Description
Grant Smith is not a visionary, or an enthusiastic missionary. He’s a problem-solver. When confronted with the desperate problems of poverty he witnessed in Africa, he did the only thing he knew how – business. Business that would provide jobs and pay people enough so that they would not have to rely on charity to send their kids to school, so that none would be forced to live in a tin shed without water, electricity, sewerage, or dignity, fighting off the threat of pneumonia every time it rained. His venture led to a great challenge: become the biggest housebuilder in Kenya. Both humorous and realistic, Smith tells of his successes and failures with projects as diverse as growing oil crops, a road-building scheme, house building, and selling old petrol pumps. With faith in God’s provision—and a little bewilderment—Smith wrestles with difficulties that every entrepreneur knows too well: finding investment funding only to lose it again, acquiring trustworthy business partners, confronting bribery and bureaucracy, corruption and culture. He is not the biggest house builder in Kenya – yet – but Smith has stumbled on a near-miraculous way of unlocking longterm financial provision for local Christian charities. For those who dream of making a difference for communities affected by poverty, this story is inspiring and thought-provoking. It encourages readers to see how ordinary people have been created for a purpose and have the potential to facilitate miracles. The Accidental Social Entrepreneur is a real challenge to consider how we might use the gifts and resources we have been given to change lives.
"a rallying call to all of us to strive for dignity, equality and justice for all; and a challenge not just to teach a person how to fish, but to equip them to buy the pond.” - Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, CEO, Christian Aid
"If you hate reading manuals, then you will love The Accidental Social Entrepreneur. Grant Smith describes his non-planned journey into Kingdom entrepreneurship in a refreshing ‘I don’t want to put the book down’ style. You will not know you are reading a manual on kingdom building but you will learn to want to trust God for His faithfulness. And you will retell his stories to your friends – they are worth retelling.” - Willy Kotiuga, Programme Director, Lausanne Global Workplace Forum and Chair, Bakke Graduate University Board of Regents