Lesson 6. Dealing with uncertainties

Anchor scripture:

• Matthew 25:1-13. Verse 13: Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Specific learning objectives: Participants will:

• Appreciate some of the uncertain events that can happen in business • Understand how to deal with uncertainties • Business trends can change suddenly for better or worse. Let us listen to this story of how uncertainties can affect the business.

Read aloud: Kalisa runs a business that deals in household goods. He has just bought 200kg of maize flour and 200kg more of cassava flour in preparation for big orders from nearby schools. She is sure business will be good for the next few days. It rains heavily one night and villagers are happy that their crops will grow. However, when she opened the shop the following day, she found that the strong wind that came with the rain had blown the roof off her shop and the goods were all drenched in water. The flour can no longer be sold as it could cause illness. It has to be thrown away. Kalisa is more saddened by the fact that she had taken credit from her supplier and was expecting to pay for the flour at the end of the week after she had sold it.

Discuss: What should Kalisa do?

Some causes of uncertainty in business include:

• Death of the business owner or a family member (illustrate with a coffin) • Pest or animal attack • Injury • Natural calamities like floods or landslides (illustrate with a tree falling on the roof of a building) • Sudden changes in the economic or political system that affect peoples’ ability to buy your goods

Traders can deal with uncertainty or misfortune by: • Preparing for any outcomes; failure or success • Spreading risk; not investing too heavily in one thing or business idea • Taking out an insurance policy to protect the business • Praying and reading the word of God to seek God’s plan • Having a group that helps them stay accountable and grounded • Use past records to predict low/high periods of sales and act accordingly.

Discuss: What are some examples of preparedness that you have seen others do? Think about your business activities. Are they spread out across more than one product or service? Do you have a plan in case your main source of income is affected? Share with one or two people near you.