Haraka haraka
on Colm in Kenya (Kenya), 27/Jul/2009 18:39, 34 days ago
Matatu’s are the cosy contraptions that provide the main form of public transport in Kenya. Converted hi-ace vans with seats for 14 passengers (seats for 14, room for 16, 17, 18, 19, 20…) that drive about the place like chariots in BenHur. The drivers arenotoriousfor being as reckless as a 14 year old boy playingdestructionderby on hisPlayStation3. I personally believe that on theKilifi– Mombasa route (about an hours journey), the drivers have sworn an oath not to take their foot of the accelerator for the entirety of the journey and only overtake when there’s a car approaching from the other direction. It’s thrilling stuff indeed.So you can imagine my disgust that for my trip down to Mombasa for a (youknownotreally) important meeting withFHI(Family Health International large USGNGOand strategicpartnerofUSAIDin Kenya) andVSO, I get the onlyRoadwiseRory driver in Kenya. How many times do you have too sigh really heavily and stare at a guy with‘HURRY THE FUCK ON’ eyes in an hour and 45 minutes to hurry a guy the fuck on??So it’s because of Super Safe Sammy that I arrived into the meeting 25 minutes late with Peter (Country DirectorFHI), Gordon (Coast Area ManagerFHI), Charles (VSOProgramme Manager - HIV/AIDS),Makena(Head of ProgrammesVSO) and three of my fellow volunteers– Emma, Chris andAbdu.The idea is that throughVSO,FHIwould take four high calibre volunteers (4 out of 3 is not bad) and use them as a skills resource for four of theirAPHIAII partners on the coast and that us elite quartet (cough) would moveseamlesslybetween each others placement sharing our particular skills with each. A four pronged attack on poverty likeMessi,Eto, Henry andIniesta- quite frightening stuff really.However, the idea has been slow to really take shape, this being the first time all parties have met together. The three other volunteers are all one-yearers(which is just a long holiday reallyisn'tit?!!) and have already been here for quite a while– Emma is leaving in four weeks,Abduis leaving end Oct/ start Nov and Chris is leaving in late Nov/Dec leaving me with the lone striker role. Quite frightening stuff really!But the good news is thatFHIagreed with me that it is extremely difficult togenerateincome for SCOPE working in such anenvironment. They will work closely with me and provide me extra resources to support SCOPE and ourBDSproject.I also had Charles (he’s me programme manager) andMckenawith me on Friday checking on my progress and how I’vesettled so far. They seem to be quite happy, as do SCOPE and we hope to get more help from the EU’s sustainable living project. More people involved, more people to blame!! Of course not. But bringing as many people, expertise and funding in behind one co-ordinated project does seem like a rational approach and will amplify any chance we have of success.Actually, even though the objective of resource sustainability seems to be maybe out of reach, the more we continue with the project, the more opportunities we uncover that could potentially do something. Maybe even do something good, but lets get ahead of ourselves yet. We’re doing good enough going slow and steady, just like that bloody twat driving me to Mombasa last week.