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 September 9, 2010 |
Update for September 02, 2003Tonight I am feeling like the farmer's daughter that I am. I'm all dirty and itchy from grain dust and chaff. Brings back memories of harvest time on that farm outside New Norway. This is after spending the morning at Quality Feeds, waiting for the truck and then seeing it loaded with the HEPS for the final three months of the pilot project for the Lumezi Feeding Program. About 9:00 this morning I got the phone call from George Phiri saying that the truck was ready to go to Quality Feeds to load the 309 bags of HEPS for the Lumezi Feeding Program. Although I had a further distance to travel than the truck, I still didn't rush...after all, this is Africa where you just "hurry up and wait." When will I ever learn? Even though I didn't rush, I still waited at Quality Feeds for two hours before the truck turned up. And I didn't even take a book or any work along with me. Whatever is wrong with me? At least I had some water along with me. I rarely leave the house without that! After the 2 hour wait for the truck, it was another 2 hours for the truck to be loaded and for the documentation to be obtained. I'm sure that was only done that fast because Quality Feeds took pity on this poor white lady who had waited so long and been through so much to finally get this load of HEPS on the road. Not sure how the other truck drivers waiting in queue felt about that??? Yes, the story did not begin this morning. For nearly two weeks now I have been trying without success to contact the middle man who was supposed to be ordering the HEPS. Last week when I returned from Kitwe and still could not locate him I decided to go directly to the supplier to see if I couldn't get things rolling. Apparently they too were looking for that middle man, as his cheque for the first consignment of HEPS had bounced. They were being told that he was out of the country. So Cheryl Ann had to go into action. However, because of the bounced cheque, Quality Feeds did not want to give the regular discount nor did they want to give any credit. The discount I talked my way around but couldn't manage on the credit. So I got on the phone to Sergio Bersaglio in Kitwe and he agreed to do a bank transfer from the PAOC Zambia account to Quality Feeds' account in Lusaka. Again, forgetting where I was, that took more time than I expected. By Friday when I was expecting the truck from Lundazi the transfer still had not gone through. Why did I worry? The truck had problems on the way and it did not make it either! Yesterday morning I got a phone call from Quality Feeds saying the transfer had arrived and we could take delivery of the HEPS. Still no truck...till this morning. What a relief around 1:30 to see that loaded truck ready for take-off! Have you ever heard me say, "Nothing is ever easy in Africa?" Just another case at hand. But oh what a relief when it is all finished! Now hopefully I will see the HEPS being eaten by the children in the 13 Alpha Schools when I travel to Eastern Province next week to do the mid project assessment. Thanks Sergio for the hassles you went through to make that payment! Thanks Gillian for getting the money to Sergio to cover the expense! Please keep praying about those split peas. They still haven't sold so Gillian is really bailing us out on this project.
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