Where is the time going.

I can’t believe I have just over a week left until I leave. I feel I am going round in circles trying to get to the bottom of 2 ½ months of expenditure. Still haven’t reconciled back to the actual cash withdrawals. Although I am hampered by the fact they often redirect cash withdrawals to other expenditure than originally intended, or use their own money!! The latter even to pay staff salaries sometimes. I am still determined to finish this reconciliation – may still be doing it when I get back home at this rate. But, more importantly, I have now started to compile a report on the issues in the current process and the changes that are required to make it more efficient and accountable. Gideon has also asked me to review a funding proposal he has just done and I have carte blanche to change anything I think needs to be changed. Ok, so I can do the reports, just can’t do the numbers!!! :-) Friday is yet another national holiday here, Monday was Woman Empowerment Day – not sure what this one coming up is. Needless to say I don’t think I will be taking the time off as I have too much to do in the next week.


Not having the internet is driving me nuts at work. It is a bit intermittent at the moment - so off course I have to keep going to the bar at the Sherbourne at night so I can get the wireless connection!! Yeah, good excuse eh!! Actually moving in to the Sherbourne today (Thursday) and am so excited about it! The Pamo lodge was pretty grim. They didn’t clean my room on Wednesday – apparently it was because I took the key. I mean what hotel doesn’t have a spare key for every room – hotels in Zambia obviously! I do now have my own personal taxi driver on call – have to pay him off course , but he works for a friend of Gideon’s so it is nice having one that you know and can trust.

As my departure date for the UK looms ever closer I actually have mixed feelings, although I am looking forward to getting back to my home comforts, and even office comforts, which primarily means, no ants, no big spiders, running water and flushing toilets – I am a simple sole at heart really (oh and Starbucks for a decent cup of tea!!). On the other hand there is part of me that would like to stay on for longer – mainly because I don’t like walking away from a job before it is finished – there is still so much more I could do to help them here.

Molly the Schools coordinator came in to the office today. She wanted to talk to me again about her problems at home. Apparently after her husband died his family (I think by his first wife) moved in to her house. Under Zambian law they are allowed to do this and as she doesn’t really get on with them it is a bit of a nightmare for her. She is ever so sweet but does seem weighed down with unhappiness. She keeps saying if she could only get herself a plot of land to get a new home all would be well. I am not sure if she wants to talk to me about her worries because she thinks I come across as a sympathetic person – or if she thinks I will buy her a plot of land!!! Everyone out here does tend to think I am very rich, now I know it is all relative, but they haven’t seen my credit card bills, which are growing by the minute while I am here!! Having said that I have booked in to a 5 Star Intercontinental hotel in Lusaka on the Friday before my flight home. They have a pool amongst other delights, so have decided to get down there early so I can have a little bit of me time and some luxury for my last day in Zambia! I think I have earned it! It’s a pity I don’t have time to go over and see the falls, but it is about a 4 hours drive from Lusaka. Maybe next time!!

Molly and I in the office

I am meeting Moffat today to get something organised for the school twinnings, something else on my to do list I have not got round to yet. I am hoping that will work out, but as Moffat has said, the kids at the school here don’t even understand how to write a letter! But it should be an excellent learning tool for them. He asked if the kids over in Scotland knew how to use computers – the fact he even asked the question said it all!!

The sun is shining and it is very warm – hope it keeps up for the weekend, I am still about as white as when I came!

Have a good day!