8 Comments

Wow Melissa. Both a heartbreaking and inspiring story about human potential. Either to keep serving in the face of impossible odds, or to lose our humanity when we're only willing to serve ourselves.

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This is so well said, Rick. I met so many unsung and unglamorous heroes there, and it made me wonder if I could keep going in their shoes.

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What a heartbreaking and infuriating story! I could murder that woman. Or at least pour a bucket of red paint over that white pantsuit.

Very well written, Melissa.

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The devil wears Prada! I’m glad I know so many Kenyans who are better than that or I’d feel very discouraged by this story. I also know it rings true.

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thank you for sharing this story with us and shedding light on ordinary, benign ways in which decisions impact others negatively.

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The suspense. The white pantsuit with matching shoes. And the black money. What a potent contradiction. As for the rest of my thoughts, Rick frames it so eloquently.

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This story opens my eyes in the way a near death accident does. I wake up feeling grateful for the things I have and a determination to right the wrongs. Thank you!

More personal note: so happy to see this published. It had a big impact on my when I first read it, some time ago. Misaligned incentives and desires captured so heartbreakingly in a shoe. It’s unforgettable.

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Great article! Thanks for the shoutout. You might love (or hate) this article on how entrepreneurs navigate giving bribes in Kenya https://www.africanaccelerationism.com/p/bribes-and-bush-clearing/comments

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