas roses non plus. Dans le quartier à forte dominance latino, il faut dire que je passais un peu “hors couleur locale”. Sincèrement, je ne me sentais pas particulièrement en sécurité. Mais ce sont plus ces visages tristes, ces mains ridées et noires de travail qui m’ont fait le plus de peine. Plus j’approchais du centre ville, plus les buildings evoluaient se transformant en bulding d’affaire, hôtels ou batiment style zone industrielle. La misère par contre ne changeait pas. Seule sa couleur devenait plus foncée. En effet dans le quartier le long de Hyde Street les badauds étaient plus d’origine africaine. Même regards fatigués pour tous, résignés pour certains.

Plus j’avançais et que je grimpais les collines (je vous assure que je vais avoir les mollets de Bernard Hinault d’ici la fin de mon séjour), plus je me demandais si j’arriverai à vivre dans une ville où la misère m’est encore si dérangeante… Mais bon, je fais confiance à cette faculté humaine appelée “adaptation” qui certainement, tristement, effacera cette vision et me rendra insensible d’ici quelques semaines (sic)!

Et après avoir monté un énième colline, j’aperçois au loin ces fameux petit tram qu’on voit dans les films et les cartes postales de San Francisco. Et c’est plus poussée par la curiosité – et le souffle court de ma dernière montée- que je décide de sauter dedans et payer les 5 dollars (ouuuaaa c’est cher) du trajet! Et je ne peut m’empêcher de penser au trajet du retour à faire à pied (aïe aïe aïe mes mollets) lorsque le petit tram jaune, totalement ouvert, enfile les descentes de California Street! Mais cette petit ballade motorisée de 53 sec me plaît bien! Oui 53 sec parce que le tram s’arrête près de ChinaTown et qu’impulsivement, je décide de descendre!

Je ne pensais pas que cette recherche de la maison bleue aller successivement m’emmener en Chine et en Italie puis au Japon! Car ce sont ces pays que j’ai tour à tour visiter en battant le pavé des rues Powell Street, Columbus avenue et Laguna Street pendant pluss de 2 heures. Et je ne parlerai pas du nombre impresionnant de conversations en français que j’ai bien pu surprendre (à croire qu’ils étaient partout)! Surtout au niveau du Fisherman’s Wharf.

Mais je l’ai finalement trouvé cette maison bleue! Enfin cette maison bleue qui serait pour moi celle de la chanson! Vous ne pouvez pas la manquer: sur Lombard Street, juste quand la rue “danse en zigzague” (en fait la pente est si aigue que la descente ne se fait pas en ligne droite). Donc à l’angle d’un de ces zigzags se dessine une maison bleue claire à colombages bleues foncées. Voilà c’est elle! Je ne sais pas pourquoi je l’ai choisie. Peut etre par son charme et le contraste qu’offrait les fleurs mauves sur ces murs océans. En tout cas, elle m’a touché, bien que je ne sache pas si “ceux qui vivent là, ont jeté la clé”. Mais, comme tout voyageur en voyage (quelle totologie), et même si on voit tous la même chose, on ne retient des souvenirs qu’en fonction de ses propres émotions et de son passé. Car voyager n’est qu’un autre moyen de se (re)touver. Comme d’autre aurai pu choisir une maison bleu sur Chestnut street or sur Mission street, cette maison bleue est capturée et emmurée dans mes souvenirs!

Je n’ai pas vu San Francisco s’embrumer, juste s’allumer. Se lever aussi. Mais je n’aimerai certainement pas voir San Francisco s’effondrer. Car je veux y retourner.

Monday 15th Feb 10h32 : The decision is now official : I am going to the Social Entrepreneurship trek in India AND in the UN trek in Geneva in April! Now I need to re think my budget !!! And we have spoken about Mars in class, example of strong efficient culture in an organisation ! Monday 15th Feb 20h32 : diner with a Marsian ! It is so great to reconnect and free my imagination to draw the picture of my ideal private life !!

Tuesday 16th Feb 11h25 : Operations management : I think the teacher should win a prize ! He is making his class so interesting ! But why should we have an assignment again ???

Wednesday 17th Feb 01h07: 250 pages !! 250 pages!!! TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY PAGES : that’s what I need to read to prepare the Social Entrepreneurhsip class on Measuring performance and Impact !! I’ll never make it !! Wednesday 17th Feb 02h00 : Actually, articles are quiet interesting… I think I will explore the subject for my personal essay (yes another assignment!). And in the first salsa classes for the 10 finalist couples is really promising !! Let’s celebrate @ Anuba !

Thursday 18th Feb ?? : well I can’t recall that day?? what happens?? ooo only hundred pages to read for the Technology & Innovation Strategy class. And another assignment ! And again Mars and myM&Ms as example of innovation ! It is a Mars week ! Thursday 18th Feb 23h42: I can’t make it anymore ! I cannot continue the reading on the Women’s slavery and other examples on daily fight by women. Fight against violence, fight against poverty, fight for education, fight for their human rights, fight to be recognised as a person who can make their own choices, should it led to mistake or not. But I cannot go through the article “because she looks like a child“. It is just too much emotion…

Friday 19th Feb 11h45 : Ohé guys in the Culture and Global Markets, how have you found the discussion and the case study on sanitary pads in Ghana ? Interesting, right? Friday 19th Feb 18h55 : The Open Mic event just ROCKS !!! So many talented artists in SBS ! So many laughs though ! And indian restaurant after, and few networking drinks with the Executive students…
Saturday 20th Feb 01h27: The tiramisu is in the fridge, I am ready for the italian diner for this evening. Saturday 20th Feb 15h16:The perspective from an Social Entrepreneurship consultant just provoke a “brainquake”! Although I agree at 150% his view on listening before telling in the process of being a consultant, he has triggered more other questions (and it is not like I did not have enough questions to think about). Shall I go for a same kind of “on the ground journey” to foster my listening skills and learn to be a facilitator? Shall we always define leadership as the “ability to show the way” or should it not be the “agility to facilitate the solution”??

And by the way, I am now half way through my MBA programme… Look like the remaining programme will fly even faster than the first months… God pleas hold on the time… just for few seconds…

That’s the lesson I have learned in setting up the Salsa classes at Saïd Business School. Just find a room, find a teacher (for this time it will be myself) , the audio material, some new passionate students and the ball start rolling ! In less than 4 days and absolutely no money, I have been able to set up the class! I was keeping asking “are you sure that’s all I need to do?” “Shall I not have to check for the School authorisation?” ” And what about the insurance?” “Do I have to report the activities on a regular basis?” And no, nothing else to do! When I think that American students are finding Oxford too rigid and too bureaucratic, I am just inviting them to go and have a shot in France. They will understand what bureaucracy means !

This week I have met my college supervisor ! I did not know that support system but I have found it really  good actually. The supervisor is the teacher appointed by your college to follow how your life is going on during your studies. You can talk about the classes, your difficulties either personal or professional and seek for advice. He is, somehow, the  link between 2 of the main entities of the UK education system : the college- responsible of your student life and the School – responsible in delivering the knowledge. The third entity, the University, is responsible in assuring that the education received from the school meets the Oxford standard. Its is also the university who check or control your knowledge (yeah the exam part!). A human reference in this labyrinth of rules and traditions 8

Everything starting beautifully last Saturday with a diner at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in Central London. In a sumptuous venue, alumni and current students have shared a meal (I’ll not comment on this part, just remember that I am French and the diner is in UK!). Not to say that most of the people I have met have had interesting professional experience after Oxford and very fun “anecdotes” from their student’s life ! But what I have really loved is the small trip in taxi in London with amazing fellow MBA students sharing few songs a capella! Hey hey, who has said that MBA students always talk about strategy and finance ??

Sunday has had a particular place in my heart as I was hosting few fellow MBA students at my place for  a “crêpes party”. Yes this is a French touch to get to know each other better ! The laughs  are still resonating in my head. And even the readings in the school library after the party -yes I  have to  read and prepare my classes on Sunday evening- did not alter the warm and cosy atmosphere of this  ”goûter”. Hey hey, who has said that MBA students can only superficially network during golf practise?

The Skoll Center is supporting me in my adventure !! It is an incredible support that I have received through this selection. I am really proud as well as intimidated by it ! So go now girl! Take the way and dance your dream! And the  relationship that we start building between the fellow Fellows of the Skoll Associate programme will certainly last after we leave Oxford! Hey hey, who has said that MBA students are individualistic?

And the summum was certainly the immense surprise made by the gentleman of the promotion on Friday 12th Feb. Pretending an urgent vote, they have gathered all the students in a lecture theatre. They have then begin a presentation about the programme. But every quickly pick that it was certainly a joke. And then a video from our charming Managerial Economics arrive on the screen and what a surprise: he was wishing all the girls a “Happy Valentine day”! And the surprise was even better: all the guys enter in the theatre and offers us the red roses they were carrying !!! OOOOO sooooo cute ! We love you so much fellow MBA gentlemen !! Not to say that Chinese New Year Happy Hours which have just followed that surprise was still full of emotions !!

By the way, next week I will start my second half of my MBA year… where is the time going?

Les petites astuces de “Getting things done” me permettent de  peaufiner mes to do list par contexte. Ce qui fait que dès que j’ai un instant de libre (tiens, une petite insomnie par exemple), je prends la liste de mes actions niveaux email persos et hop! c’est parti ! Et j’avance en parallèle sur tous les plans !! Certains diront qu’il n’y a pas de place pour  les conseils de “7 habits of…” au quotidien? Et bien, ils se trompent ! Quand on cours partout, qu’on ne sait pas comment prioriser, qu’on zappe d’une action à une autre et qu’on mange à coup de lance pierre, il arrive parfois qu’on se demande pourquoi on doit courir tout le temps? Interviennent alors les concepts de “7 habits…” pour la perspective. Un zeste de “Put first things first”, une pincée de “Begin with the end in mind” et voilà, les batteries sont rechargées ! Mais le concept le plus important auquel je m’accroche est “Be proactive” ! Parce que dans cette année pleine de changements, le plus important n’est pas d’anticiper les changements (ah bon? je ne peux pas tous les prévoir) mais plutôt de réagir POSITIVEMENT à ces stimulis externes. Et du coup tout changement devient opportunité. Enfin passé le premier réflexe de mécontentement*.

Bon pour health management, il va vraiment falloir que je fasse des efforts! La seule activité physique que je faisais plus au moins régulièrement -la salsa- s’est évaporée comme par enchantement ! Ce n’est pas l’heure et demie de cours que je donne aux salseros et salseras de SBS qui permettra d’évacuer mon stress !

*: au moment où j’écris ce post (janvier 2010), je me rends compte que ce petit “sursaut” de mécontentement  qu’en j’apprends qu’il y a un changement est de plus en plus court, voire même inexistant! Et je ne râle même plus !! Faut croire que je laisse tomber les habitudes françaises et que je m’habitue plus vite que je ne le pense au mode anglo saxon !

So it was a quiet week in Oxford… Maybe it was the week of the debit card incident… You know, those types of incidents which reminds you that you are not earning money anymore and you are back to a “student way of living”. As a refresher, “student way of living” means counting your money, not chatting during hours on your cell phone when you have made the call and asking, in every shop you are going : “do you offer any student discount?”. Joke apart, the credit card incident at this low-cost retailer has made me realize that I have put too much of my identity in my credit card. I should say in my credit cardS !! It is a so common way to re ensure one self about his social and professional success. Without going to the extreme of presenting people by naming the type of their credit card (like “let me introduce you X, she has an Amex”*), possessing a or several high-profile credit cards makes you part of the “top professional people”. This feeling is even higher when you come from the immigration and you are seeking for respect in the country you have chosen to live. Or even seeking for respect in a foreign country you are visiting (“No that’s fine, she is one of our client, she has an Amex”). And you begin to feel more safe, or even more confident and powerful in possessing those stupid “external signs of wealth”.

But if you look really closely, it does not show your degree of satisfaction in your life. And it does not help to break the stereotypes other can have towards you. I will not totally say that possessing credit cards is useless – it definitively helps you in your daily life- and if you own those credit cards, it might be because your hard work is finally recognized- but hiding behind your money cards will not calm your conscience. And it will certainly not change the attitude people may have towards you when they are applying their stupid stereotypes. So gaining respect by hiding behind my credit cards, expensive clothes and other attitudes is not enough anymore. Or worst, being respected in other countries because you are walking around with European people (not to say a white man) is definitively NOT the option. Can you imagine how humiliating it can be to be released from a one-hour interrogatory at the European boundaries on your way back to your country (France) only because you are traveling with a European man?  Either your French passport, French ID card, French driving license or proof of  your settlement in France were not enough for them. But as soon as they realize that you are traveling with a European man (not to say a white man) who has just shown his French ID card, you are then trusted and released to go !! And no, those tears on my cheeks are not a stress release. They are just the sign of my frustration and my extreme anger of being scanned by my peers through stupid and negative lenses.

That’s true, nothing big really happens that week in Oxford : no special invitation for diner with Bill Clinton – it was the week before- and no visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Oxford – it was the week after. Nevertheless, sometime it is those small “ordinary life incidents” which makes you better understand the choice you have made in going back to study and take risk to change career in a new area you are believing in. And those changes  are not for the prestigious Oxford environment and the multitude of celebrities/important people you can meet. Those changes are just part of the actions you try to make – on your small sphere of influence- so you can see a change of attitude when people will look at your children. And hopefully, neither the Amex credit cards nor the race of their friends will be the reason to give them the minimal respect they should have, as an ordinary person of African heritage.

* : a really perturbing experience !

But I am afraid to say that this event was not the most important for me that week. The most important event that week was that I was finally able to secure my finance until end of the year !! It was really a blessing as, for the first time, I was beginning considering withdrawing from the programme as an option after December! But looks like being in Oxford is a real part of my fate as everything was sorted out that week! And what I can take from this experience is strengthen negotiation skills, the incredible strength of being surrounding by optimistic and supportive friends and a better comfort around “dealing with ambiguity”. I will certainly needs those skills in my entrepreneurial journey! So I have organised a last minute trip to France to finalize the deal. This quick trip back to Strasbourg was a real fresh breeze: it was like discovering Strasbourg again! Walking in the Christmas Market, having a “brunch” with friends in one of my favorite little café, walking along the Thames River… euuh well no, the river in the center of  Strasbourg is “L’Ill” (actually, I am not quiet sure of that…). I have never  thought I would have missed Strasbourg that much !

Anyway… And as a result of my financial freedom, I am now a life long member of the Oxford Union! Who will be the first famous speaker I’ll go to see during this term??? And, if selected, Oxford students have even the opportunity to dine with them ! Georges Clooney, when are you coming to Oxford?