The news that Maendeleo Foundation had been selected to participate in the SE Forum Accelerator program in Stockholm and that I would be the representative was overwhelming.  At first it was all excitement until it dawned on me that this would be my first time to go overseas and the excitement was replaced by mild anxiety!

Then came the day of my departure. I was frightened, uncertain and felt lost, saying goodbye to my family was especially difficult. On landing in Stockholm, my ears hurt terribly due to the cabin pressure. If I had known this would happen, I would have found means to relieve the discomfort.

Well that is history now; I have met a loving family of 11 people, 7 of them are fellow entrepreneurs participating in the program and 4 ladies who are the SE Forum staff. At SE Forum you always feel at home, it is an all women run organization, no wonder the care and concern for the participants is constantly in the agenda. As part of the program, we are assigned experienced coaches in different business areas to provide the theoretical content relevant to our ventures. In addition to the workshops, there is a mentorship program where we each have a mentor who offers personalized support to facilitate the development of both our entrepreneurial skills as well as the development of our businesses.  A rather fun aspect are the Hub Buddies, these are members of Impact Hub, which is where we are based throughout the program. The role of the buddy is to make us feel at home and offer tips on sights and fun activities in Stockholm.

Stockholm is a breathtaking city, the roads are traffic free, and everything seems to be immaculately structured. Stockholmers are fast-paced moving people and somehow you feel compelled to keep up with the breakneck pace or else you’d be holding up the sidewalk, which can be exhausting. I am having such an incredible experience I wish I could bundle it up into my bag and take it home with me! So far, through the program, I have been exposed to theoretical and practical business concepts, numerous networking opportunities all of which I believe will take my venture, Maendeleo Foundation to the next level!

Thumbs up to SE Forum and all the partners for giving an opportunity to upcoming Social Entrepreneurs!