Another African Adventure

First, I must mention a few things. I totally got sucked into Facebook this month. I won't defend myself, except to say that almost every technogeek I know (the ones who are afraid of Skype, and loathe myspace, etc) is on there. I won't promote either, beyond saying that it is the easiest way to reach me and see pictures of me.

Second, if you haven't seen it yet, check out my sister's blog, there's a link to the left.

Okay, so I'm conducting my blog in a more event oriented style, now, rather than being so time focused. After all, when in Africa...

Yesterday topped all other days in Mozambique to date. It started, however, the day before. I am finishing off a well digging project for our water engineer, who's contract ended. The project was supposed to end next Monday, with four wells. For many reasons, this wasn't happening. In a meeting with all water-related agencies on Thursday, it was unanimously decided that FHI would adjust our schedule to relocate, dig three wells in three days, and then look at returning to the original locations.

So, yesterday started with me skipping breakfast to be first in line to request a truck from WFP to move our materials, equipment, etc. to the new locations. (If you don't know any of the acronyms in this story, sorry, but it's faster than typing, so email me later for definitons, or Wikipedia them). WFP got me a truck by 8, I went to the office to get a car and go to my sites, and there were no cars available, partly because it was pay day. Then, Oxfam asked if they could travel with me to look at the new sites, and I bartered for their car. Then, we went to my well team and told them to pack their bags, they were moving to a new site, take a tent, and get ready because the truck is coming. From there, I left with oxfam to look at the new proposed sites, and talk with community leaders, etc. We were gone until noon, out of mobile signal. When we returned, I discovered that the truck hadn't left, because they filled it in a sandy area, and it got stuck, so they unloaded it (3 tons of sand, 3 tons of gravel, a ton of cement, and equipment, and dug out the truck. By this time, the truck driver decided it was time for him to go for lunch.

I finally got to eat at 2, and then went back our with Oxfam to check another site. By 4 I heard that the truck had left, and I checked my email for the first time, as well as calling into the Beira office. I discovered that I was required to submit a final report and financial statement for the well project to the donor next Monday, as that was the last day of the project. So, that meant the weekend to process all outstanding transactions (this would likely have required at least two weeks normally). It meant that I would need to be in Maputo on Monday morning, and you can't get there from here. UN chartered flights ended this week, so the only way was to drive 6 hours to Beira, then fly to Maputo.

I went back home to drink a cup of tea at 6, and started to coordinate all financial items from this end. Just before 7, I got a visit from a Swedish man whom I had met, but who had recently been speaking to my colleague Julie. He did not realize that we were a Christian organization, and he was looking for other Christians to talk to. He's a police intelligence officer, who volunteers with a Swedish agency to do tech stuff, and gets attached to the UN. So, we visited for two hours in candlelight, becaue the power, which is supposed to be on from 6 to 10, went off jsut after 7. After he left, we had some new and unexpected staff arrivals at our house, who needed rooms and linens and candles. Finally, I got to eat some cold spaghetti with goat meat and collapse into bed around 10. As I said, the hardest day in Mozambique, and then there was today....