Like most cultural groups, the oral tradition of Abagusii People of Kenya is expressed in, among others, proverbs. These capture lessons and meaning, modulated by time and context as they are passed down generations. Like riddles and metaphors, proverbs express the wisdom of a culture and find apt application in many situations. Christopher Okemwa’s work documents some of the proverbs of Abagusii, their meaning, the context in which they are used and applications thereof. In this book proverbs are documented in the original form accompanied by English translations in addition to lessons they offer. Embedded in this collection are cultural aspects such beliefs and norms which touch on many aspects of Abagusii society. These aspects include relationships among people, communal life, gender matters, economic issues and many more. 

In this work, the authors extract knowledge from a sampling of proverbs and sayings, and ingeniously apply this to entrepreneurship. They innovatively employ educative storytelling to concretize the application of the knowledge to business. The stories used are easy to follow given they are drawn from ordinary lives. They are stories that most readers are likely to relate to, given that these stories are drawn from familiar environments and in familiar settings. The work demonstrates the richness of indigenous information and its relevance to today’s marketplace.

This work will be useful to those that would like to extend the scope of their entrepreneurial information while drawing inspiration from traditional heritage. There is something in this book for students, teachers, businesspeople and researchers in the subject of entrepreneurship. This work provides a glimpse into the indigenous knowledge base and should inspire similar future works demonstrating relevance of indigenous heritage to other aspects of modern life.

This book makes the case for informal sector institutions in development theory. Through practical examples and interviews conducted in Kenya, the author captures 
how ordinary people organize themselves to meet daily economic and development challenges. The author traces how ordinary people (wananchi) use non-mainstream mechanisms in the form vyama (social groups) to enable individual, group and community development. The book offers insights into the evolution of vyama (institutions of hope) and the role these institutions continue to play in realizing economic growth: wealth creation and distribution; investments, social protection; and general community development.

The work shows how, despite historical disruptions, modernization and neo-liberal policies, ordinary people creatively borrow from tradition. In the process, they use collective mechanisms for resource mobilization, investment, risk-sharing and shared gains for the common good. The author offers pointers into the future and how the chama concept can become mainstream in a people’s economic development.

Throughout his life Lwandhle Wilson Magadhla was a keen observer of life’s happenings around him. As he went around his work in the police force, as detective and investigator, he recorded many interesting observations. In his own words, many of these happened as epiphanies. On many occasions they came to him even as he was in the middle of a task, driving on the road, in conversation with friends or while asleep. He kept a permanent notebook by bedside and in his pocket. They always proved handy. As he told it himself, many a time he had to stop driving, and park on the roadside to record an observation lest it “evaporates” off his mind.

In this work you will find insights that are unlike many and also similar to many others as relates to life’s happenings.