Henriette's Adventure in Kenya - IBM Corporate Service Corps

Summer 2011 I was going on vacation with the family and just before shutting down my IBM laptop a mail ticked into the mailbox."Congratulations!!!  Very exciting news -  You've been assigned to the Kenya 4 Team with an expected departure date of October 21, 2011. We need to have your decision by Monday".


I remembered of course that I have applied for this honorable program and that I was accepted back in June. But that it was going to be already and then to Kenya - my priority #1.
I accepted immediately even without my Manager accept - as she was on vacation.

So I'm going to Kenya, Africa for 5 weeks- but first I took 3 weeks vacation with my family - Florida was destination..

Coming back in mid August I was 3 weeks behind schedule with e-learning, readings,  team calls etc. All to secure that the IBM Corporate Service Corps is a success not only for the "Clients" but also for the participants. So all participants have a least 40-80 hours of preparation before even coming to the country. Preparation covering;

• Learning about the principles of IBM  Corporate Service Corps program
• Cultural Adaptability 
• Kenya Culture
• Global teamwork, high performance

As Dane I learned that in Kenya it is rude to speak out loud. So that I need to practice when I get there.

The other Team members of "Team Kenya 4  - a truly global team;

Adekunle - USA (Nigeria)

Bahram - Germany

Cammy - Mexico

Dilhun - Turkey

Isabel  - Potugal

Jennifer - Canada

Kensuke - Japan

Lotem - Israel

Marissa - USA

Richard - India

Rob - UK

We now soon have completed our prestudies and learning and  have received our assignments - Statement of Works. My team is Richard, Bahram and Jennifer and we are going to examine innovation hubs for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MOHEST). More to come on that.

We are going to live in Machakos (100.000 citizens), a town about 70 kms south of Nairobi.

The hotel we are going to live and work in is Garden Hotel