Perspective

In the west, particularly in the U.S., people are drowning in the turbulent seas of the political race for the Presidency.  It is unescapable, giving one a feeling of being tossed overboard from a damaged vessel (perhaps, named The Constitution) bobbing in fifty foot waves out of sight of land, disoriented, adrift, at the mercy of the stinging winds of negativity.  It is as if nothing else is going on. Personally, I feel like I have been underwater too long, yet I keeping popping back up (a survival instinct, I guess) for a gasp of sanity hoping the angry seas have calmed. The only thing one can think of is survival, searching the horizon for the proverbial island in the storm.

For the moment, it feels like election day is that island; one I can wash up upon, if only to escape the inevitability of death at sea for the uncertainty of survival alone, lost and forgotten on an uncharted isle amidst the vastness of that never ending sea. Maybe, this island is populated by pirates.  Maybe, missionaries.  Maybe simply with one soul named Common Sense.  Who knows?  But, at the least, it is better than a watery abyss.  There is still a glimmer of hope.

Both options seem grim.  But at least there is an option.  Elsewhere, in a world no less turbulent, where survival is a day to day reality, the contrived world of American politics actually seems benign, if not pretentious.   Sure, the options seem slim.  But, for many there are no options ever.

Young Ugandan boy in suffering heat making sun dried bricks every day, all day, no relief

Perhaps, this is a long winded way of getting to the point.  Forget, for the moment, the lengthy list of options most Americans have.  It would turn a simple blog into an encyclopedic opus.  However, many Americans, not all, but quite a few, seem oblivious to the concept of choice and how fortunate they are to have one.  For those struggling at the bottom of the economic pyramid choice is a luxury.

Refugees seeking refuge with everything they own and no destination in sight.

When I think about the amount of wasted money poured into the political maelstrom which we know will pass I choke on the idea that that money could be used to empower so many businesses with a double bottom line mentality.  I am not suggesting embellishing entitlements.  Those in place that are meaningful need to be fixed,

Untie or cut?

the Gordian knot of political maneuvering untied before any further investment might be considered.  What I am talking about are those for-profit social enterprises conscious of both profit and people.  Wouldn’t it be a great experiment if our government actually used the entitlement resources to support sustainable young businesses that empowered people and held both the employers and the beneficiaries accountable? Wouldn’t it be great if all of the money in politics was redirected to that end?  Those at the bottom of the pyramid would benefit.  In fact, everyone on the pyramid would be better off. We all would feel better as well.  And, we do have the choice. 

Prepping for the Road

Sometimes it is easy to decide what to write about in this blog.  Other times, particularly when I am focused on time sensitive issues for the Foundation, it is difficult.  This is one of those times.  In less than one month I am headed back to Africa.  Prepping for that trip is time consuming with many moving parts.  Some are impossible to manage alone.  I am often reliant on the responsiveness and cooperation of the enterprises I am going to visit, the airlines and hotels I am going to book, the embassies I need to interact with to acquire visas and the ground logistics teams I must connect with in order not to find myself stranded somewhere. 

With imperfect language skills and frequently questionable cell or internet connectivity losing contact in the field creates a significant challenge and require a little luck if one is to extricate oneself from nowhere to somewhere.  Putting together a seamless itinerary packed with key contact information that maximizes my time, minimizes mishaps, yet remains flexible is mandatory.  It is more than worthwhile. 

The purpose of this trip is twofold.  Annually we visit virtually all of our current partners to check in on their progress.  Of course, they all provide regular reports on that progress, but seeing the results first-hand informs us in a way no report can.  No less important, I will be visiting potential new partners, conducting due diligence that, again, cannot be conveyed in a spreadsheet or glossy presentation.  Face to face interaction cannot be undervalued.

Looking back to Rwanda from Kisoro

So, off we go.  Uganda and Kenya are on the itinerary, though I will fly to Rwanda and drive across the border to southwestern Uganda this time saving over 20 hours of transit time from Kampala to Kisoro.  I will visit four enterprises while in Uganda over 11 days and seven in Kenya over 17 days.  Some places will be familiar.  Some brand new.  Some accommodations will be pleasant.  Others the only choice.  Some transit will be smooth.  Others not so much.  With luck everyone I meet will be engaging.  That has been my experience in the past and in spite of the grueling schedule, it is probably the driving force that makes such a trip beyond worthwhile.  Even if the Foundation decides not to support a new enterprise I will visit, I am certain I will be informed by the experience.  At least, that is what has happened in the past.  Reconnecting with those that I have previously met is always delightful.  Anticipating new connections no less rewarding.

Synergy at the Bottom of the Pyramid

The Greater Impact Foundation’s very first grant was in Nicaragua, where we worked with the American-Nicaragua Foundation to help the poorest of poor bean farmers improve productivity and, therefore, their incomes.  Since then, GIF has moved on to support initiatives around the globe, but we have never lost sight of those bean farmers. 

They have made progress. We observed productivity gains over the years.  We also recognized that external factors out of everyone’s control arose again and again, creating headwind slowing that progress.  

A severe drought has crippled the country and the bean farmers whose poor land quality and lack of irrigation has made us aware that long term success required a strategy that spreads risk and minimizes the negative impact any one uncontrollable circumstance.  You might say, that the stars have aligned.  Now, we have been able to develop plans to accomplish that goal.

As our portfolio has grown we now have partnerships with an irrigation enterprise in Kenya, KickStart, an agricultural enterprise in Mexico, Sistema Biobolsa, who produces mcicro-biodigesters that turn biowaste into fertilizer with a methane byproduct that displaces fossil fuels and provides an alternative energy source for the home.  The wonderful Catholic Charity, Food for the Poor, who originally introduced us to the bean farmer project in Nicaragua is also helping and now has tapped their donor fund to provide piggeries for those same farmers.

The piggeries create another income source for the farmers and the animal waste is important to fully maximize the Sistema’s biodigesters.  The KickStart irrigation pumps offer a tool to improve irrigation, but also a source of water to prime the biodigesters and GIF still provides training and capacity building to empower the farmers.

Alone, KickStart has proven they can improve farmer output particularly during the dry season ors times of drought. 

Alone, Sistema Biobolsa has proven that a digester improves farmer productivity, as well as displacing chemical fertilizer and fuel costs for wood, charcoal, LP gas or kerosene.

Alone, piggeries, create both a food and income resource while using waste byproducts to fuel the digesters.  Compounding that is the very important use of animal waste which historically is a health hazard.

Alone, GIF has continued to build capacity with the bean farmers.

Together, the synergy potential from all involved is enormous.  The cooperative participatory approach leverages individual assets.  The variant sources of income generated from revenue and cost savings is significant.  Moreover, while we are still testing the overall program, I am almost certain that the drive of the farmer to build a better life will be fueled by the sense of empowerment created and the knowledge that the program is sustainable.

It feels great to be part of the project. And, while that is just a byproduct of the Foundation’s overall mission, it engenders great pride in the Foundation’s work.  Cross your fingers.  If we are successful we will do it again, and again and again.

Transformative Talent

Don’t you just love reading about transformative ideas that change the ways we do and think about things for the better?  It just feels good knowing that there are incredibly talented people out there not just thinking about what is possible, but doing so in a practical way that is both disruptive and constructive at the same time.  In my role as the Executive Director for the Greater Impact Foundation I am constantly searching for organizations led by talent that does just this in the social impact space  addressing poverty.  We cast a wide net seining through myriad enterprises.  And, just like the fisherman who often finds something in his net that is a perfect catch, but also discovers things that are not, we do as well.   Two cases are perfect examples.

MoringaConnect in Ghana led by Kwami Williams and Emily Cunningham has established a dual market business model that monetizes Moringa in the food and beauty space.  The backbone of their business centers around the empowerment of Ghanaian farmers struggling to productively manage their land and earn an income that enables them, over time, to exit the bottom of the economic pyramid.  Check them out http://moringaconnect.com. 

Moringa has been around for a very long time and its miracle-like attributes are becoming well known.  Kwami and Emily have figured out a unique way to monetize it while truly generating a double bottom line impact.  More impressive, and less well known are the proprietary  processes in development.  Shush! Top secret! They would have to kill me if I let on.  I have included two videos here, one short, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5geWE6VqwjE. The other is longer, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNo-HTJBxJY  so you can get a feel not only for the power of Moringa, but also for the unabashed talent leading the way.

Alternatively, the Greater Impact Foundation learned about GreenWave, http://greenwave.org, another fascinating business led by Bren Smith, a great talent and storyteller.  We have not yet committed to supporting GreenWave, but we are watching closely.  Vertical ocean farming is a wonderful business model that solves multiple problems.  Watch this video and you will understand why. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MoBDoiQa58.

Why do I love my job?  Well, helping create sustainable incomes for those in greatest need is key.  But, meeting people like Kwami, Emily and Bren is an over-the-top benefit.  You cannot beat it.

When is Enough... Enough?

I suspect the visceral response to the title of this blog for the average western reader will be to immediately think about the ugliness of the political race for the presidency of the U.S.   It is unavoidable, and, certainly, we have had enough hateful vitriol to choke a glutton.  When asked by friends outside the U.S. about how much more one has to put up with before we determine who should be the country’s next leader, I have no answer.  In fact, I am mute, afraid that my point of view is irrelevant simply because it is usually contrarian.

If I am calm, I am unengaged.  If I am assertive, I am opinionated.  If I take the high road, I am an idealist ignoring reality. And, though I will never do it, if I take the low road, I am the problem.  It is a risky proposition to speak up on any subject, in particular, the political race in the U.S.  But, lately every subject seems a target for attack.  All agreement, all dissent is drowned out by an unhinged passion absent of empathy.  Is there not a refuge from the storm where the keel that guides us, our Constitution, and the sail which drives us, our enterprise, can be repaired so that we may sail collectively to a safer harbor?  If there is none, the age of reason is over.  But I do not believe that.  I have found a safe harbor in the most unsuspecting place. We should all go there.  It is in the company of the poor.

Those that have never gone hungry, never watched a child suffer from a curable malady, never experienced a chattel life or lived under the thumb of misguided governance should do so.  They will quickly learn how lucky they are, how privileged they are, how ignorant they are about what should be a simple truth.   We need each other. 

Frankly, it is not about who we elect to lead our nation.  It is all about what we do to help each other at the most discreet level, one to one.   And this truth is self-evident at the bottom of the economic pyramid where daily survival is the reality.  Who helps the poor more than anyone else?  Other poor people!  Who embraces the well to do more than anyone else? Poor people!  Who is there when the going gets tough?  Probably the family, but guess what, they are poor too.  It is humbling.

Take a moment.  Strip down to nothing.  No safe haven, no malnutrition or subsequent Illness that takes your child before the age of five, no water that is potable, threats that can turn your world upside down while you sleep.  The list seems endless.  Then tell me what is really important.  When I distill it down the answer is always the same.  It is always the person right next to me, usually a family member, but it could be you too. 

Think hard about what a soldier tells us about the most important thing to him or her on the field of battle.  You may need help.  I might need help.  Screaming into the wind does not succor anyone.  A helping hand does.  This is how the poor survive.  It is also true for those blessed with plenty.  Enough is enough.  Let’s stop and learn the lesson that is truly important.  Reach out and find the truth that makes humanity special.  Each other.

Are You A Hummingbird?

It is a busy time of the year.  The Greater Impact Foundation fiscal year ends this month, so it is the time we look back and reflect.  At the same time, the pursuit of new opportunity does not abate.  As such, we find ourselves contemplating the challenges our partners, current and future, face in their effort to positively impacts those in greatest need.  That, in turn, always leads to contemplation of just what it is that drives such entrepreneurs.  For GIF, identifying those traits is the most important criteria we consider when funding any enterprise.  We know if we could distill the essence of great talent and bottle it like a fine wine our job would be so much easier.  That is difficult to do, but the exercise informs us.  It helps us create a profile of the ideal partner.  That, in turn, helps us identify the next wave of talent we might consider funding in the coming year. 

 Talent comes in many forms, so I was struck by the story of a young entrepreneur and what drives his behavior.  His story told here is typical of great talent working in this space.  I am shamelessly plagiarizing from the Global Citizen newsletter because in its own way it epitomizes the kind of talent we search for.

 “Erick Ochieng; a young man aged 33 years old coming from the slopes of the Nandi Escarpment, a famous land formation adjacent to the Great Rift Valley in Western Part of Kenya. [He] lives along the Lake Victoria basin in a tiny village dominated by the Luo ethnic group, the third largest tribe in Kenya.

 This region has an equal share of challenges and opportunities. It is blessed with a combined 650 miles of sugar belt, the largest in Africa. The sugar belt is suitable for large-scale sugarcane production, but the region also produces other crops including maize, sorghum, groundnuts, and various vegetables.

 In the midst of these great opportunities, [those that live there] also have [their] share of challenges. This region is among the poorest in Kenya. There is one rainfall season lasting barely two months, and the rest of the year is dry. Rainy seasons are characterized by heavy flooding, a perennial occurrence which makes the rains more a disaster than a blessing to the farmers. During the rainy season, buildings are destroyed, properties are swept off, and the crop fields turn into temporary lakes. The region is also malaria-prone, and has the largest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Kenya.

 When asked what inspires him to work to reverse the poverty in what is an extremely challenging environment, Erick shares this simple story of a hummingbird by Wangari Maathai, his inspiration to struggle onwards.

  The story:

A fire is consuming a forest and all the animals feel too overpowered to do anything except the small hummingbird. One drop at a time, it takes water in its beak and puts it on the fire while the larger animals watch helplessly and tell the hummingbird it is too weak and small to put out the fire. Undiscouraged, the hummingbird turns to them and says, “I am doing the best I can!”

 This, to Eric is his greatest inspiration. Like Wangari Maathai, he believes in little impacts at a time and he believe that little grassroots people can change the world. He believes that if all of us can be like the humming bird, then, however insignificant we seem in the eyes of other people, we are destined for greatness! As Maathai says, “...I certainly don’t want to be like the animals watching the planet goes down the drain. I will be a humming bird; I will do the best I can.”

So, Eric may appear to be somewhat romantic, but results count.  His are impressive.

 Being a global citizen means identifying yourself with and being part of the emerging world community with shared values. It involves having a sense of responsibility and willingness to act in actualizing global values without necessarily abandoning your real identities, such as allegiances to countries, ethnicities and political ideologies; identities which give meaning to our lives and will continue to help shape who we are.  A global citizen sees beyond the world's political borders and takes advantage of global diversity to seek solutions to the challenges facing our planet. They live a life that recognizes the world as a complex web of connections and interdependence in which individual choices and actions have repercussions for people and communities locally and beyond.”

 These are the attributes of talent that fits the Greater Impact Foundation perfectly.

Who Are You Going to Vote For?

Okay, it is inevitable.  November is approaching in America and everyone wants to know.  At least, everybody you meet in the U.S. or the developed world wants to know.  Who are you going to vote for?   

Many people I know in the U.S., who don’t have the opportunity to travel abroad, or do, but usually do so on vacation, likely, will be asked about the American election.  The results will have a big impact in the developed world.  But, where I go, into the poorest parts of the developing world, awareness of the elections is virtually nil.  In that world, where people are striving to escape poverty, little time, if any, is spent wondering who you are going to vote for President of the United States.  Here it is the topic of conversation. There it is off the radar screen.  At the bottom of the pyramid people are focused on the next meal, where the next dollar will come from if a child falls ill, or how their children will get an education and hopefully escape the ravage of poverty.  For them, the hyperbolic politics in the U.S. is largely irrelevant.  So, here, because a debate about a candidate’s worthiness can be so polarizing, when people ask me who I am going to vote for I have a different response.

I don’t mean to be flip and I know many of the names I am going to mention would not qualify for the U.S. presidential race, but I am going to mention them anyway because if any of our candidates had the attitude and vision these people have we would all be better off for it.

Sanga Moses is Ugandan and the leader of Eco-Fuel Africa www.ecofuelafrica.co.ug. Born in the forest during the Ugandan civil war he doesn’t even know his true age.  So, he is probably disqualified on two counts.  But Sanga has started a successful social enterprise that reduces deforestation, provides a healthier fuel for cooking, creates sustainable businesses for highly marginalized women and educates young girls heralding a future for them that will bode well for his country.  He is a great candidate.

Alex Eaton, a New Hampshire farm boy and Camilo Pagés, a Mexican entrepreneur run Sistema Biobolsa, www.sistemabiobolsa.com, an enterprise that focuses on transforming traditional farm waste from small single family farms to larger agricultural enterprises into renewable energy that saves money, increases productivity while reducing the carbon footprint that negatively impacts the health and welfare of farmers struggling to get ahead in Mexico.  They are a potential President/ VP combo, though Camilo is Mexican and would have to be given a key to the door in the “huge” wall so he could travel back and forth to see his family.  Sort of like the new Mayor in London.

I could go on and on about the folks I meet that work in the social impact space who do not see the double bottom line of profits and social goodwill as mutually exclusive.  There are more than anyone could imagine, though not enough to deal with the host of challenges facing us all.  Low and behold, many of them are Millennials; you know, those slackers the media loves to harp about.  Given the choice these are the people I want leading our country and yours.  I would vote for them if I could.

Drop by Drop

It seems fairly obvious to me, but I was recently asked by a close friend if I thought the Greater Impact Foundation might be misnamed.  He was referring to our mission relative to our size and our ability to really have a greater impact.  Of course, he was pointing, justifiably so, to the fact that poverty is so significant that our ability to have a measurable impact was minimal.  He is right.  That is, he is right if you measure impact only in numbers.

The World Bank, as recently as last month quoted the latest worldwide statistics (2012) estimating that roughly 13% of the world’s population lived at or below $1.90 USD per day.  That is a startling number, for that means that almost one billion people is the number GIF is trying to impact in some small way.

I reminded my friend that there are literally thousands of organizations, many much, much larger than ours focused on the same objective and collectively there has been a greater impact.  Again, the World Bank estimates that since 1981 the number of people living at or below the poverty line has declined by half. The numbers are reasonably accurate, though there are myriad ways to examine them which dampens one’s enthusiasm for the progress that has been made.  The numbers in extreme poverty are even more startling, though that number has also declined. Moreover, if you look at the data geographically the challenges are mind-numbing.  Clearly, far too many are still living with far too little. 

I tried to share with my friend another way to look at this dilemma, another way to measure impact that might somewhat soften his pessimism.  It was a two-part answer and it is not the easiest thing to wrap one’s head around.  If you have never personally experienced it, it is extraordinarily difficult to believe that such a small organization can have such a big impact.  Those two parts add up to simple math.  Empowerment + Time = Change.  This simple math is the primary reason the overall World Bank numbers have declined over generations.

When I conduct due diligence I often visit our beneficiaries in their homes.  It is there that one can more readily see the impact that the organizations we support are having.  Recently, I met this group of women from a small village outside of Mizrapur in northeastern India. 

It was not long ago that these women were unemployed.  It was not long ago that these women were largely considered property, marginalized by a culture and way of life that is difficult to imagine without being there.  It was not long ago that someone like me would not be welcome to visit without permission from their husbands or community at large.  Look closely, particularly the woman, our host, on the right.  Look at their eyes.  The social enterprise that we are supporting has created a sense of empowerment that is palpable.  There is no way these women will return to the chattel life of their past.  But what is most amazing is what is going on off camera.  There are young kids everywhere looking on.  These kids have likely never experienced what their parents' and grandparents’ lives were like just a few short years ago.  These kids will grow up with expectations for a future that is even better than their parents.  Their generation will be better fed, healthier, more educated than my friend ever could imagine.  Multiply this single outcome by the number of organizations and people endeavoring to do their small part to solve a big problem and it is easy to believe that drop by drop the bucket fills up and eventually overflows.  This is why the Greater Impact Foundation, as small as we are, exists.  No more.  No less.

Talent is Great, but Attitude is Vital

Talent is critical, but a positive attitude is everything.

I have been lucky.  I have met incredible athletes, brilliant scholars and talented people of all ilk at various times in my life.  It amazes me and I often wonder where this (some would say God given) talent comes from.  Could be luck, though luck is hard to wrap one’s mind around.  Could be genes, though it begs a deeper dive into one’s lineage.  I really do not know, but it is clearly evident that there are some otherworldly talents out there.  Pervasive media serves them up for daily consumption for us average folks.  I don’t think they do it to make us feel inadequate, but it sure drives the point home.  There are always bigger, faster, stronger, smarter, wiser, funnier, more charismatic and better looking people out there.  The world is awash in them.  But give me a choice between someone with a positive attitude without world class talent (maybe just plain, solid, run-of-the-mill talent) and out-of-this-world, surreal talent without a positive attitude and I’ll choose the former every time. 

Of course, great talent with positive attitude trumps all.  Given that option it is an easy choice.  And, though there are incredible people who do embody this wonderful blend, they are rare.  Like an alien sighting, they are otherworldly and a blessing.  Stellar talent is a relatively rare commodity even if the reality shows and pervasive media seems awash with them.  But, people with the right attitude are everywhere and I will argue that point with the pessimist who boosts that the world has gone into the abyss with self-centered, wrong minded egoists all day long.  No, I am not naïve.  Miscreants and ne’re-do-wells are constant reminders warning us to remain on guard, but people with positive attitudes are everywhere, especially in the socials impact space.

It would be easy to write volumes about these folks, but this is a blog; meant to remain brief and focus on a single point.  So, let me give you representative sampling.

Satyan Mishra leads a social enterprise in India called Drishtee which focuses on empowering the poor in third tier markets in India.  His tenacity and goodwill are evident everywhere and over the years he has successfully started a rural banking business and a textile manufacturing business and now he is pushing to reinvent the construction industry while at the same time redefining how young men and women with no prior skills can succeed in the agricultural markets.  Anyone who has spent time trying to empower the poor in the most rural of rural Indian villages knows that wherewithal is important but attitude is crucial. He is bright, thoughtful, patient and reverent; a talented guy with a great attitude.

Sanga Moses leads Eco-Fuel Africa, an organization who has developed an alternative “green” fuel to displace charcoal that at the same time employs farmers, empowers women and educates the young.  I do not have to say more.  Go to this you tube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nls2yCPxifI Sanga is a gift from God.  His story from incredibly humble beginnings is otherworldly.

Sandra Caskey works with Food for the Poor, one of the largest Catholic charities in the world.  She is relentless.  As one of the organizations most successful fund raisers she never gives up, never stops searching for ways to convince those that can to donate to worthwhile causes whether it be building orphanages and housing for the displaced or seeking out solutions to funders challenges to eventually earn their support.  What makes her so successful?  Her attitude of course.  She never gives up.  She is always persistent.  She is always diplomatic.  She is nice.  She has attitude.

Hard work trumps talent (almost always).  Talent and hard work wins all of the time.  At GIF we are always looking for that alchemy.  When we discover it the long term result is gold.

Can the Greater Impact Foundation Alleviate Poverty?

Drishtee Rural Apparel Seamstresses

No, but we can help.

GIF supports for-profit enterprises social impact enterprises that can demonstrate a pathway to sustainability and the potential to scale. For us, it is mandatory that interested organizations can demonstrate that they are well on their way to that objective. That way, when they do scale, we know that long after they reach a sustainable state, after we are long gone, the impact of our investment will carry on.  In this way, the Greater Impact Foundation can help set the stage to reduce poverty.  Yet, a conundrum remains. Even the enterprises we support face the very real issue that while they are endeavoring to reduce poverty, it is not completely in their control.

 At the ground level, increasing incomes of the poor is a big step.  But, it is what the poor do with their income that matters most.  It may sound unfair, but the truth is telling.  What an impoverished mother does with extra income is vastly different from what the father may do.  

Young Thai Malabri

Not to paint men with a broad brush (I am one as, you know), but history bears out that often, when in control of the money, it gets spent on less than critical items.  Mothers do not prevaricate. When they are in control, the money gets spent on their children for health care, nutrition, education and the like.  Men, less so.  Frequently, we see expenditures on motorbikes, alcohol, gambling and stuff to put in the proverbial man cave.  I could certainly argue that motorbikes can help tremendously.  Most often they do.  But, we all know that spending on vices (or toys), even if they seem relatively harmless, when there are more vital needs, is painful to observe.  This is magnified for those at the bottom of the pyramid where man caves are an alien idea and toys, generally absent.  Again, no broad brush intended, but frivolous spending is not uncommon.  So, even for the enterprises that are providing a pathway out of poverty there is no sure thing, unless the income goes directly in to a mother’s hands.  That is what GIF would prefer to do.

RangSutra women near Mizrapur

The GIF portfolio continues to evolve. We are very interested in micro-infrastructure enterprises, proprietary consumer products organizations and robust sales and distribution models that provide linkage to markets. We do engage with other organizations depending upon their business model, but we remain focused on sustainable, scalable, measurable enterprises with the talent and methodology to thrive in challenging market conditions. And, foremost, we would love to work with enterprises in these areas that are able to employ women.  It is a great hedge on those things that are out of our control and out of our enterprise partners’ control.