Tuesday 31 August 2010

A Close Encounter

Tuesday 31 August: a relatively quiet but full, day in the office – reading and studying PPHPZ’s loan scheme and Strategic Plan. Sausage and beans today with the nshima for lunch. I am getting slightly better at handling the nshima but still have some way to go. (I wonder whether my colleagues are as good as me at spaghetti? - probably - there are restaurants from all parts of the world in Lusaka.) One of the young people in the office asked my views on whether male circumcision should be compulsory because he was preparing for a 'youth' debate on this on the weekend. This must be a topical issue here because there was what looked like a 'health education' programme about in on television.

Nasty moment in the loo at work today when I turned and saw an enormous cockroach walking along the edge of the bath. It might not really have been enormous because I have no idea how big one should (?) be. Fortunately the danger passed as it slid into the bath and lay on its back wiggling its legs helplessly as it failed to right itself. I then took pity on it and gave it a nudge with an empty toilet role tube so it could stand up. And then ran.

Monday 30 August 2010

At home in Lusaka

Monday 30 August - Lusaka: Well, I am here – in my own apartment, in the Justo Mwale Theological University College in Lusaka. Last night I landed an hour or so late due to refuelling difficulties in Harare and then met Peter Manda from AaB and Judge Daka from The People’s Project, the organisation I will be working with. Judge and I then had supper and went to buy some food in a big Spar supermarket.



I was given a lie-in this morning and went for a walk up the road to a shop where I bought a bottle of water for about £2. It was more a tin shack than the sort of shop I had visited last night and I was not quick enough to realise I should probably have made the man an offer first. Then Judge telephoned to say someone would pick me up at about 11.00. The taxi arrived about 12.50 – he had got lost, he said. And I got to the office just in time for lunch – nshima: thick claggy maize meal with stewed beef, vegetables and pickle, eaten in the fingers. (You mould the meal and draw in the meat and veg – not a million miles from easting a curry in Cardiff using a nan bread.) It was actually a lot nicer than it looked which is good because I think it was what we will have regularly.

Then I started learning about the People’s Process on Housing and Poverty and met the team in the office and some ladies who were care providers in (and from) some of the local communities. I do not intend this narrative to go into too much detail about the work I am doing here because it is naturally confidential. But it is interesting that at first sight the pure financial parts are probably relatively straightforward – the challenge will be to fit them into the culture and experience of the people involved. Again, not a lot different from doing this sort of work in Cardiff!

Some first impressions (which I promise to do my best not to edit in a couple of weeks time):

There is a heavy focus everywhere on security. The college has a gated entrance with a security guard. The hotel we called in yesterday for a drink after my arrival was similar, I have a heavy outer door to my apartment. Walls have glass on top of them. Care needs to be taken about which taxis you use, even the taxi driver was keen to leave me ‘safe’ at my door.

There is a very strong British flavour everywhere – in the buildings particularly, many of which will obviously pre-date independence although I thought square-pin plugs were newer than that! And also in the food in the shops – no problem buying marmalade in the Spar – or tea, or Cadbury’s chocolate, or jammy dodgers. They drive on the left – but nearly every car I have looked at has been a Toyota!

It is not as hot as I expected – but everyone speaks in slightly hushed tones about how it is going to get much hotter. And it is very dusty everywhere outside.

I am not sure if I should say this in today’s world, but the babies are fantastic – strapped to their mothers’ backs – bright eyed and smiling and waving ( maybe it was partly due to the strange white face going past.) It is a sensible tradition to carry babies that way because the roads would generally not be suitable for a stroller! And the women are tough – I saw a few walking steadily along the road carrying a heavy sack on their heads – it shows the value of good posture.

Sunday 29 August 2010

In transit

Sunday 29 August: Addis Ababa: I had expected Addis Ababa, where I changed flights, would be hot but it wasn’t – it was 12 degrees centigrade and raining. A small group of youngsters sitting on the floor in the corner of the terminal singing Bob Dylan’s It Ain’t me Babe took me back 45 years.

Thursday 26 August 2010

Two days to go

It's getting closer. Visa arrived today, the last washing went in the machine an hour ago and it has just occurred to me that I ought to start thinking about taking those anti-malarials! Someone in the office told me the type I have make you depressed. Better than getting malaria I suppose, but if this is the last post on this blog that might be the reason.

Thursday 19 August 2010

Moby Dick

I was reading Moby Dick the other day and the narrator (Ishmael) was killing time while their ship was being provisioned prior to setting sail. It feels a bit like that here. The antimalarials arrived yesterday, the mosquito net and needle kit today. I am still awaiting the visa and still have various other things to obtain before departure. Maybe not as exciting as new sails, bolts of canvas and coils of rigging - but each to his own (and they were going for three years!)

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Moving forward

Flights booked. Antimalarials on order - I settled for the on-line option but this was not without its drama when the supplier's web site died on me twice. I now have a letter of invitation from my host organisation and an almost complete visa application - it would be complete were it not for my printer running out of ink.

Well if those are the two worst things to happen with my assignment I should not complain!