The following video is a 2013 Global Peace Convention speech delivered by Dr. Manilal Chandaria held at the Shangri La Hotel, Malaysia.

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The Chandaria Innovation and Incubation Center, which opened on July 30, seeks to shift the output of university education from “job seekers to job creators”

On July 30, 2013, the Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Center was unveiled at Kenyatta University. The center promises an approach that seeks to redefine university education and open new opportunities for economic development.

Kenya’s latest unemployment rates are near 12 percent according to the Institute of Economic Affairs. The World Bank reports more than 800,000 people entering the job market, including university graduates, competing for 50,000 openings.

The center will support 50 student innovations and entrepreneurial ideas for a 6-12 month incubation period upon where it will be introduced into the market. The center was made possible in part by a substantial personal contribution from Dr. Chandaria. At the event, Dr Chandaria urged, “We need a nation which can produce results.”

At the unveiling, Oliver Mugenda vice-chancellor of Kenyatta University said of the project, “The aim of this programme is to create a shift from job seekers to job creators.” Minister of Trade Chirau Ali Mwakwere said the center will connect emerging entrepreneurs to the global market and create new sectors of economic growth.

Dr. Chandaria is no stranger to entrepreneurship. As the CEO of Comcraft Group, he took the small, family-run, aluminum pots manufacturer and built it into a billion dollar business that operates in over 40 countries.

On entrepreneurship Dr. Chandaria is quoted in Entrepreneurial Solutions for Prosperity in BoP Markets, by Eric Kacou saying:

“The essence of entrepreneurship is the fire in the belly, that drive. That is the key to open the constraints that are in your way. That is the key to open the doors that keep you inside instead of going out. You’ve got to walk to any destination.”

“The essence of entrepreneurship is the fire in the belly, that drive.”

In other words, successful business endeavors are driven by vision and leadership. Educating the future innovators is not merely about how much they know, but how much they are driven by a need to make a significant impact on their world.

Dr. Chandaria has also been a strong advocate of youth volunteerism as a means of cultivating “the fire in the belly” necessary for innovative solutions to current challenges.  During the launch of the African Peace Service Corps in 2012, Dr. Chandraria said, “This is what we want – that each of us must make sure that our children are not sitting home and just doing nothing. We would like to see each one of them give something.” For Dr. Chandaria, service is a means for unemployed youth to make meaningful contributions to society and develop professional skills.

As Kenya works through its current economic challenges towards Vision 2030, its development roadmap, wisdom like Dr. Chandaria’s is invaluable. Creating value in new markets requires not just innovation, but a sustainable driving force, a vision to serve humanity.

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Global Peace Foundation reported the success of the Character and Creativity Initiative in Nairobi Secondary Schools.

Dr. Manu Chandaria (center) with some of the school’s best-performing students.

In recognition of the successful implementation of GPF’s Character and Creativity Initiative at Maina Wanjigi Secondary School in Nairobi, the school welcomed GPF senior advisor and Kenyan corporate leader Dr. Manu Chandaria as the chief guest at a ceremony on June 26, 2013.

Addressing students, teachers, administrators, and dignitaries at the ceremony, Dr. Chandaria praised the Character Competency Initiative, which emphasizes qualities such as respect, personal integrity, and determination as part of the curricula, and said that plans are underway to engage the Ministry of Education to expand the initiative from 40 secondary schools to 400 secondary schools nationwide.

 “Without knowledge and character, we will not have bright future as a nation,” Dr. Chandaria told the assembled guests. He had previously opened the event by formally inaugurating the school’s new administration block, which was built through the support of a Constituency Development Fund.

Other invited dignitaries included Hon. Yusuf Hassan, a Member of Parliament representing Kamukunji, and Hon. Maina Wanjigi, a former Member of Parliament and patron and namesake of the school.

Hon. Wanjigi brought students and parents to attention when pointing out, “Luck is the extension of ability,” and “ability is the first child of discipline and determination.” He commended the good work that school is undertaking in guiding the students. And he thanked parents for entrusting their children to the school.

Hon. Hassan urged students to resist the appeal of drugs and criminal activity. He advised parents to be vigilant in monitoring their children and also pledged additional support in modernizing the school’s infrastructure.

Hon. Yusuf Hassan, a Member of Parliament, encouraged parents to stay involved with their children.

The school was established in 1989 as a mixed day school to address the urgent needs of the surrounding community through basic education and literacy classes, and special programs to combat crime and drug abuse. In a testimony to the school’s impact since the school’s founding, a majority of graduates have continued their education at local and international universities.

 This article originally appears on www.globalpeace.org.

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Dr. Markandey Rai (left) presents the Exemplary and Innovative Philanthropy Award to Dr. Manu Chandaria and Mrs. Aruna Chandaria. They are accompanied by their grand-daughter (right). Photo Credit: www.globalpeace.org

On December 1, at the close of the Global Peace Convention 2012, Dr. Manu Chandaria and his wife Mrs. Aruna Chandaria received the Exemplary and Innovative Philanthropy Global Peace Award for their substantial investment into social programs in Kenya and the greater East African Region.

Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria, have three children. Their granddaughter was present to witness the global forum recognize her grandparents’ outstanding achievement.

Dr. Chandaria is CEO of Comcraft Group, a multi-billion dollar enterprise that spans over 40 nations. In 2012, he was named one of Africa’s top twenty most influential businessmen by Forbes magazine, and has been referred to as Africa’s Bill Gates. He is Founding Chairman of the East African Business Council and Kenya Business Council, and regional chairman of the Global Peace Foundation in Africa.

His philanthropy has been recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who conferred Dr. Chandaria with an OBE (Order of the British Empire)in 2003, and by His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of Kenya who bestowed the Elder of the Burning Spear to Dr. Chandaria in 2007.

However, Dr. Chandaria does not take credit for his success. In his acceptance speech for the Global Peace Award, Dr. Chandaria shared his secret.“To be a successful human being, it is not enough to be a professional success; you have to share and care. To share and care for your family is natural, but you have to share and care beyond your family.”

 Sharing and Caring for the World

Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria enjoy the garden at their home in Nairobi. Photo Credit: Joong Ahn Monthly, 2010.

In an exclusive interview with Korean magazine the Joong Ang Monthly in 2010, Dr. Chandaria describes his family’s spiritual heritage influence on his philanthropy. “Jainism has taught me moderation through abstinence and vegetarianism. It guides me to live a life though union and unity within family.”  In contrast to their vast business empire, the Chandarias live modestly, and much of their personal wealth has been reinvested into developing the education, health and economic infrastructure of Africa.

Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria are also passionate peace builders. In the same interview, Dr. Chandaria continued, “We do not kill anything with our words or actions. We do not do anything that might inflict pain on others.” With the upcoming elections in Kenya, Dr. Chandaria has been an outspoken advocate for Kenyan unity.  In his interview with Capital Talk of K24TV Dr. Chandaria said, “This is our Kenya…We are not getting prosperity by dividing, we can do it by getting together.” He urged Kenyans to put their country before tribe. “First is Kenya, second is Kenya, third is Kenya, fourth, fifth is Kenya, then finally sixth, you can be your tribe.”

Dr. Chandaria was key in bringing together the Global Peace Foundation, Brand Kenya, UNDP and others partners like the Kenyan Ministry of Education, to host the first ever Kenyan National Youth Summit in January 2013. According to the Standard Digital, 2,000 youth from 47 counties attended, and were encouraged to be “Peace Ambassadors” during the upcoming elections, as well as bold and innovative entrepreneurs for Kenyan development.

Today Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria’s work for peace extends beyond Kenya. To the leaders at the Global Peace Convention he said, “I call on leaders to spread the message of tolerance, peace and innovative leadership to the whole world.”

An old picture with close family friend Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa and Gandhi

In their house, Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria have a painting of Mother Teresa, a treasured family friend. The relationship began after one of their daughters volunteered at the reverend mother’s mission. Later she paid a surprise visit to the Chandaria house. The friendship continued to grow and Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria became major supporters of Mother Teresa’s work. In his interview with the Joong Ang Monthly, Dr. Chandaria recalled, “Of all the times she visited, she never had even a cup of water. When we offered, she always said she would eat later with her sisters.”

Mahatma Gandhi has also had significant influence on Dr. Chandaria. When Dr. Chandaria attended university in India, Gandhi’s non-violence movement to free India from British rule was at its height. Dr. Chandaria described to the Joong Ang Monthly how during the protest against the British monopoly on the clothing industry, he minimized his wardrobe and even tried sewing his own clothes. Dr. Chandaria continues to honor Ghandi’s teaching that people are not owners of wealth but trustees asked to manage wealth.

 Lifelong Volunteers

Another recent accomplishment for Dr. Chandaria is the launch of the East African Peace Volunteer Corps in 2012. At its inauguration, Dr. Chandaria said, “Once you are a volunteer, volunteerism will live with you for life.”  According to Dr. Chandaria, who urged members of the Kenyan government to increase volunteer opportunities, particularly for youth, volunteerism is the “basis of our happiness.”

“Once you are a volunteer, volunteerism will live with you for life.” He also connected volunteerism to development and peace. He explained, “When we change the mindset from one of what is in it for me, to one of service” citizens are empowered to “take action for peace and development.”

According to Dr. Chandaria, “Volunteerism has no limit”. He described simple acts of service that could lead to community transformation: two million youth planting twelve trees a year could restore a forest, a handful health volunteers trained to make house visits could meet the community’s health needs, and if peace is brought into every community discussion peace could become a core value of Kenya.

The personal example of Dr. Chandaria and Mrs. Aruna Chandaria demonstrates the power of volunteerism.  Through the Chandaria Foundation alone they have funded the Chandaria Emergency Center in Nairobi, the Pandya Memorial Hospital in Mombasa, and the Chandaria School of Business at United States International University. Last year they donated $1,6 million to upgrade the intensive care unit of Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital in Nairobi.  After the post-election violence tore through the Rift Valley, they rebuilt two schools in Mutate and Sasamua, under one condition, that the schools educate children of all tribes. This does not mention the numerous university scholarships, grassroots development projects and health initiatives that they have invested in.

 A Family Business Model

Dr. Manu Chandaria addresses the Global Peace Business Forum. He make the connection between good business and peace.

Dr. Chandaria is not just a philanthropist and peace builder, he is a skilled businessman. Yet, he is not unfamiliar with the challenges of poverty and the passion, vision and cooperation needed for success. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, he jokes, while he was not “born with a silver spoon in his mouth, there were at least spoons in the house”. His father emigrated from Gujarat, India in the early 1900s, one of many laborers who came from India to lay tracks for a railroad that would connect Mombasa to Nairobi. Dr. Chandaria spent his childhood in a cramped room with three families on Biashara Street in Nairobi.

Eventually Dr. Chandaria’s father quit and began his own wholesale supply shop. At the time, Indians faced heavy discrimination. They were limited to where and what businesses they could enter. But that did not deter Dr. Chandaria’s father. He eventually joined a group of Indians brought together by Dr. Chandaria’s future in-laws, the Shahs,  to buy Kenya Aluminum, a saucepan manufacturer, from bankruptcy. Despite multiple setbacks, limited markets and the group’s eventual disbandment, the small company grew.

At a Kenya Association of Investment Groups meeting in 2009, Dr. Chandaria discussed how their family overcame challenges and grew. “We would work together as a family to build the business.” Today Comcraft is as much a family run business as it is professional.

Dr. Chandaria described the strength of the family business model. “Coming together gives individuals and the business capacity to fight, especially when things are going wrong.” The family model has “a leader who presents a vision to the team and everyone has to be willing to follow them.” The success of many Asian businesses in Kenya has been attributed to the family model that strengthens shared interests and provides access to inexpensive capital. This contrasts more “western” models where individuals form investment groups and partnerships to collect capital for larger projects, which are often stalled by conflicting interests.

What has made Comcraft a success is not just its excellent products, but also its values and principles. In Kenya, the Chandaria name is synonymous to corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Social responsibility according to Dr. Chandaria is “both a moral obligation and a core business value.” Founded in 1954, the Chandaria Foundation is one of Kenya’s oldest foundations. Dr. Chandaria describes how he and his brother were inspired to establish the foundation. “Back in the 1950s we heard about the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations and what they were doing in America….we thought of starting the Chandaria Foundation.” To date, millions of the family’s earnings have been poured back into hospitals, schools, scholarships and development initiatives.

Dr. Chandaria’s commitment to service extends into his business development. He describes Kenyan development as something not exclusive to the nation, but tied to the region of East Africa and the continent of Africa. His simple perspective is, “How can we help everyone?” He is keenly aware of his responsibility as a businessman.  Businesses generate capital and development that creates jobs and future security for the children of Africa. As chairman of the East African Business Council and Kenya Private Sector Alliance, he encourages corporations to open avenues for transnational trade relations to increase investment and development throughout Africa, including the more rural areas of Southern Sudan and Ethiopia.

In addition, to social responsibility, a feature article by Business Daily Africa attributes Dr. Chandaria with virtues like hard work, discipline, and honesty. Even though he is in his 80s, Dr. Chandaria still works 16 hours a day.

Each Day is a Bonus

Every night before he goes to bed, he writes in his journal to “clean his slate” so he can greet the coming day with a fresh mind. Each day for him is a blessing as he seeks to “make the impact that is necessary.”

Dr. Chandaria’s interview on Capital Talk of K24TV.

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Two weeks ago, UPI reported on three Kenyans in Atlanta who assured, “Kenya next year will avoid the ethnic violence that tore the country apart during the 2007 elections.”

The statement references painful memories of post-election violence in 2007-2008 that Hon. Alfred Khangati said, “Brought our economy to its knees.”

Three Kenyans at the Global Peace Convention 2012, assured that Kenya’s next elections will be peaceful. Left to right, Dr. Manu Chandaria, Hon. Alfred Khangati, and Mr. Daniel Juma Omondi.

Over 1,200 deaths were reported. Tens of thousands more were displaced. Much of the violence was concentrated in the Rift Valley, a province outside of the capitol of Nairobi. Later studied traced the violence to long-standing social injustices, deep seated ethnic animosities,  and tribal divisions.

These men, Hon. Alfred Khangati, a minister from the Office of the President of Kenya, Mr. Daniel Juma Omondi, Chief Executive Officer of Nairobi’s Global Peace Youth Corps Kenya and renowned businessman and philanthropist Dr. Manu Chandaria, are approaching peace not just through politics and economics; but with the principles of peace and social cohesion. They were in Atlanta at the Global Peace Convention 2012 to present the best practices of the Rift Valley Peace Initiative.

Although it was officially launched in April of 2012, the Rift Valley Peace Initiative has been working on the ground since 2007 to address the root causes of the post-election violence. Dr. Chandaria OBE, EBS, chairman and CEO of the Comcraft Group, and member of the Global Peace Council, is a key player in the initiative. Dr. Chandaria has helped rebuild two primary schools in Mutate and Sasamua which were burned down during the riots, and is a patron of the National Youth Summit series. He explained his approach to ensuring peace, “The best way to reform mankind is through education of the children.”

The National Youth Summits are seeking to do just that. The summits are empowering Kenyan youth to take personal responsibility for their country’s future. The workshops are training the youth to be peace-builders. Young leaders are being equipped with vision, values of moral leadership, and skills such as communication, reconciliation and conflict management. This type of youth engagement is unlike 2007, where according to Mr. Omondi, unemployed youth were paid to incite violence. “Young people threw the stones,” said Mr. Omodi.

The National Youth Summits are empowering youth with character and leadership as well as engaging them in the civic process.

Last week the Nation Youth Summit convened for youth from the coastal region of Kenya. The regional summits are leading up to a National Youth Summit to be held in January 2013, prior to the elections. On December 19, Dr. Chandaria facilitated a meeting where the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) signed an MOU with Brand Kenya to sponsor the National Youth Summit.

Other efforts such as the East Africa Peace Service Corps (EAPSC) are addressing the issues of youth unemployment and education through volunteerism. During the Africa Conference on Volunteer Action for Peace & Development where the EAPSC was launched as part of the Volunteer Peace Corps, Dr. Chandaria said, “we need to change the mindset from one of what is in it for me, to one of service.” Dr. Chandaria explained that volunteerism is the “basis of our happiness,” and the means through which “to take action for peace and development.”

On December 17-18, the Kenyan Parliament and Kenya Private Sector Alliance convened the Speaker’s Round Table conference to deliberate Kenya’s preparedness for the general elections expected in March next year.

The event was streamed live on Kenya’s NTV. Current Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said, “No fight will provoke or do any good for you. It is the best thing we can do for our nation to have a peaceful election.” Prime Minister Raila Odinga, meanwhile, urged sobriety in the political campaigns and Vice President Stephen Musyoka pledged, “This election will be peaceful.” The Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Mr. Issack Hassan appealed to the youth. He said while his commission was ready to deliver a free, fair and credible elections, it is up to the Kenyan youth to help.

Top commenter on NTV’s report of the Speakers Roundtable wrote, “ULTIMATELY it’s the ordinary Kenyan who makes the decision either to refuse to harm a FELLOW Kenyan for the sake of politics or to do so.”

The Dr. and Mrs. Chandaria received the Global Peace Award at the Global Peace Convention 2012.

With the emphasis on vision and values, programs like the Rift Valley Peace Initiative and the East African Peace Service Corps  are educating Kenyans to make good decisions.

Dr. Chandaria and his wife Mrs. Aruna Chandaria were awarded the Global Peace Award for Exemplary and Innovative Philanthropy for the extensive work they have done to enhance the quality of life for Kenyans.

UPI and NTV reports were referenced in this story.

Credit to Mr. Insu Choi, GPFF Africa, Regional Representitive

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