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Of AIESEC JKUAT, today’s youth, tomorrow’s leaders. MAY - AUGUST 2014
AIESEC KENYA NATIONAL LEADERS
(14/15)
DO YOU KNOW THE INDIVIDUALS DRIVING US TO 2015?
BENJAMIN KIHURIA FROM NEWIE TO TEAM LEADER IN ONE SWIFT MOTION. PLUS SOMETHING FOR THE NEWIES! IMPACT : Generation 2015
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Editor’s Note Greetings AIESECers!!! Curious ones as well, you are welcome to take a peek, only good can come of it, I assure you. Now, looking at the contents of this issue, I saw ’GENERATION 2015’ as a fitting theme. Must ring a bell for seasoned AIESECers, but I felt it relevant because 2015 is here, and as current AIESEC leaders start to prepare to hang up their caps and hand over the button, the next guys are going to live Generation 2015...We feature stories of team leaders and team members and who knows, in the next edition, they may be introduced as part of the new EB. We also have our 2 month old AIESEC Kenya National leaders featured. Real short profiles they are, but they were once upon a time where we are...which can only mean we can get there too. Now, this is to be the last editor’s note I write so let me try make it good, in case one or two people actually venture to read it. This journey is one that is began with fervour. I remember plotting with some of my friends to run for EB which we did, and made it. Then the job starts and you start to realise you just might have jumped off a cliff and now you’re dropping like a stone. Then before you hit the ground, you bounce back up and realise you are bungee jumping! It’s a mix of emotions, fear, adrenaline, excitement...but the ride does not last forever. When the momentum is done, your time is up. It is the ride of a lifetime and if you’re lucky you might get another one, but even if you never do, once is enough. (Please attempt to draw some wisdom from that.) My ride is almost over, the momentum is comfortable enough for me to think straight now and I scold myself for stressing when things were a bit more fast-paced. To those that come after, I wish I could stress the importance of enjoying the experience from beginning to end, especially when it gets fast-paced, but I fear this is something one can only learn by jumping off a cliff. So...whose next?!! :-) (Lights dim, curtains close, I start to get emotional...) Keep AIESEC-in! Kathleen Siminyu, Vice President(14/15), Communication and Information Management. IMPACT : Generation 2015
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE...
Members’ journies 8-12 Benjamin’s short , full and yet to be completed \ AIESEC story
Meet the AIESEC
KENYA LEADERS (14/15) 4 President : Simon 5 Communication and Public Relations : Wincate 6 Incoming Professional Internships : Ronny 7 Business Development: Ruthie
Newie’s Corner
14 Incoming Exchange: Lorna
13Most commonly used AIESEC acronyms
15 Finance : Abner 16 Organisational Development: Wenani 17 Outgoing Exchange: Dennis
jkuat.aiesec.or.ke AIESEC Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology
aiesec_jkuat aiesec_jkuat
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National AIESEC KENYA PRESIDENT
FORMER NATIONAL VP FINANCE
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National vp - communication and public relations
FORMER AIESEC JKUAT VP COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
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National vp - Professional internship programmes
FORMER AIESEC JKUAT PRESIDENT FORMER AIESEC JKUAT VP PROJECTS
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National VP - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
FORMER AIESEC UON VP PROJECTS (2 consecutive years)
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Less than a year old in AIESEC, iGCDP Team Leader, Benjamin Kihuria tells us his AIESEC Story thus far.
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How does one write a story yet finished? My journey in AIESEC dates back to October 2013, when I heard that there was to be a Super MSS with AIESEC UoN. I had an evasive “friend” who worked for AIESEC UoN, and I wanted to surprise her. Well needless to say, I never met her. But that first meeting opened my eyes and ears to AIESEC, I wanted to know, what kind of organisation dances during its meetings?
From an early age, I have always taken a back seat. Having older siblings really didn’t help as they ensured that most decisions were made didn’t involve me. I was constantly reminded of the packing order. Well after joining AIESEC I joined incoming GCDP under the transition team from Suzzie to Bryan Bundi. After a couple
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of training sessions, I was thrown into the deep end with my first task to put up exchange forms. After successfully putting up two forms, which I was quite proud of, there was the waiting game.
I was assigned Kayaba School, one of the TN (trainee nominee) takers we have partnered with. While taking my interns to work on their first day, I met with Joan, the headmistress. Well how do I describe Kayaba School? It’s a school right in the middle of The first intern to apply was a Brazilian girl, I Mukuru Kayaba slum with very limited was excited, so I quickly messaged Suzie as amenities. to what to do next . Well…it never quite got to an interview as she (the Brazilian) never They had no food, no clean water yet the replied to my email. Not allowing anything kids were happy. Looking back I have no to put me down, I received a number of col- idea how they survived as the last intern to ourful Chinese applications (some of which work there left in August 2013. I was a budwere literally in Chinese), others tried their dy to Long Di who had a surprisingly good best with Swahili phrases like ‘bidii command of English (so said the barber I msichana’ (perhaps they were trying to say took her to). She was down to earth and ‘hardworking girl’ ) and in the end I finally attended a couple of lectures with me durmatched three Chinese for January 2014. ing her free time. It seems Kenyan men are looking the East as I received quite a num-
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ber of compliments for having “scored” an Asian. After 7 weeks she went back to her country and so did quite a number of our Chinese interns.
to play and taught Science with a million experiments.
After a couple of weeks I made up my mind to actually help Kayaba School. I sat down with Joan to see what was needed and after coming up with a checklist of at least 6 crucial items I sought the help of the forthcoming interns to change the dilapidated state of Kayaba School. First and most important was the food situation. I will forever be indebted to Silvia Galiotto (Italy) who bought enough food for the school to last 3 months and took the kids to Giraffe Centre (one of the few trips they have in their lifetime), Chutikarn Manayarnkit (Thailand) who sponsored 2 parents to join a sewing school, sponsored another to start a charcoal business, painstakingly translated verbs from Swahili to English just so that her kids could understand her English classes, bought stationery and sports equipment. Angela Mojica (Colombia) who took the kids
It seems Kenyan men are looking the East as I received quite a number of compliments for having “scored” an Asian.
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Then tragedy struck. Petty thieves armed with a gun robbed them twice in two weeks. The first time in Lavington and the second time inside the slum. At such times, when you receive such news, your heart stops and you feel a myriad of emotions from fear, to hate to pity. Well you have to strategize and move on if the plan to help the school is to be fulfilled. With the help of Joan, we put up a watchman and informed the chief to improve the security situation. They say that those who live by the sword, die by it. As I
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write this all of the above perpetrators either are dead or arrested.
could only go so far without heating up.
My second and most difficult trip yet to plan was the one to Zanzibar, Tanzania. It The first trip that I organized for the interns was a Maasai Mara trip which took had very many stops and changeovers. off at 8am on Saturday 5th July 2014. The After a 15hr bus ride from Nairobi to Dar two vans arrived and took all 11 of us to we slept over in Dar and got the 9 am ferthe Mara without a hitch. After an even- ry to Zanzibar, which is quite different ing game drive, we returned back to camp from the Likoni ferry in Mombasa, this is which was a pretty nice place, the driver of the first van took his car to be checked. Zanzibar is magical, from the 4*
Back at camp we had food prepared by resort we stayed in to the tours our chef and after a couple of drinks, and of the stonetown and spicefarms a game of charades the atmosphere was to snorkelling and swimming friendlier. By 10pm the lights are switched with the dolphins in the ocean, off as it runs from a generator. For some white sand beaches, we were of us Dylan (Scotland) Sydney (USA) and amazed. Dawn (Malta) that couldn’t sleep that early we went to watch the stars on a clear night sky. We had background music from more of a speed vessel. Zanzibar is magisomeone who had a bit too much whiskey. A couple of shooting stars and hours cal, from the 4* resort we stayed in to the tours of the stonetown and spicefarms to later, we retired ready for the next day. snorkelling and swimming with the dolphins in the ocean, white sand beaches, Day 2 was much more eventful, from we were amazed. Sadly our time ran out reaching the Mara River to witness part of and after an 8hr bus ride to Mombasa we the migration, to getting a puncture near had a 6hr layover and took the 10pm bus a large male lion and the persistent prob- to Nairobi without any hitches. I can’t relem of our van overheating. The Mara is ally describe Zanzibar as it’s those places spectacular with a large variety of game you see on postcards and magical is the and picturesque scenery. On the way only word I can describe it. back, five of us Alex(USA) Rachel(Hong Back to Nairobi and Kayaba School Kong) Andreas (Brazil) Dawn (Malta) through Elpida (Greece) got spoons, a stayed behind with the faulty van, enjoy- 2300lt water tank and stationery. Andreas ing some rare moments, eventually (Brazil) paid a hefty outstanding toilet balspending a night in Narok town as our van ance, furnished the school with educaIMPACT : Generation 2015
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tional material and Joao (Portugal) purchased a classroom and furnished it. All
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it a success, Emily (USA) Joe (the true definition of a US patriot) and Yen (Singapore) who I can’t thank enough. Through AIESECs Team Leader phase have grown my leadership skills, critical thinking capacity, knowing how to make crucial decisions through leading a two teams towards two separate goal of achieving purpose-driven education (Kayaba school) and a health-aware society (Project Healthy and Happy phase 1). I came to understand how people think differently even though pursuing one goal. I realised how diversity leads to a more purposeful and fuller project. Interacting with people is much easier for me and taking charge has become second nature. I cannot express my gratitude to both Suzzie and Bryan for the opportunity and the support they have accorded me. There is so much I haven’t written, but since this is only but the beginning, I will save the rest for a future article.
these were part of a masterplan I had come up with which I hope to fully achieve with Benjamin Kihuria, the help of Eliska (Czech Republic) and CeTeam Leader iGCDP cilia (China) and all other interns that will AIESEC JKUAT join me later on. BSc. Biomechanical and Process EngineerI cannot fail to mention Clemens (Germany) ing Arnaud (the madly funny French guy who deserves a separate article to fully describe him) and Alicja (Poland) who we are working with at Frank School. The same can be said for Priscilla (Mexico) a diligent and brilliant intern, who served as the project head, she had immense influence to make IMPACT : Generation 2015
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For newie’s... Everything in AIESEC is an acronym, even the name, including all selected and elected positions, conferences, GNs (growth networks), etc. This is a list of the most common acronyms that are used within AIESEC, including the rough translation of AIESEC into English. Hope it eases the initiation into AIESEC life for newies!
@: Some may consider this an “AT” sign. It’s not. It’s an “AIESEC” sign. AI: AIESEC International. Located in Rotterdam. Provides a network support system for AIESEC on an international level. AIESEC: (pronounced “eye‐sek”) AIESEC was a French acronym: Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales, or International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences. However, since AIESEC is no longer limited to these opportunities, the acronym has faded and we now just use AIESEC as a word. BD: Business Development CEED: Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development. If you want to get involved in joining or running a local AIESEC community internationally, CEEDS provide the way to do it. This is an equally great way to experience a culture abroad and build leadership and professional skills, and gain a different perspective on running an AIESEC community. Comm and IM: Communication and Information Management CC: Congress Committee CCP: Congress Committee President CCVP: Congress Committee Vice President EB: The Executive Board. The executive board consists of the VPs, the LCP and the LCP elect (when applicable) EP: Exchange Participant. Someone going on a traineeship ER: External Relations ICX: Incoming exchange. LC: The AIESEC Local Community. LCP: The Local Committee President; oversees the Local Community in order to make sure everything’s running smoothly MC: Member Committee (national staff); they are paid AIESEC staff. Each MC Oversees AIESEC on their national level, provides support for Local Communities within their MC country, maintains relationships with other countries, manages national finances, and builds national partnerships… MCP: Member Committee President. OC: Organizing Committee; the committee that takes care of the logistical aspect of conferences. OCP: Organizing Committee President; the head of an OC. OCVP: Organising Committee Vice President OGX: Outgoing exchange. PAI: President of AIESEC International. TN: A Traineeship/internship. TM: Talent Management Trainee: International EPs that are on a traineeship in our LC.
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National VP - INCOMING EXCHANGE
FORMER AIESEC UON VP INCOMING EXCHANGE
(2 consecutive years)
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National vp - finance
FORMER AIESEC UON VP PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMMES (2 consecutive years)
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National VP - organisational development
FORMER AIESEC UON PRESIDENT ( 2 consecutive years)
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National vp - OUTGOING EXCHANGE
FORMER AIESEC DAYSTAR PRESIDENT FORMER AIESED DAYSTAR VP OUTGOING EXCHANGE
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