Next Steps Toward Moving to Rwanda

2009Rwanda Trip

Dano, Carter and Kerry returned home a week ago after an incredible 12 day trip in Rwanda. The trip only affirmed the direction we are headed towards with Muhabura Venture Partners (we changed the name - that was one of the practical things that came out of the trip). They had over 40 meetings with Rwandan entrepeneurs, successful African businessmen and women, directors of various equity funds and associations, and governmet officials. The bottom line is that we cannot get there fast enough - the work is there, what we are proposing doesn't really exist yet, and our combination of gifts and experience would be invaluable. Carter and Dano have been asked to submit two proposals this week that could determine when exactly we will move, but right now it looks like Carter will be moving July 15, Kerry and the kids will arrive a month later, followed by the Jukanovich family after my brother's wedding in late September. Dano will probably need to make another trip or two before we move depending on how our proposals are received.

Many of our friends have asked what an incbator is. We hope our new name will describe our purpose more clearly. Muhabura means
"the guide" in Kinyarwanda. A venture firm invests in companies. We are investing our time and talent and potential financial investments into high-impact Rwandan ventures. We believe that in helping companies grow and succeed, that more people will be lifted out of poverty through the creation of capital and employment. We want to help people's dreams come true. Partners - many firms invest financial resources into foreign companies, but few get down in the trenches with the leaders of these companies on a day to day basis, helping them think strategically about where their company is heading and navigating the day to day challenges of a small business. We are committing the next 3-5 years to do so.

We are creating a business, but we are also asking friends and family to help us get to Rwanda. With airfare, 6 months rent (you have to put down in order to get a modest place), and shipping costs, we need $25K per family. Bridge2Rwanda has offered to accept these donations on our behalf - http://www.bridge2rwanda.org/donate/ just enter our names in the "other" section.

We are revising our prospectus this week. If you're interested in receiving a copy, please email me at jennifer@jukanovich.com.

Dano is off to Rwanda tonight!

Dano and the Crocketts leave for a 12 day trip to Rwanda tonight. We've started a "cause" on Facebook called the Jukanoviches and Crocketts in Rwanda. We explain about the incubator we plan to launch in this cause. We hope you'll consider joining our cause.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/255545/16087822?m=cc366e79

The girls and I are holding down the homefront and will spend four days in Bend, OR visiting my best friend, Suzanne Baker. Twelve days is a long time without their dad, but we are thankful for modern technology that will hopefully let us see each other via video a few times during his trip. This is an exploratory trip to meet with Rwandan entrepeneurs, business folks, government leaders, potential investors and others who've heard about our incubator and want to help us get to Rwanda to launch it. Kerry will be spending a lot of time exploring life in Rwanda - visiting the school, looking at potential houses, hanging out in the markets, etc. They have the 12 days packed with meetings. Please pray for safety and health and a very fruitful time.

Help us get to Rwanda!

Bridge2Rwanda has offered to accept donations on our behalf to get us to Rwanda. Once we are in Rwanda, we will be setting up a for-profit organization and we are meeting with private equity funds to get this established. However, there are immediate moving costs for two families to move to Rwanda by this summer or early Fall. Thank you for considering this.

https://secure.bridge2rwanda.org/donate/

Just indicate these gifts are for the Jukanovich/Crockett business incubator. Thank you.

Fast Company Article on Rwanda

If you have a minute, read this article in Fast Company on the development of Rwanda. Several of the people mentioned are folks we are engaging with (Dan Cooper, Joe Ritchie, Dale Dawson, Francis Gatare). Also, we have received incredible counsel from some folks this week and have decided to take their counsel to become a for-profit. We will still be seeking initial seed capital from friends and family to get there, just like initial venture capital because it will take a while to get the actually corporation formed, but this attorney is going to help us with that for free. Incredible.

I also went to a lecture last night by Richard Dowden, president of the Royal African Society/former Africa editor for The Economist - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Africa-Altered-States-Ordinary-Miracles/dp/184627154

Caroline Peixoto went with me (Caroline is moving to Rwanda with us. I knew her mother when I was six years old. Now her 21 year old daughter is moving with us - crazy). It was like he was speaking right to us. He completely affirmed the direction we are moving in and provided invaluable insights. I was able to talk with him and in his words what we are setting out to do is “Brilliant.” Just a little encouraging. There also happened to be four Rwandans there who are interning at RealNetworks for three months. I talked with them for a while and will have them over for dinner. Just a really encouraging evening.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/special-report-rwanda-rising.html?page=0%2C0

Dano leaves for Rwanda with the Crocketts next Thursday night on the redeye. They’ll be gone for 12 days. We'll post updates from that trip.

A Beautiful Adoption Story

If you have time to watch this story, I would encourage you to do so.

http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/02/a-beautiful-adoption-story.html

Life is never dull - we ARE moving to Rwanda

Yes, you heard me right. We are back on for the move to Rwanda, but this process has been much healthier than the previous. We are partnering together with Bridge2Rwanda (www.bridge2rwanda.org) to establish excellent, effective and sustainable incubation services for high-impact ventures. If you want to see our prospectus, feel free to email me at jennifer@jukanovich.com. We do have to raise the initial capital of $400K to start this venture so that our two families can move to Rwanda by the end of this summer for a minimum of two years and launch the work. Bridge2Rwanda is assisting us with this, and we are also partnering with Breakthrough Partners (www.breakthroughpartners.org), but if you'd like to invest, we'd love to talk with you. This is not a whim. This is the next thing we are doing in our life and we are not going to put an end date on it. We have received incredible affirmation and invitation by local Rwandans. Here's a bit more history if you'd like to know more...

It all started when our dear friends, Carter and Kerry Crockett, invited us to spend a weekend with them soon after the offer from Food for the Hungry was withdrawn.

We have been kindred spirits and dear friends with the Crocketts since we were first introduced to each other in Seattle’s inner city. Although we have lived in separate cities and countries for the past six years, this friendship has proven to be one of those rare gifts in life, the type that has connected, challenged and inspired each couple despite the distance and time apart. Carter had recently resigned from his professorship at Westmont College (he has been a business CEO/marketing exec and has his Ph.D. in entrepeneurial ethics). It seemed innocent enough to spend a weekend together considering God’s will for each family… but what emerged on that retreat was a common dream none of us suspected; a dream that has captured our imagination and interest in seeing what we could do together to join the work God is already doing in Africa.

Our families intend to move together, as families, to Rwanda to help alleviate poverty, build communities and share the love of Christ by nurturing new and existing business enterprises. We believe that there are two trends that favor such a vision. First, there is a significant demand in Africa today for enterprising individuals and innovative companies with the potential to build self-sustaining communities (and prevent undue reliance on aid or philanthropy). Secondly, there is a growing trend to use “business incubators” to facilitate and nurture practical aspects of this development in developing countries. Business incubation is seen as a potential next stage in poverty alleviation (beyond micro-finance), offering more than banking services, but the facilities, training and coaching required to aid in the creation of thriving enterprises. We are hoping that our experience as students and practitioners of business may equip us to provide the type of services typically encapsulated in the business incubator model.

Dano, Carter and Kerry will be traveling with Bridge2Rwanda at the end of March to begin the on-the-ground research needed for the business plan. We'll keep you posted.

New Video from Trip to Uganda

Bobby Arnold is a 17 year old from Orlando who was part of the team that traveled to Uganda with us to see how Children's Hope Chest could come alongside others who are caring for the orphans there. Its an incredible video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwdSxzdXR88

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltQn87SDAeQ&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n8rkEr5rwI&feature=channel