Balloon Ventures

During my six weeks in Kenya, I learned more about a realistic approach to entrepreneurship than I did in four years of business school. During the first week, the co-founders Josh Bicknell and Doug Cochrane teach an intensive entrepreneurship course. Their passion for international development is contagious, and by the end of the first week I felt more than prepared for the following five weeks.

The entrepreneur selection process is improving with every program, and I was lucky enough to have really talented entrepreneurs who stayed focused and on-track throughout the length of the program. They all had great business ideas and they all received loans, and it was such a surreal thing to be a part of that. I’ve remained really close with two of them, and have been able to see firsthand how these loans have affected their lives. It has also encouraged them to pursue other business ventures and take smarter risks. Kenyans are some of the greatest people I know, and these relationships will continue for many years.

The social aspect of Balloon Kenya is definitely worth mentioning. I made some of my best friends on this program. The weekend trips are SO fun and a necessity with our hard work during the weeks. One weekend we were in Lake Naivasha, and ended up going on a late night safari! We saw hippos, giraffes, zebras, AND a lion named George! Getting to see those animals at night was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The volunteers chosen for this program are some of the brightest – I truly believe that bringing young 20 somethings together who have a common goal is a big driver to the success of the program.

I would hands down recommend this program to anyone who is interested in pursuing international development, or anyone who is a little unsure on what career path they're interested in taking.

The training we recieved was invaluable and we hit the ground running from day one (after a short rest after arriving). The whole programme was organised so that we were always active, communicating and sharing ideas and experiences, learning first hand and totally immersing ourselves into the daily lives of the people we would be working with. Balloon Kenya has given me all that I need now to pursue the career I have always dreamed of; whether that be social enterprise, business or community development, I feel well prepared and even more excited about what is possible. I can't see myself being where I am today or where I might be heading without the privilege of the experience that is Balloon Kenya.

The time I spent on the Balloon Kenya summer programme was a truly formative and enjoyable experience. The staff were well informed and passionate, encouraging and good fun. The programme strikes an excellent balance between work and play and gave me great insight into potential future career paths. I would recommend the programme to anyone looking for experience in international development or work with a social aim.

6 weeks of intense work collaborating with local Kenyan entrepreneurs, from school teachers to craftsmen to chemists. I was initially drawn to Balloon Kenya as this was an opportunity to work abroad on meaningful projects, unlike that which boils down to aid. I had travelled within Africa before and was particularly interested in development and therefore this was a perfect hands-on experience in an environment I knew I loved. I was not expecting nearly as much personal development on the entrepreneurial front as it really taught me to approach tasks both in Kenya and when I returned, with a different mindset. I truly believe the entrepreneurs we worked with benefited from our input and the learning was very much mutual. It was hard work but there was also time to play. Weekend trips included visits to Nairobi, safaris, climbing mount Kenya or having a weekend off, depending on what took your fancy.

This was an incredible 6 weeks and was not at all what I expected. Teaching the Kenyan Entrepreneurs was challenging at times but we were all well prepared in the first week when we had an intense training course.
On the second week we met our Entrepreneurs and gave structured lessons to them. I was nervous about teaching as I hadn't taught before but I soon became comfortable and was able to personally tailor the lessons plans by the fourth week.
On the weekends we had the option to go on excursions such as a rural village stay, camping in rift valley, walks up the Meningai Crater, Visit Mombasa or Nairobi, Safaris in Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara.
If we had enough energy after the busy weekends and hard working days we would sometimes go out in the evening to the local clubs.
I learnt loads on the Balloon Kenya experience, met some inspirational people and had a brilliant time. Most importantly I know my participation was hugely appreciated by my Kenyan Entrepreneurs as many were able to get loans or were able to improve their business without the loan.