Keynote 1

Abstract

Most ordinary women in Kenya work at the margins of the national economies. It takes radical determination and courage to work at the margins of business and society.  Wanjiku is the name used to describe ordinary woman who operate at the margins of business and society in global development in Kenya. The challenge that Wanjiku puts to the world is whether business can be done in an Utu Ubuntu method in a humane way and in solidarity with others? Wanjiku works in trade, artisan, small scale farming, fisherfolk, herding, tailoring, and beadwork.  To survive and flourish, they have evolved a business model which I refer to as the Utu-Ubuntu business (humanness and solidarity) economic model. The model is hinged on the logic, norms, and values of self-reliance, resilience, pooling, sharing, solidarity, and reciprocity. These are the unique principles of humanness and solidarity in business and society. The surplus from the business economic model is geared towards nurturing and caring for offspring, parents, and siblings. It is geared towards meeting household and community needs. The underlying objective of the business is building the person, households, and community. Wanjiku demonstrates that business and society can be organized in an utu-ubuntu manner through gifting, pooling, reciprocity, sharing, accumulation and investing at the same time connect communities in time and space. Wanjiku shares resources, pools finances, shares risk and takes joint action in investment. Wanjiku does not work in isolation, she is   connected to the divine, family, community, and personal realms. Wanjiku’s interests of building the human and community override those of accumulating profits and building corporations.  Wanjiku’s business model has a feminist logic that is different from the neoliberal approaches of businesses that emphasize competition, secrecy, buying each other out, and lobbying government policy.