September October 2016
Where Christian faith gets down to business
Empowering women:
From Libyan conflict to “keyhole gardens”
Capital way to change the world Potty training with social boost 1
The Marketplace September October 2016
Roadside stand
Why be generous? Because that’s what the Bible teaches, right? What else builds the practice of generosity? At MEDA we think about this as we create business solutions to poverty around the world. Donors gain a deep sense of whole-life stewardship as they help the poor build productive livelihoods. Generosity comes alive as it relates to the work week. The daily toil of business gives it sinew. “Businesslike” stewardship has much to offer. Rather than only redistributing wealth, as many programs do, promoting “wealth creation” enables small producers to leverage their own economic destiny. It’s energizing to give a hand up to others engaged in similar pursuits, such as a village farmer in Africa or a tiny shop owner in Central America. Businessfolk understand their constraints because they’ve been there! A farmer in Nebraska gets a special kick out of helping women in Ghana grow soybeans to boost family nutrition and income. A business owner in Ontario enjoys helping small operators who wrestle with familiar business issues of credit and marketing. Like all of us, project “clients” are made in the image of God, who on page one of the Bible is busy at work — creating, innovating, being entrepreneurial. Supporting them can reinforce a sense of being in God’s “work will.” Mindful marketing. Ask anyone to say who has been influential in their lives and they might rattle off names of family members, coaches or teachCover photo, showing Tanzania client with a container of vitamin A fortified sunflower oil, by Steve Sugrim
The Marketplace September October 2016
marketing, which he defines as “the science that seeks to facilitate mutually beneficial exchange.” He offers two principles to help marketers wield their impact more mindfully: Influence others to their benefit, and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Watch for our review in an upcoming issue.
Farmer to farmer: Soybean generosity, close to the heart
ers. Not many will mention marketers, though David Hagenbuch, professor of marketing at Messiah College in Mechanicsburgh, Pa., contends this group has much more influence than most people realize. In his new book, Honorable Influence: A Christian’s Guide to Faithful Marketing, he says marketers have unavoidable influence over the lives of most people, and that influence comes with huge responsibility. “Almost every year, only 10-12 percent of respondents polled by Gallup have rated advertising practitioners as having high or very high morality,” says Hagenbuch. “If you’re a Christian marketer, those results should make you do some soul-searching.” He says there is a mindful, responsible way to approach marketing by avoiding the “seven sins of influence” — deception, coercion, manipulation, denigration, intrusion, encouraging overindulgence and neglect. For example, deception is pervasive in marketing, but it doesn’t have to be, in fact has no place in 2
Work/worship. The sixth Work as Worship conference is scheduled for Nov. 4 in Dallas, Tex. Speakers include: Patrick Lencioni, New York Times bestselling author of The Ideal Team Player; Donnie Smith, CEO, Tyson Foods; Cheryl Bachelder, CEO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen; Gabe Lyons, founder of Q; Bryant Ambelang, CEO, NatureSweet Tomatoes; Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales and founder of Big Idea Productions; and Bill Pollard, former CEO, ServiceMaster. (www.workasworshipconference. org/team) Priceless. The late novelist Kurt Vonnegut attended a billionaire’s party with fellow writer Joseph Heller. “Joe,” he asked his friend, “how does it make you feel to know that our host only yesterday may have made more money than your novel Catch 22 has earned in its entire history?” Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.” Vonnegut responded, “What on earth could that be, Joe?” Heller answered, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.” (Corporate Knights) Second-mile sandwich. “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile” (Matt. 5:41). How might this be fleshed out in the workplace? Could it apply to outstanding customer service? Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A, sees it as part of the fast food chain’s philosophy of “providing a $25 experience to patrons paying $6 for a meal.” — WK
In this issue
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Empowering women
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Building businesses amid conflict
Fast Company, a leading business magazine, takes a look at how MEDA is helping resourceful women entrepreneurs in Libya survive their country’s ongoing strife. By Ainsley O’Connell
Taking Sarona’s message to the United Nations. Page 12
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Roadside stand Soul enterprise Soundbites News
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Editor: Wally Kroeker Design: Ray Dirks
A capital way to change the world
Sarona has long embraced the value of strategic investment to strengthen small to mid-market companies. Now global businesses are catching on to an exciting new role they can play.
Volume 46, Issue 5 September October 2016 The Marketplace (ISSN 321-330) is published bi-monthly by Mennonite Economic Development Associates at 532 North Oliver Road, Newton, KS 67114. Periodicals postage paid at Newton, KS 67114. Lithographed in U.S.A. Copyright 2016 by MEDA.
“Keyhole gardens” open doors
In Ghana, an innovative MEDA project is bringing nutrition close to home for rural women who used to spend a day each week traveling to the market to buy vegetables. By Stephanie Burgess
Departments 22 24 20 22
Gender equality is smart economics. Experts say the best business plan for eradicating poverty is to tear down the barriers that continue to keep women from fully participating in market systems.
Change of address should be sent to Mennonite Economic Development Associates, 1891 Santa Barbara Dr., Ste. 201, Lancaster, PA 17601-4106.
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Learning to go potty
After decades of floating around with not much to do, the iconic rubber duck has found a new calling with multiple social benefits. Among them — help make potty training fun for children.
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Published by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), whose dual thrust is to encourage a Christian witness in business and to operate business-oriented programs of assistance to the poor. For more information about MEDA call 1-800-665-7026. Web site www.meda.org
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The Marketplace September October 2016
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3. Send people off into new jobs just as you would send a missionary into the field. 4. Organize book studies on the topic as part of your adult education or small group discussions. 5. Tell your congregation about The High Calling site. 6. Visit your parishioners at their workplace. 7. Start a faith-at-work library and resource center. 8. Set up a career counseling center. 9. Take a business class or two. 10. Publicly celebrate your members’ new jobs, promotions, or professional accomplishments. — The High Calling, online publication of the Theology of Work Project
What’s a pastor to do? If you’re a member of a church, you have expectations for your pastor. You probably expect a decent sermon on Sunday morning. You want your pastor to be a caring person, to be available if you’re going through a hard time. You expect your pastor to baptize your children or perform memorial services for your parents. You may believe that your pastor should be an effective leader of your church. Such expectations are common, and they are not necessarily wrong. But they easily reflect and nurture an assumption that pastors are the real ministers and that church members are those who receive ministry. According to Ephesians 4:11 ... the primary task of pastors is to equip God’s people for their work of ministry. To make it more personal, the primary task of your pastor is to equip you for your ministry. Or, it might be better to say that your pastor’s job is to equip you to live your whole life as ministry. Most church members do not expect their pastors to equip them for ministry. Our expectations have been shaped by centuries of church life that has exalted ordained ministry as “the ministry” and minimized the calling of all Christians to be ministers of Christ. Yet, in the last 60 years, Christians have been rediscovering the biblical truth that all of God’s people are ministers, and that pastors have the primary responsibility of training and encouraging the true ministers for their true ministry. Here are 10 tips to help a pastor get started: 1. Publicly acknowledge the spiritual value of work from the pulpit. 2. Offer sermons on work-related issues on a regular basis, using examples from real-life job situations.
The Marketplace September October 2016
Another secret hero Our May/June article “The secret life of business heroes,” evoked vivid memories of his late father for one Marketplace reader who wishes to remain anonymous. “In the early 1960s his agricultural/automotive business went bankrupt. At the age of 50 he started up another business, with support from a local credit union, who trusted him regardless. Even though bankruptcy laws allowed him to move on without paying all the creditors that were left hanging with his debt, he vowed to pay them all back, including the company that took him to bankruptcy court. “Over the next 25 years or so, he would collect profits, and pay out each one of those creditors one at a time, till he paid off the biggest one, the one who took him to court. “I have always admired him for that, and it continuously reminds me, regardless of the laws of the land, you need to deal with people, issues, conditions according to what God is teaching us, not what the world teaches by certain laws.”
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Nastco iStockPhoto
Get along ... and please your boss
Having a tense time with coworkers? It can ruin your day (and that of your boss, who also has a stake in how staff get along). Caleb Crider, an employee at Christian Light Publications and author of the forthcoming book, Getting Along at Work, tackles this in his blog (www.gettingalongatwork.com). Following is a condensed entry on why your boss wants you to work well with others. 1. Conflict lowers morale. Employers and managers want their people to have high morale. It will cost your boss time and energy to try to raise morale against the depressing weight of relationship problems that breed cynicism, negativity, and personal attacks. 2. Conflict hurts productivity. One study reported that dealing with conflict soaks up almost three hours of an employee’s time each week. It’s hard to focus on getting the job done when we are stewing over the latest development in a relationship struggle. Our productivity suffers because we are distracted or distraught. 3. Conflict increases turnover. In a 2014 Conference Board report, 61% of respondents attributed their job satisfaction to “people at work.” The other side of this is that people often don’t leave their jobs — they leave the people at the job. Job satisfaction goes down in a hostile environment. Higher worker turnover means the boss has to hire and train more people, which is expensive and time-consuming. 4. Conflict increases the boss’s workload. The little flare-up between you and a coworker might be stressing the boss out as much as it stresses you. The boss will have less time to spend on more im-
portant priorities if he or she has to spend time making peace between offended coworkers. 5. Conflict can impact customers. Have you ever walked into a fast food restaurant and sensed tension between the workers behind the counter? People can pick up when there is something going on behind the scenes. When it spills out into the open the company’s reputation suffers. Unhealthy attitudes in a company end up impacting sales, too. 6. Conflict hurts problem-solving and creativity. A cohesive team with a high level of trust can brainstorm ideas and come up with creative solutions. They can be upfront about pointing out potential problems with others’ ideas. But when coworkers don’t trust each other, they’ll be more likely to bottle up their thoughts and hesitate to share out-of-the box ideas. Employees who trust each other and create an environment where ideas can be offered (and shot down) without hurting feelings are an asset to any company. Next week, increase the odds that your boss will have a good day. Cooperate well with your coworkers and work to resolve conflicts peaceably without problems escalating to the boss’s level. — Caleb Crider
Overheard:
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“A career can be called a success if one can look back and say: ‘I made a difference’.” — Legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite in his memoir, A Reporter’s Life The Marketplace September October 2016
Carl Hiebert photo
The Marketplace September October 2016
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Empowering women Gender equality is smart economics. A lot of people still need to catch on.
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Ray Dirks photo
oybeans in Ghana, vitamin-fortified cooking oil in Tanzania, gardens in Myanmar. These are just some of MEDA’s many projects with the common denominator of women’s empowerment. For MEDA, this focus is not only a matter of human rights, but also effective economic development. Quite simply, gender equality is smart economics, yet around the world women are blocked from fully participating in market systems. Women-headed households still make up the poorest strata of society in most developing countries. Their potential to build the economic sustainability of their families and communities is held back by barriers that, with effort, can be overcome. For years MEDA’s menu of programs has created space for women to become respected and valued participants in the market systems. MEDA’s projects help women rise above the social and cultural barriers that stand in the way of business success and improved livelihoods. Among its strategies: • on-the-ground gender assessments prior to starting a project; • gender inclusive value chain approaches; • stimulating women’s entrepreneurship and growth of small to mid-market enterprises; • developing market support services for women; • fostering inclusion and new roles for women in market systems; • building farmers’ capacity through lead farmer extension models. World Bank data show that given some education and decent healthcare, a young woman will marry later and have fewer (and healthier) children. That’s often enough to turn the economy of a village around. “As an adult,” write Bill and Melinda Gates, “she’ll earn more money. If she has children, they will be twice as likely to live past the age of five. Her daughters will be twice as likely to go to school themselves.” According to Roger L. Martin and Sally R. Osberg in Getting Beyond Better: How social entrepreneurship works, “if 10 percent more girls attend school, a country’s GDP increases by an average of three percent. Each extra year of a mother’s schooling cuts infant mortality by between five and 10 percent.” These themes will get in-depth treatment at the upcoming MEDA convention, Oct. 27-30 in San Antonio, Texas (see page 22). Opening night keynoter Sally Armstrong says the best business plan in the world for eradicating poverty and cutting conflict is the empowerment of women. She quotes The Economist, “Forget China, India and the Internet: economic growth is driven by women.” “From Nairobi and New York to Cairo and Kabul women are propelling changes so immense they will affect intractable files such as poverty, conflict and violence,” says Armstrong, a former member of the International Women’s Commission at the United Nations. “What’s more, the power brokers are listening. This new panacea is based on the notion that the world can no longer afford to oppress half of its population.” The following two articles illustrate MEDA’s methodology at work in Libya and Tanzania. ◆ 7
The Marketplace September October 2016
Building businesses amid conflict Fast Company magazine takes a look at Libya’s savvy women entrepreneurs by Ainsley O’Connell
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elcome to Libya, where life goes on amid political and economic turmoil. “You might be standing on your balcony enjoying the view and — bam! — hear this explosion, but it’s not always like that,” says entrepreneur Amal Delawi, a cancer survivor and working mom who lives in Tripoli. Following the 2011 revolution, which toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, and her cancer treatment, which required travel to Egypt, she was broke and unemployed. “I had to go back to becoming an independent again,” she says. Her solution was a confectionary business dubbed Tamara that puts a modern twist on traditional Libyan candies. In a city beset by conflict, constant blackouts and currency fluctuations, customers have found comfort and delight in Delawi’s artfully rendered treats. Her signature: dates stuffed with Nutella and covered with dark chocolate. “Generally I’m a very optimistic person, but to be honest, being optimistic right now is a waste of time,” Delawi says. “I have big dreams, but I just go day by day.” Delawi is part of a community of women entrepreneurs that a Canadian nonprofit organization called MEDA has been equipping with business know-how through workshops and networking events over the last four years. Early on, MEDA’s The Marketplace September October 2016
When the men left, the women stepped in to learn accounting and marketing.
programs took place in person and in major cities, drawing women with both early ideas and operational businesses. One ran a private elementary school; another aspired to launch a recycling facility. But given the ongoing security concerns associated with travel between regions, MEDA is now piloting an online program in collaboration with education technology company D2L that’s designed to reach to women in rural areas. “There’s definitely a need for this,” says Adam Bramm, who oversees MEDA’s operations in North Africa and the Middle East. “Due to some of the violence and conflict that has been going on, a lot of the men have left. The women are starting to set up and fill in the gaps.” 8
By fall, MEDA hopes to have 300 women complete modules in the beta version of the online course, which includes lessons on accounting, marketing and other business topics. If MEDA is able to secure additional funding, Bramm plans to expand and scale the program in Libya and beyond. Ontario-based technology partner D2L is best known for its online platform Brightspace, an adaptive learning solution and curriculum repository. (Brightspace’s data-driven techniques earned it a spot on Fast Company’s list of the most innovative companies in data science this year.) “Being able to move sessions online and provide a high-quality experience I hope will help thousands of women,” says D2L CEO John Baker.
End-of-course festivities are fun, but now the real work begins in earnest.
His instructional designers and developers have been working with MEDA to adapt lessons for mobile and to think creatively about ways for participants to build meaningful relationships. “The community was really a big part of what was happening in Libya before,” he adds. The project presented D2L with a number of design challenges. Some were specific to the cultural environment, such as the need to display content in Arabic, which reads from right to left. Others, such as providing users with ways to engage with content during network outages, spoke to current infrastructure limitations. Intissar Rajabany, MEDA’s project manager for Libya, has been helping her instructors and entrepreneurs navigate the country’s unreliable communications networks and roads. To run a leadership training workshop in Gadamis — a city near where Algeria, Libya and Tunisia meet — she needed to find an instructor willing to make the arduous journey from Tripoli by car with her father as her chaperone. What would have once been a short flight is now a daylong drive with dozens of security checkpoints and long stretches of desert without cell phone reception. Twenty women attended, most of whom
were in their thirties and forties. “For many women in Libya it’s a late start; they don’t have the same opportunities that we do in other countries for getting skills up to speed,” Rajabany says. “They want to do something and better their
What was once a short flight is now a day’s drive with many security checkpoints and tedious stretches of desert. lives, and they don’t want to be dependent on a man or a government salary that may not come through.” Former public-sector employee Entisar Attya attended a MEDA intensive program in Tripoli last January. She had experience managing distribution for a pharmaceutical company, and she saw an opportunity to work for herself distributing Argan oil to pharmacies and beauty stores. The product was a hit, but now 9
she’s stuck: Because of inflation, her wholesale partner has stopped sending shipments to Libya. “I’m trying to find an alternative product,” Attya says through a translator. “I’m looking forward to all this being resolved so we can have a brighter future.” In the meantime, Rajabany says, “Life goes on.” Battles are sometimes under way, but there are still birthdays, weddings and funerals to attend. Indeed, another MEDA participant has found success launching an event planning company called Velvet that provides brides and expectant parents with stylish invitations and decor – a reminder that Libya has historically had the highest GDP per capita in Africa, thanks to its oil wealth, and consumer tastes to match. The changes, Rajabany observes, are in the details. “Before 2011, I would go to a wedding party, and coming home at 3 a.m. on my own would be normal — from another city, not just inside Tripoli,” she says. “Now I come home before dark.” During a civil war, business as usual can happen by day, but after sundown there are no guarantees. ◆ Used with permission of FastCompany.com Copyright© 2016. All rights reserved.
The Marketplace September October 2016
“Keyhole gardens” open door to nutrition Innovative Ghana project brings veggies close to home by Stephanie Burgess
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ardeners across North America have been reaping the fruits of their labors in the form of fresh greens, lush strawberries, fragrant herbs and other fruits and vegetables from backyard gardens. In northwestern Ghana women are having similar success growing nutritious vegetables thanks to a pilot project implemented by MEDA. Families now have access to fresh vegetables even during the region’s six-month dry season because of the establishment of “keyhole gardens.” The concept of a keyhole garden is simple, and when looking at one of these gardens from a bird’s eye view it’s easy to see where the name is derived. Each garden includes a central compost basket in the middle of a circular raised structure, essentially forming a keyhole shape. Thanks to its design, a keyhole garden conserves water and retains nutrients better than regular ground gardens. The raised compost in the center allows nutrients to seep out to the sides, and the resulting improved soil conditions can yield higher quality crops, often in greater quantities. Keyhole gardens are the standout success from MEDA’s pilot project WISP (Water catchment, Irrigation and Storage Pilot) which was in effect from November 2014 to April 2015. Some women were already maintaining a garden near their home, but without regular access to water during the dry season they were unable to grow good quality produce throughout this time of the year. Many women would The Marketplace September October 2016
spend a full day each week traveling to the market to buy vegetables, while others did not have sufficient income to even purchase vegetables during parts of the dry season. Devon Krainer, a MEDA program manager in evaluation, explains that the initial vision of the pilot was to support women to improve food security for their family by focusing on better access to water, through water saving, collection and irrigation. Ferro-cement tanks, essentially large cement holding tanks to catch and then save rainwater, were constructed in three communities and proved highly successful in collecting and storing water. Though effective, they were ultimately too expensive for the families and therefore not viable for ongoing use or commercialization.
Earlier, many women would spend a full day each week traveling to the market to buy produce. Keyhole gardens, on the other hand, were the unexpected success of the project as they were highly cost effective and yielded numerous positive results. “We first thought that access to water was the problem we were addressing,” says Krainer, 10
“and keyhole gardens don’t directly increase women’s access to water. In a pilot project you have the expectation that some of your activities are going to fail. In this case it was unexpected that the gardens could be so successful without creating an additional water source for the keyhole garden during the dry season.” An evaluation of the pilot project completed by Krainer in February 2015 found that keyhole gardens use 16% less water and yield 6% more vegetables than conventional gardens during the dry season. Krainer explains further, “The point is that the actual structure and design is very effective at saving water, and what the gardens save in water and what they yield in veggies compared to conventional ground gardens is amazing, not to mention that women also said vegetables were greener, more lush, and things grew better in general.”
The pilot project originally
involved eight women who were identified and chosen using several local partners. Four women also jumped on board within the same growing season, having seen the initial success that their neighbors were having with their gardens. When the dry season arrived, the women with keyhole gardens had access to fresh vegetables right outside their door, as opposed to journeying 2-3 hours to the market. One evaluator also found improved dietary diversity in the women’s diet which they believed was due to the keyhole gardens. In addition, Krainer says 91% of the women sold a portion
A woman proudly displays the keyhole garden she asked the community to help her build. Now she can supply her family with healthy vegetables into the dry season.
of the vegetables, earning additional income. Krainer describes being in the midst of an interview with a participant which was suddenly interrupted by a local child asking to buy vegetables. The boy had been given money by his elementary school to buy vegetables to be used in the school lunch that day. The opportunity given to one woman had evolved into positive change in her wider community, with the school sourcing ingredients from her local garden to provide the school children with nutritious, fresh food. Besides these results there were a number of other unintended effects experienced by the women involved. Several said the gardens had enhanced their role within the community. “My husband began inviting me to important meetings, increasing my status in the community,” said one 30-year-old participant. When questioned on the changes the women had experienced as a result of the garden, 58% also reported increased marital harmony. “Women would say that their household had more cohesion, that they experienced a better relationship with their hus-
band,” says Krainer. “Food is essential to our happiness so if you’re getting a meal that tastes good, and nutrients to nourish your mind, it’s not surprising that we’ve heard improvements in family relationships.”
Although this particular
pilot came to an end in April 2015, MEDA’s Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) was very excited about the results and has decided to continue promoting the use of keyhole gardens. GROW, a six-year food security project funded by the Canadian government, is now using keyhole gardens as one of the dry season income-generating activities for its female farmers who are already involved with soybean production. MEDA and its local partners now provide ongoing technical advice and instructions for women who want to start their own garden. Since the start of the pilot, 308 keyhole gardens have been built in what Krainer deems a “keyhole garden explosion” that will likely continue as more women see the benefits of the gardens. As a young keyhole gardener says, “I felt 11
very happy with what I saw with the other women’s keyhole gardens. At first, I was buying vegetables from these women, but soon I wanted to grow and sell my own vegetables.” “Sometimes as development practitioners we get caught up in testing complex technologies to address complex problems,” says Krainer. “But something as simple and cost effective as a keyhole garden made a lot of sense to the local population and that’s why we’ve seen so much local uptake.” Thanks to the implementation of keyhole gardens, 100% of participating households had access to vegetables and many women also generated income from vegetable sales. Contributions from MEDA’s private donors were an integral part of the success of this project, and the resulting transformation in the lives of the women and communities involved. ◆ Stephanie Burgess is a graduate of the International Development program at the University of Guelph and currently works for International Teams Canada. She has visited MEDA’s programs in Tanzania and Nicaragua. She also spent several years of her childhood living in Nicaragua along with her family.
The Marketplace September October 2016
A capital way to change the world Global businesses are catching on that they have a role to play in caring for people and the environment
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erhard Pries didn’t know when he stumbled into MEDA 23 years ago that he would become part of a revolution. He knew he was joining an organization that was often on the cutting edge of poverty alleviation, and he knew that many achievements went unheralded because of “Mennonite modesty.” But he couldn’t have predicted that MEDA’s “business solutions to poverty” would one day be recognized as the preferred model of economic development. And he certainly didn’t expect that someday this work would take him to the highest reaches of global leadership (see following article). Yet, a revolution was nonetheless brewing in the battle against poverty. And it had less to do with aid and development than it did with business and investment, done right. Coming from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Pries was perhaps perfectly suited for this. At MEDA, he became involved with the organization’s investment arm, which a few years ago spun off into a separate (but still related) company called Sarona Asset Management. The task was to invest growth capital in private equity and private debt funds and companies in Frontier and Emerging Markets to make a difference. The focus went way beyond conventional development thinking of the time. Many organizations The Marketplace September October 2016
had long focused on the “poorest of the poor” or the “poorest of the economically active,” but MEDA had its roots in the small to midmarket companies that meet the growing needs of the rising middle class. As Sarona evolved, it saw its mandate as bringing private capital to bear in redressing world need. It found, to the surprise of many on Wall Street and Bay Street, that strategic investment could achieve superior returns by creating world class companies, employing highly progressive business strategies and operating to the highest standards of business, ethical, social and environmental excellence.
says Pries. “Today we feel both chastised for having been sceptical and humbled by what the world can do when it sets its mind to it.” By the end of 2015 the United Nations reported astounding progress. For example, extreme poverty had been cut in half; primary school enrolment had reached 91% in southern Asia; and more girls than boys were enrolled in education. World Bank figures showed that, for the first time in human history, less than 10% of the global population was living in extreme poverty. And inequality — the gap between rich and poor — had plummeted both globally and within many developing countries. Highly gratifying to the folks Meanwhile, global attitudes at Sarona, the most relevant were coalescing. In 2000 the contributing factor to this success nations of the world agreed on eight was the rapid economic growth in Millennium Development Goals Frontier and Emerging Markets, (MDGs) to focus the which produced work of governments jobs and enhanced and NGOs to, among the livelihoods of other things, alleviate countless millions. poverty, solve health Last September, crises, promote the nations of the world united gender equity and empower women, and again on 17 ensure environmental new Sustainable sustainability — all Development Goals within 15 years. (SDGs) for the next “Like many others, 15 years. Among Sarona viewed these them: eradicate ambitious goals with poverty and hunger; scepticism even though promote good health we were already and well-being; Sarona CEO Gerhard Pries: clean water, clean working towards them,” Witness to a revolution 12
energy and climate action; gender equality; decent jobs. Most of these fit neatly into the strategy Sarona was already employing.
Surprising to Pries has been how the SDGs have galvanized the attention of both the public sector and the business community. “The
Metrics of impact
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arona measures its impact by the following categories: Creating jobs and improving job quality: Sarona sees employment as an important mechanism to alleviate poverty. Fair pay and benefits, access to training and high quality health and safety standards all contribute to a sustainable and rewarding working environment. In 2015, the companies in Sarona’s portfolio reported a 6% increase in the number of jobs resulting in 86,145 full-time positions at 146 firms. The number of net jobs created was 4,558 or 31 jobs per company. Companies are encouraged to provide high quality benefit packages including health insurance, parental leave and disability coverage, and to invest in training and upgrading their employees’ skills. Such training and better working conditions result in improved work safety; last year, the number of occupational injuries fell by 19% at these companies. Empowering women: Rapid economic growth in Frontier and Emerging Markets has increased opportunities for women in business, though wage inequality and social pressures persist. According to the World Bank, women represent 37% of the workforce in middle-income countries and, increasingly, outnumber men in higher education. This growing talent pool presents unique opportunities for business and development. In 2015, the proportion of women on the boards of Sarona’s companies was 11% compared to 14.2% in S&P 500 companies. Clearly, there’s more work to be done. Reducing environmental footprint: Sustainable environmental and social values help shape the way businesses operate more effectively and
profitably. Among Sarona companies, 53% have policy statements documenting their commitment to the environment — a 20% increase since 2014. More than three quarters of reporting companies said pollution prevention and waste management were key environmental objectives — also up 20% since 2014. Companies also identified a 1,066 megawatts of clean energy generation capacity, satisfying the electricity needs of more than 4.4 million people a year. Improving governance: Investors are increasingly aware that good corporate governance and ethical behavior can lead to better financial performance and lower business risk. In 2015, 100% of Sarona’s companies believed they were in full compliance with local labor, tax and environmental regulations. In addition, 91% produced audited financial statements, providing greater transparency to shareholders. Good governance affects local and national finances. In 2015, companies in Sarona’s portfolio contributed $140 million in corporate tax payments — an average of $1.5 million per company, up 10% from the previous year. Building sustainable communities: Sarona’s definition of a successful company does not stop at the bottom line. Communities, which provide workers, clients and support to companies are important stakeholders. In 2015, Sarona’s companies
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international business community has recognized and accepted its responsibility to care for people and the environment. And increasingly Photo by iStock Riccardo Lennart Niels Mayer
served over 45.7 million clients, up from 36 million in 2014. Some 13.2 million people gained access to improved goods and services; 11.4 million people benefited from improved food security; nine million consumers gained access to life enhancing and life saving drugs; 5.9 million individuals and SMEs gained improved access to financial services; 4.4 million people accessed clean energy for their homes; one million patients were able to obtain basic and advanced healthcare services; 576,000 students benefited from high quality private education; and 165,000 homeowners found easier routes to ownership through services offered by Sarona’s portfolio companies. Companies also contribute to improved financial condition of suppliers, staff and local governments. Almost 46,000 suppliers, including nearly 31,000 smallholder farmers, sold to Sarona’s companies. These companies paid an average of $6.5 million per company in wages. More and more portfolio companies now articulate an intention to enhance community development, capacity building, access to water, energy and education. ◆
The Marketplace September October 2016
businesses in both developed and developing countries will be held to account for their contribution to the SDGs,” he says of the new spirit of collaboration and accountability. “It is now a swelling tide where all businesses will be expected to do their part.” While he can be encouraged that the world is catching on to the mindset of Sarona and MEDA, he sees plenty of work ahead. Development experts estimate that these new goals will require an investment of $40 trillion by 2030. Governments realize they cannot close the gap without the support of the business sector. Pries agrees. “Without collaboration between the private and the public sectors, we have no hope of achieving this target.” Fortunately, this kind of talk is right up Sarona’s alley. For one thing, it gets right to one of Sarona’s sweet spots, namely blended finance. That is a new term used to define the willingness
of public and private investors to blend their different risk and return preferences, wherein the resources of the public sector (such as the Canadian or U.S. governments) catalyze the private sector to invest where it otherwise would not. “Our own Sarona Frontier Markets Fund 2 has been widely recognized as a particularly successful example,” says Pries. “With a $15 million equity guarantee from the Canadian government, and a $50 million credit enhancement from the U.S. Government-owned Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the fund raised $150 million of equity and debt, driving private capital into mid-market companies in a careful interplay of finance and values, including environmental, social and governance considerations.” Since 2010, Sarona has deployed nearly $180 million of private equity and private debt into local funds and companies alongside national
and international investors. Sarona’s assets under management have grown considerably over the last three years, but the demand for growth capital is outstripping supply. It now aims to deploy $1 billion by 2020 for this purpose. OPIC’s recent approval should help; in June it committed an additional $100 million of financing for Sarona’s funds. Beyond the direct impact of its investments, Sarona wants to be a catalyst for change in Frontier and Emerging Markets. “We are a bridge between private capital and entrepreneurs in high-growth markets and, at the same time, a social actor able to exert positive change,” says Pries. Sarona believes that applying ethical, social and environmental values to each investment decision builds a better world. “Not only that,” adds Pries, “we believe that such values help generate strong financial returns. It is, in fact, part of our plan to change the world.” ◆
A handshake with promise What he told the United Nations In early June Gerhard Pries was invited by the president and the secretary general of the United Nations to speak to a UN Heads of State reception on the topic of blended finance. Here is the text of what he said:
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oogle shocked the technology world a few months ago, when its Artificial Intelligence computer beat the world master in the game of Go. Google achieved that feat several years earlier than most IT gurus had anticipated. Amazing. Stand still for just a minute, and the world has passed you by. • What if one could connect AI computing to the visual imaging used in the quality control processes of auto manufacturing? Actually, The Marketplace September October 2016
that’s been done. • What if one could nano-scale that visual imaging and apply it to micro-biology? Yup, that’s been done too. • What if one could apply that nano-scale imaging, connected to AI computing, and apply it to Ebola diagnostics? And HIV diagnostics? And Zika virus diagnostics? And, and, and . . .? Well, that hasn’t been done, but it’s not far off. Sightline Innovation Inc., a small Canadian company, is about to break open the world of bio-diagnostic testing. Using the same technology that it has installed in the automobile manufacturing sector, this small company, together with Canada’s National Micro-Biology Lab, is delivering a bio-diagnostic solution that is 14
fast, accurate and low cost. With every cheek-swabbed saliva image the company’s AI computer looks at, it learns to recognize more accurately what HIV looks like, and whether it is strain A, B or C. And, in the seconds it takes for the computer to make that diagnosis, it also checks for Ebola, Zika, influenza, and myriad other ills. And with that, technology once again leap-frogs our built infrastructure to the benefit of humanity. These new technologies hold great hope for quick and inexpensive diagnostics across developing countries, but for one problem . . . who will pay for it? Sightline Innovation, that small Canadian company, is wholly funded by venture capital. Those investors may all have caring hearts,
Who will pay? Among the many things we learned from the 15-year Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), two stand out: (1) economic growth, fuelled by private investment, was critical to the MDG’s success, and (2) neither the public sector, nor civil society, nor the private sector stand a chance of creating a better world on their own. Without partnerships, we have no hope of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) either. It is clear that the $40 trillion needed to achieve the SDGs will require the attention of the public, non-profit and private sectors. Is it doable? The UN meetings in Addis Ababa last year were, for me, a watershed moment. Even a scant few years ago, we would not have heard, with any degree of clarity, the statements of acknowledgment and embrace from formerly opposing sides. 1. Public sector: “We now recognize that business is not the problem to development; rather, business is an integral part of the solution.” And at a hotel across the street from the UN assembly, under the auspices of the World Economic Forum: 2. Private sector: “We recognize and accept our responsibility not only to shareholders, but also to people, community and environment.” And therein lies the basis of partnership; therein lies our hope. I don’t want to be maudlin, but when the left begins to move right,
Finally — tangible
Blended Finance is a publicprivate partnership, wherein the resources of the public sector catalyze the private sector to do that which it otherwise wouldn’t do. For example, three years ago, the Government of Canada provided a $15 million risk guarantee to our Sarona Frontier Markets Fund. In quick order, the fund ballooned to 10 times this value, driving private capital into mid-market companies in a careful dance of values and investment. The Canadian government will get its money back, and the private capital will continue to build up companies and communities in frontier and emerging markets. If you acknowledge and support the private sector’s need for financial return, we will equally accept our responsibility to care. I invite you to hold our feet to the fire, to demand transparency and to target social and
evidence that the public and private sectors can work together and the right begins to move left, we have the opportunity of a true partnership. But can we muster the courage to forge new paths? Are we willing to take risks to pursue new models of development, new models of partnership? Will the private sector be there? I don’t represent the whole of the private sector, but increasingly, I can say that we care. Our own firm — Sarona Asset Management — invests in private companies across Africa, Asia and Latin America. We target strong financial returns for our investors, and positive ethical, social and environmental outcomes wherever we invest. Those two factors — finances and values — used to stand far apart. Twenty years ago, our firm was a strangeling in the business community. Today, it is not only understood and accepted, but sought after. In a recent study, PricewaterhouseCoopers reports that SDG awareness in the business community is 92% compared to only 33% in the general population. So yes, the private sector will be there. If we can partner with you, we will bring our technologies, our innovation, our capital, and our caring. But will the public sector be there? As public sector leaders, and guardians of society, you have the power to catalyze not billions, but trillions of dollars of private investment to make this world a better place. I recognize that the public sector works with scarce resources, and must therefore achieve the biggest bang for its buck. And to my mind, that is, without hesitation, Blended Finance. 15
Photo by iStock/xtrekx
but are they prepared to develop technology with little prospect of revenue as it is rolled out across Africa? Therein lies the crux of the problem that the UN Financing-for-Development conference in Addis Ababa was meant to address last year. New technologies and new health delivery models offer unprecedented opportunity for major strides in healthcare — they’re faster, they’re cheaper, they’re more accurate — yet the financing of those solutions remains unclear.
environmental goals. Ask us how we are contributing to the SDGs. We know that healthy societies lead to healthier economies and, ultimately, to achievement of the SDGs. That requires the work of all economic actors — public and private. But unless we have the courage to reach across the divide that separates us, we will never achieve these very ambitious global goals. The world is changing quickly. And the handshake between the private and public sectors holds much promise to advance the human condition, and healthcare in particular. Let’s work at it together. ◆ The Marketplace September October 2016
Learning to, uh, go potty Lowly rubber duck finds a new calling — with multiple social benefits
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fter more than 50 years of floating around in bathtubs with not much to do, the iconic rubber duck finally has a mission — help prepare small children for potty training. A new social enterprise has redesigned the yellow rubber duck as a squirt toy with a toy toilet that attaches to a bathtub wall with suction cups. Designed for children ages one to three, Potty Duck aims to make potty training fun. Children squeeze the duck to make it pee in the toy toilet. By playing with the toy in a sink, bath or small tub, children learn what a toilet is for and where pee belongs before they ever sit on the
Pediatrician Shelly Mann: Learning through play The Marketplace September October 2016
real thing. It teaches children what to do and expect at potty time. Potty Duck was created by two people who believe that children learn best through play and discovery. Dr. Shelly Mann is a pediatrician with 20 years of experience helping families with potty training boys and girls. Fred Longenecker is a part-time inventor, stay-at-home Dad, and long-time Montessori parent. “We got the idea when my twoyear-old daughter was taking a bath,” says Longenecker. “She picked up a bathtub squirt toy and squeezed it to send water shooting from its mouth. I noticed a few drops of water leaked from a second, smaller hole on the 16
More than a splashy toy, this duck cares about the environment and global sanitation. bottom of the toy. I made the hole a bit bigger, and that night we had a lot of fun making the squirt toy pee. A few days later, our daughter stood up and said, ‘I want to go like [the squirt toy].’ We hurried off to the bathroom for one of her first successes!” By adding fun to the learning process the product reduces stress.
“A well-prepared child catches on more easily,” says Mann. “Kids quickly see that pee belongs in a toilet, so they know what is expected when they sit on a real toilet.” One parent wrote, “Before Potty Duck, our two-year-old wasn’t interested in potty training. Potty Duck captured his imagination and made it fun!” Longenecker also sees an environmental benefit, noting that diapers are one of the top three landfill items. Studies show that: • A baby undergoes Fred Longenecker: Part-time inventor, full-time Dad 5,000 to 8,000 diaper changes before completing potty use disposable diapers; training; • In 2012 landfills received 3.6 • 95 percent of American babies million tons of disposable diapers;
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• Each year 250,000 trees are used to make diapers. “Cutting back on diapers is a great way for families to reduce their footprint,” he says. Potty Duck has other layers of impact. A tenth of the proceeds go to organizations that build toilets and improve sanitation for children around the world (eg., Honduras). “For these children and many others, access to toilets and clean water go hand-in-hand,” says Longenecker. “Clean restrooms help to reduce the spread of disease.” Packaging is handled by a northern Indiana company that employs people with disabilities, so each purchase “helps to create an enjoyable place for people to work.” The Potty Duck Set ($19.95 for duck and toilet) meets or exceeds all requirements for children’s toys in the U.S. and Canada and is BPA-free and phthalate-free. For more, go to www.PottyDuck.com. ◆
The Marketplace September October 2016
The happy co-worker Do people like working with you? Can you work with others to get things done efficiently? How do you contribute to the “quality of life” in your department? Your answers to the questions below may give you some clue as to how effective you are in working with others. And they may help you improve your relationships with your fellow employees. If your answer is “always,” give yourself three points for that question. If your answer is “usually,” give yourself two points. If your answer is “occasionally” or “sometimes,” give yourself one point. If your answer is “rarely” or “never,” give yourself zero points.
1. I am ready and willing to share information, supplies and equipment with others.
3210
2. I offer ideas and advice without appearing dominating or controlling.
3210
3. I compliment my co-workers on their work and accomplishments.
3210
4. When I feel I must criticize, I do so in private.
3210
5. I remain even-tempered, even in frustrating situations.
3210
6. People trust me. 3 2 1 0 7. I’m honest, fair and consistent in my actions and my comments.
3210
8. When I speak about the boss, I speak about his/her actions, not personality.
3210
9. I look for ways to make the workplace more harmonious.
3210
10. I accept new employees and try to make them feel at home.
3210
11. Although I am efficient, I make others feel welcome when they stop to chat.
3210
12. Whenever I see the opportunity, I do simple favors for co-workers.
3210
13. I’m interested in the needs of co-workers without appearing to interfere in their lives.
3210
14. Even when I dislike an individual, I remain cordial.
3210
15. I’m willing to help co-workers do a better job and look good without taking credit for my help. 3 2 1 0 16. I express gratitude to others when they help me.
3210
17. When somebody wants to express an opinion, I’m a good listener.
3210
18. I make a sincere effort to understand, and follow, workplace policies.
3210
Now, add up your score If your total is between 46 and 54, people probably enjoy working with you, and you can almost certainly give a few pointers about workplace relationships to others. If your total score is between 37 and 45, brush up on your people skills whenever you can, and you’ll improve your already-effective workplace relationships. If your score is between 27 and 36, watch how your co-workers manage their relationships with others and learn from them. If your score is below 27, don’t despair. People skills can be learned with practice. Review the low-scoring questions and concentrate on raising those numbers.
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If you build it....
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od’s people have always been builders. Scripture mentions or implies hundreds of occupations (many of them construction-related), suggesting the importance of daily work in the Bible. Accountant. Scripture doesn’t mention accountants directly, but it does cite their principles and methods. Wherever a census or an inventory of assets or offerings is recorded (Ex. 30:11-15; 2 Sam. 24; Ezra 2; Neh. 7) accountants were probably involved. Architect. Biblical references to the tabernacle, temple, palaces and fortifications attest to the need for architects. Walled cities required architects (see Nehemiah). God is described as the preeminent architect, the “builder” and “maker” of the heavenly city (Heb. 11:10). Banker. Okay, bankers aren’t really builders, but not much gets built without them. They weren’t part of the Jewish culture until the Babylonian captivity, but by Roman times they were common among the Jews (Matt. 25:27; Luke 19:23). Bricklayer. Bricklaying goes back to the construction of a tower at Babel (Gen. 11:3) and the Egyptian captivity, when Hebrew slaves were forced to make bricks without straw (Ex. 1:14). There are also numerous references to masons and stonecutters (1 Kings 5:17-18). Builder. The first building project mentioned in Scripture is the walled dwelling that Cain constructed to protect himself (Gen. 4:17). Hebrew slaves built storage cities for the pharaoh (Ex.1:11). Their descendants built walled cities, houses, palaces and the temple. Nehemiah served as a general contractor to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Carpenter. Carpenters worked with wood, metal and stone to build things (2 Sam. 5:11). Scripture mentions hand tools such as the ax, hammer, saw and plumb line. City clerk. Perhaps not a builder, but who issued building permits in biblical times? City clerks, like the one mentioned in Acts 19:35, kept records and handled administrative details. Forester. Loggers were said to be conservationists who practiced reforestation (Is. 44:14). Asaph was the keeper of the king’s forest (Neh. 2:8). Highway contractor. Roads (Luke 14:23) and highways (Num. 20:17) are mentioned frequently in Scripture, though the people who build them are not. The work of the contractor is evoked in the famous call to “make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Is. 40:3). Laborer. Laborers could be field hands (Matt. 9:37-38) or workers in the general sense (Matt. 10:10). These might be manual, low-paying jobs, but their worth was considerable in the economy of God (Ecc. 5:18-20). Manager. More commonly referred to as “overseer,” this worker controlled or managed groups of people or projects to get tasks done. Joseph became an overseer, a position of great authority (Gen. 39:4).
melted, refined and cast ore into useful metals, including for construction (Jer. 6:29; 10:9). Tubal-Cain made tools of bronze and iron (Gen. 4:22). Hiram of Tyre made bronze pillars for the temple (1 Kings 7:13-22). Plasterer. Plastering the walls of a home to form a smooth surface (Lev.14:42-43) was an ancient and widespread craft, perhaps like a drywaller today. Security guard. Gatekeepers were security guards who stood at the entrance to public buildings, the temple and the homes of public officials and the wealthy (1 Chr. 9:22-27). Nehemiah appointed people to guard the walls of Jerusalem during rebuilding (Neh. 4:9). Treasurer. The Bible mentions powerful government officials who advised and reported to ancient monarchs on financial matters (Ezra 7:21; Neh. 13:13). Perhaps they could be compared to today’s controllers or senior financial officers.
Adapted from You’re Hired: Looking for work in all the right places, a MEDA career guide available for free download at www. meda.org Originally from The Word in Life Study Bible, copyright 1993, 1996 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
Metalworker. Foundry workers 19
The Marketplace September October 2016
Soundbites
Second thoughts on social entrepreneurs I very much believe that the way forward is through business. And so I have come to feel increasingly uncomfortable with the term “social entrepreneurship” and its main actor, the “social entrepreneur.” But the reason is not because I have bought into the notion that capitalism as we now practice it is the solution — but because I firmly believe that every entrepreneur has to be a “social entrepreneur.” The way business has operated in the last 50 years must be disrupted because we will not survive as a society or a planet if we do not tear down the walls that compartmentalize economic, social and environmental activity.... There is no doubt that the term “social entrepreneurship” served its purpose at one point in time, mainly because we needed to highlight what type of entrepreneurial practice we were referring to — but today it only serves to further dichotomize entre-
preneurial practice into the “social” and the “commercial” (“non-social”?). It creates a false separation between “this is where we make money, and this is where we do good.” And that is EXACTLY what is wrong with capitalism today. — Pamela Hartigan, who until her death this summer, directed the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University
Saved by the dollar At their extremes, both left and right insist that salvation is essentially economic, but they differ on whether the kingdom will be populated by social workers or entrepreneurs. — Craig M. Gay in With Liberty and Justice for Whom? The Recent Evangelical Debate over Capitalism
Law of generosity In all my life I have never met a
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generous person who was not happy. It is as much a certainty for me as is the law of gravity. — William E. Diehl in The Monday Connection
Vin Scully’s gift Lucky is too cheap a word. I really feel blessed. I truly believe God has given me these gifts. He gave it to me at a young age, and he’s allowed me to keep it all these years? That’s a gift. I say this because I believe it: I
should spend a lot more time on my knees than I do. — Baseball broadcaster Vin Scully, 88, who is in his 67th year of broadcasting, in the Wall Street Journal
New norm Fifty years ago, cars were sold without seat belts, which seems incredible, since now we have not only seat
belts but also airbags, active braking systems, etc. Today, sustainability is widely recognized as an absolute must-have.” — Andrew McAllan, Oxford Properties Group, in the Globe & Mail
Waste not If anyone was seriously interesting in solving the world’s food problems, they’d start by investing in ways to reduce the 30 percent to 50 percent of existing production that gets wasted, along with all of
the resources it took to grow it, the processing, the packaging and transportation. — Agriculture columnist Laura Rance in the Winnipeg Free Press
Business intel I am baffled by the blindness of businesspeople who scream bloody murder when the press probes their operations. They themselves depend upon the free press to advise them of problems with their customers, their suppliers or their competitors. They could not do business without this intelligence. — CBS anchor Walter Cronkite in his memoir, A Reporter’s Life
Fidelity on the road You may consider me a little prude, but I’ve found three basic rules that can help to avoid falling into infidelity. First, nothing good happens after nine p.m. on a business trip, so make sure you’re in your hotel room, by yourself, after nine p.m. Second, avoid one-on-one meals with members of the opposite sex, except in well-lit, very public places. That may sound quaint, but over the years I’ve observed how infidelity usually occurs. It almost always starts with, “Hey, let’s go to lunch together” — nothing formal, just casual. That often leads to dinner, which all too often leads to breakfast. I don’t need to explain what that means. Third, if you’re spending one-on-one time in a business setting with a member of the opposite sex, to the extent that you’re not talking about anything super-confidential — such as people’s performance reviews — always leave the office door open. Just following these simple guidelines would have prevented most of the trouble I’ve seen. — Greg Brenneman in Right Away & All At Once: Five Steps to Transform Your Business and Enrich Your Life
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The Marketplace September October 2016
News
Convention features power of women
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he empowerment of women — long a key thrust of MEDA’s work — will get special focus at this fall’s annual convention, Oct. 27-30 in San Antonio, Tex. “Women Changing the World” will celebrate the power of women to transform families, communities and economies. Journalist and human rights activist Sally Armstrong will address the opening session Thursday night on “The New Game Changers: Women and the Eradication of Poverty.” Described as “the war correspondent for the world’s women,” Armstrong has covered conflict from Bosnia and Somalia to Congo and Afghanistan, earning her the Amnesty International Media Award three times. She is the author of two books on women in Afghanistan and most recently Ascent of Women: A New Age Is Dawning for Every Mother’s Daughter. Saturday’s keynote speaker will
Various forms of conveyance will explore San Antonio, from river barge to kayaks.
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Richard Nowitz photo
Among the stops: the iconic Alamo.
be 2011 Nobel Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, speaking on “Women Building Peace: The Liberian Experience.” She will share her experience mobilizing women in Liberia to build a nonviolent peace movement that is credited with playing a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s civil war in 2003. A graduate in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va., she currently serves on a task force for the International Conference on Population and Development, and as the president of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa. Her story is chronicled in her memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War and in the awardwinning documentary, Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Sara Wenger Shenk, president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, will present the Sunday morning message on the theme “Like a Hen, Gathering the Brood.” She and her husband, Gerald, spent nine years as students and teachers in the former Yugoslavia. She is the author of six books, including Anabaptist Ways of Knowing: A Conversation about Tradition-Based Critical Education.
The noon slot on Oct. 28 will feature a panel of women business leaders examining the convention theme. This year also marks the return of the popular MEDA auction, which three years ago raised over $70,000 for MEDA’s work. This year’s funfilled auction, featuring magnetic auctioneer Paul Tiessen, is scheduled for the Oct. 29 plenary session. Proceeds will go to MEDA’s Improving Market Opportunities for Women project in Myanmar. Two dozen seminars will explore a wide range of topics relating to women, development and robust business practices. Among them: • Climate change and the environment • Partnering with the private sector • Keeping employees safe: MEDA’s approach to security • Sustainable business practices • Generational transition in family-owned businesses • Succession planning for nonprofit boards • Changing the world: One young woman at a time • Ethical business in a +
Mennonite craftsmen help build Ark replica It’s a theme park of genuine biblical proportions. Called Ark Encounter, it opened July 7 in Williamstown, Kentucky, 40 miles south of Cincinnati. Its centerpiece is a full-scale replica of the biblical Noah’s Ark, said to be the largest timber-framed structure in the world. The mammoth project has a Mennonite component, as more than a hundred people from various Anabaptist traditions worked on the seven-year project. These include engineers, carpenters and lead architect LeRoy Troyer, who enlisted 30 professionals from The Troyer Group architectural firm in Mishiwaka, Indiana. The project is based on the biblical story of Noah who on faith built a large ship to hold his family and two of every living animal to spare them from a catastrophic flood. Project leaders want the theme park to promote biblical teachings. Based on Egyptian cubit meas-
urements noted in the book of Genesis (one cubit equals 20.4 inches) the replica is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high. The heavy timbers used in construction are Douglas Fir from Oregon and Washington. Altogether, 3.3 million board feet of lumber were used, equal to more than 600 miles. Construction included half a million six-inch steel screws. As the project evolved, Architect LeRoy Troyer (left) and project originator Ken Ham with the full-scale replica of Noah’s Troyer called on barn Ark, the largest timber structure in the world. builders in the Amish project has a maximum occupancy of community who were 10,000 people. There is also a 1,710skilled at working with heavy timber. Amish crews from Indiana, Ohio seat restaurant, aerial zipline cables and a petting zoo. and Pennsylvania became involved Market studies suggest the proin timber erection, construction and ject could receive up to two million carpentry. visitors a year. ◆ Located on an 800-acre site, the
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Guess who wastes the most food?
corrupt world • Building peace through economic development Tours will explore the region’s rich mission history, architecture and public art. The story of European expansion in the New World is told through a tour of five mission complexes that make up the newly designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Foodies can meet local chefs on “A taste of Tuscany” and other tours. There also will be tours designed for music lovers and a chance to visit a Toyota auto plant. Various forms of conveyance will be available, including river barge, coach, kayak and recumbent bicycle. For more information visit www. medaconvention.org ◆
Forty percent of the food produced in the U.S. ends up in the trash bin, according to Consumer Reports magazine. Care to guess who is the leading culprit? It’s the American home. The magazine says 43 percent of food is wasted by individuals in homes, followed closely at 40 percent by businesses like supermarkets, restaurants and institutions. Farms waste 16 percent, food processing companies two percent. Food wasted in the home costs each family of four an average of $1,500 a year, the magazine says. “But the damage is global as well when you take into account how 23
much water, energy and labor it takes to grow, package and transport the food that never gets eaten,” it says. “What’s more, food that has been tossed is the biggest component of landfills, and as it decomposes, it produces the greenhouse gas methane.” Put another way, 28 percent of the world’s farm land produces food that is never eaten and 25 percent of water in the U.S. grows food that gets tossed. The magazine suggests shopping and cooking strategies to reduce waste (eg., shop with a list, trim produce carefully, use leftovers, get good storage containers and use the freezer). ◆ The Marketplace September October 2016
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