Recently I had an interesting conversation with a man I met at church. I was wearing some beaded jewelry made by the Maasai people of Kenya that I had bought at a Lions Club fundraiser for a medical clinic in Kenya. He wanted to know about the American market for African handicrafts, as he was planning to go to Kenya on a mission. Namely, he wanted to know about beads and baskets and cloth.
Well, I have no clue about that sort of thing. Yes, there are places that do sell African handicrafts, such as the International Market, but I don't know how well they sell. I suspect, though, that the market isn't all that big. If I'd had time to talk to him in more detail, I would have asked him, What do Americans buy? Take a look at Black Friday. What do people wait in line for hours for (and even fight over!)? Not beads and baskets!
China did not get to where it is by selling handicrafts. Yes, I know you have to start somewhere, but the problem is he is thinking too small. If you want to do business with an economic giant you have to produce something that giant wants and doesn't make at home. The question is what can Kenya produce that will really interest the American market?
A while back I wrote about how Biblical Israel's lack of iron technology put it at a disadvantage over its neighbors that did possess that technology. Biblical Israel might have thought itself the Chosen People, but they sure got their behinds kicked a lot. I've never been to Israel but I'd like to go, not just for the history, but to see what is happening there now. Because Modern Israel is a whole different story. Modern Israel knows the value of being technological pioneers. My company does business with Israeli firms that are developing new pharmaceuticals. It would gladly do business with Palestinian companies--if there were Palestinian companies to do business with. It would gladly do business with Kenyan companies if there were Kenyan pharmaceutical firms to do business with.
Like it or not, we live in an increasingly technological world. I just saw an Internet news article that said Asian airlines are going to need more pilots and mechanics than are currently available. Both are highly skilled jobs. If you stop to think about it, the world is highly dependent on the aviation industry. So one of the challenges will be to find new fuels. Maybe Kenya could play a place in that research? This is the sort of thing that is needed, not beads and baskets.
Well, I have no clue about that sort of thing. Yes, there are places that do sell African handicrafts, such as the International Market, but I don't know how well they sell. I suspect, though, that the market isn't all that big. If I'd had time to talk to him in more detail, I would have asked him, What do Americans buy? Take a look at Black Friday. What do people wait in line for hours for (and even fight over!)? Not beads and baskets!
China did not get to where it is by selling handicrafts. Yes, I know you have to start somewhere, but the problem is he is thinking too small. If you want to do business with an economic giant you have to produce something that giant wants and doesn't make at home. The question is what can Kenya produce that will really interest the American market?
A while back I wrote about how Biblical Israel's lack of iron technology put it at a disadvantage over its neighbors that did possess that technology. Biblical Israel might have thought itself the Chosen People, but they sure got their behinds kicked a lot. I've never been to Israel but I'd like to go, not just for the history, but to see what is happening there now. Because Modern Israel is a whole different story. Modern Israel knows the value of being technological pioneers. My company does business with Israeli firms that are developing new pharmaceuticals. It would gladly do business with Palestinian companies--if there were Palestinian companies to do business with. It would gladly do business with Kenyan companies if there were Kenyan pharmaceutical firms to do business with.
Like it or not, we live in an increasingly technological world. I just saw an Internet news article that said Asian airlines are going to need more pilots and mechanics than are currently available. Both are highly skilled jobs. If you stop to think about it, the world is highly dependent on the aviation industry. So one of the challenges will be to find new fuels. Maybe Kenya could play a place in that research? This is the sort of thing that is needed, not beads and baskets.
