Africa Trip 2006

This years trip started out with a challenge. After working hard to raise all the money, obtain all the equipment and get it up, running and tested here, Nzola was not allowed to board his flight in Vancouver, and had to come back home that night. British Airways, which gives us a great price to fly because we are doing humanitarian work, was on high alert after the arrests in the UK and wanted Nzola to have extra paper work not “officially” required. So Rob, who had been scheduled to fly some days after Nzola actually got to Zambia first, and Nzola followed after roughly a two week delay.

Difficulty has continued to be a common thread during the trip thus far. The server which Nzola worked on so hard to get running before the trip, failed out of the box in Zambia. They have had to work the previous one that we were hoping to replace. There has been multiple other small delays along the way, but presently they have not been able to gain access to the equipment in Mozambique because the customs officials essentially want more money to clear it, or some (you guessed it) special paper work that Rob and Nzola have confirmed with multiple sources is not required. So now they are trying to negotiate the release of the equipment.

On the slightly good news side of things, Schneider Electric (my employer) has agreed to provide a new server to REMCU, and hopefully have it sent to Zambia in time for Nzola to install it before his return.

Some more good news, we have started planning for a new web site, and we already have a new domain name – www.remcu.org which points to the old one. (Go ahead give it a try).

The best news is that we have been officially instated and a charitable organization in Canada! This will really make a difference in our ability to move more quickly in the fund raising area.

This leads to my list of most important objectives, I need to find someone that would be willing to help lead a fund raising effort. If any of you are interested please let me know. Our goal for the next trip is $150,000. Wow – I know. But better to set high goals and fall short that low ones and fall short.

Sincerely,
Trever

Rob Porter’s Diary Entries from September Trip

Last day in Zambia; 29-Sep-06:

Friday was a whirlwind of juxtaposed formal protocol & frantic technical sleuthing.

Zamnet proved very limiting in internet access; things were excruciatingly slow (I expect it was because so many Zambians were attempting to log into the election-results website; it crashed election night (Thurs) "due to overload").

The fun parts of Friday were:

• corresponding with Nzola in the field via REM; I have to admit - it was a thrill to actually use REM to convey critical information that is otherwise totally unavailable!
• REM to internet and watching actual user (not test) e-mails go to/from internet & REM sites
• attending a ZFDS formal dinner given in honour of REM project

The less fun parts of Friday were:

• taking bus back to Lusaka, and taxi back to Barn Motel; the taxi was my first experience of being conned; they quoted one price, then demanded another at the destination (moral: always have small bills so that change is not required)
• Big oops; I misread a 5,000 Kwacha note as 50,000; so I’m 45,000 short; no supper tonight or breakfast tomorrow; have to save the rest (K15,000 = Cd$4.50) for the ride to airport (which ZFDS had arranged thru motel for me, for K30,000) They were gracious, believing my mistake, but not pleased…
• getting chewed up by mosquitoes at motel (there was no breeze Fri; like there had been on Wed); when I finally woke up - literally - to the fact; I got up and used the mosquito net; even though it did not fit the bed at all.

Flying back to London 30-Sep-06:

Alarm went off at 03:30; had to be at airport by 04:30. Breakfast was the last couple fruit bars from Shoprite (from S Africa); with chunks of pineapple; they’re delicious.

Uneventful flight from Lusaka to London; this was my first time flying this segment during daylight. Fascinating to look out at contrast of monochromatic green Congo basin (with a brown river every so often; never a road) vs the ever changing orange/ brown/ white hues of Sahara desert & mountains. Passing the odd military airfield over Tunisia was interesting (one can see the roads stretching “forever”). Mediterranean coast & islands appeared well populated. I looked forward to seeing France for first time, but the coast of Europe coincided with a cloud bank which did not break until approach to Heathrow… sigh.