Delivering Food

Thursday 5th December

I keep passing the shop outside which Ireen works as I move about town. Of course you expect me to show you the pictures of the new shirts I was to collect on Monday or Tuesday!! Unfortunately the date has slipped once again!! I am “expecting” a call today to sat that they are ready!! It is already after19 hrs, so I doubt it. Maybe tomorrow – or maybe not!!

I had the usual string of visitors, Diven, Jennifer, Luke and probably a couple of others.

I have been looking at solar fridges as a possibility for Diven's shop. It has been interesting to discover how the bits go together and calculate the figures to determine the size of solar panel and battery required. In the end the cost was prohibitive and Diven decided to try to revive his shop without a fridge.

I rushed to the Internet before the 18 hrs blackout! The security guard came over and told me that Mrs. Chiiya wanted to see me. Mr and Mrs Chiiya are the owners of Moonlite Guest House – formerly Nampeyo. When I came to Monze in 2003 with a small team of volunteers we were accommodated at Nampeyo Guest House. It was in early stages of operation – I think we were the first guests. Mrs. Chiiya was the Head of a local government primary school. Hands Around the World supported a project started by Mrs Chiiya for skills training. Eventually this morphed into a school of nursing.

When my granddaughter Amy came to Monze in 2011 she met Mrs. Chiiya's daughter Saki and spent a day at her home. The two girls were about the same age. Saki is now engaged and will probably marry in 2020.

This morning I was due to meet the children at the pre-school run by Obert's mum. It was here that I first met Nancy a few years back. Something had come up so it has been moved until tomorrow – there should be some nice photos!!

I had to pop into town and Diven agreed to meet me there. I suspected that I would have a few minutes spare, so I decided to call into the hospital. At least I could buy a drink and sit down at the tuck shop. Sebia wasn't behind the counter. I heard that in the past couple of days her brother died.

I decided to check on my friend Sichone. Sichone was stores manager in 2004 when I started doing some work for the hospital on office systems and computers. I developed a stock control database and worked alongside Sichone and others in the stores. I was almost full time for 4 months and then returned for several months each year for four or five years. During this time I acquired a work permit and came to know the staff at the stores quite well.

Sichone confirmed the difficulties the hospital is facing because of a severe lack of funding – I understand the government calls it austerity!! Strange,! That sounds familiar. The result of course is that people die unnecessarily.

Businesses are collapsing because of the lack of electricity. No one comes for a haircut at 22hrs when power returns!! Welders cannot work etc. It was good to catch up with another old friend.

Raymond appeared at about 13hrs. When I told him I had a meeting at the church at 14 hrs he said that he was also meeting Fr. Wilson. We walked to the church together.

I have spent the past few hours with Fr. Wilson who drove around the compounds delivering some maize meal to some of the parishioners struggling to obtain enough food. It cannot really be said that there are roads through the compounds. Fr. Wilson drives a pick-up truck which is not ideal for the conditions. You really need a very high wheelbase 4x4. It is a case of off road rallying! Certainly not for the nervous driver, anyone who needs more that six inches at the side when going through gaps or has difficulty reversing fifty metres through small gaps and around corners would best give this a miss! Tarmac roads in Monze are the main Livingstone Road and a couple of kilometres going east towards Huichanga Dam. A few years ago – just before the elections – some tarmac was spread on a few roads to the west of Monze. In general the roads are mud and often are only characterised by the fact that cars have driven over these areas of land and forged a pathway between buildings!

We delivered 15 – 20 10Kg bags of food. Everyone was very grateful. I suspect that this was not just because they were given some food, but that they hadn't been forgotten and someone had cared enough to find them at home and deliver it personally.

I am amazed at weights that people will carry. Two women will often carry a 25 Kg (55lb) bag of maize meal between them, using a hand each. One of the women in the team delivering the food today carried bags (22lb) on her head – apparently with no effort and no need to stabilise it with a hand.

If you look down any road in Monze you will usually see at least one woman carrying goods on her head and a man pushing a loaded wheelbarrow. On the road trucks carry people on the back – often sitting on a variety of goods. These sights become so familiar that I rarely notice. Grass thatched huts, roofs with iron sheets held down with concrete blocks and waterproofed with black plastic sheets are a normal part of the environment with which I have become so familiar.

As I pass through the compounds I meet a few friends – some from PIZZ School, others from the church – or just children who have seen me passing around Monze over the past 16 years!! (Some of course are now adults!!)

The rain has not fallen properly for well over a week and the grass is not growing like it was when I arrived. The past few days have threatened some decent rain, but it hasn't arrived. It needs to arrive very soon or any crops already planted will come to nothing. I was convinced that it would rain yesterday, but the clouds parted and passed Monze by – today was a similar story.

I returned home before the power went, but not early enough to take any advantage of it! So I look forward to my first cup of tea of the day if it returns at 22 hrs!! I also fancy a couple of eggs on fried bread as a midnight feast!!

Chris