Hi everyone! My name is Grover. I recently served as a small enterprise development Peace Corps volunteer working with Malindi Handcraft Cooperative Society in Malindi Kenya. The cooperative was, until recently, the second largest wood carving cooperative in the country with over 600 carvers. The carvers made the most beautiful wood crafts I have ever seen (but maybe I am biased!).

After the contested presidential election in December which plunged the country into civic and social unrest, many businesses and cooperatives struggled to keep alive and struggled to keep themselves alive. Over 1000 Kenyans were killed in the violence that resulted from the unrest, and over 400,000 were displaced. Peace Corps Kenya temporarily suspended its program there, and after 16 months of service, I was sent home.

Now, the program has reopened and I will be going back in a month to resume my volunteer duties and to return to the cooperative if possible.  I have been in contact with the carvers and management during my return stateside, and I know that the business is suffering from a multitude of problems and challenges. One main problem stems from the near collapse of the tourism industry in Kenya following the election. That is why Malindi and businesses in and around the city are suffering so much. Malindi is a HUGE tourist city with many Italian, British, and German folks coming in for weeks at a time to enjoy this ancient and yet modern coastal city.

Malindi is so beautiful, it will make you cry! The ocean is clear & blue and filled with exotic creatures, both big and small. The beaches seem to stretch forever, and the landscape bordering these beautiful beaches is filled with all the wildlife one would expect to find on safari in Kenya. Ancient Swahili ruins border the city on one side, and Kenya's version of the Grand Canyon is the opposite direction. Because of all this, Malindi is a tourist magnet and the city has developed a high dependency on those tourists and the money they bring. My cooperative is no exception. 

Kenya is getting back to normal, but the tourism sector will take time to bounce back. I hope to rejoin the management soon at the cooperative and begin to formulate a plan to get back on track. The cooperative is engaged in a number of interesting projects, and I hope we can get that all restarted. I will be adding to this blog more often now that I see folks are reading about our trials & tribulations as well as our successes. I promise also to post some pictures of the city and of the cooperative, and most importantly, the wonderful people that are teaching me so much about business and about the world. They are my inspiration and the reason why I am returning. Hope you enjoy the ride!