3 weeks in...
Spent today and yesterday at the Southern Mozambique VSO conference. Lots of presentations about people’s work and exchanging of ideas, which was interesting and productive, but also quite long-winded discussions and reviews of bureaucracy etc. Was good to meet the longer-serving volunteers, many of whom have been here for 2 or more years - good anecdotes, insight and tips. Also good meal afterwards last night – first dose of traditional Mozambican food. Really liked some of it – coconutty spinachy stuff, cassava, crab, but some dubious dishes like gizzard or something – chicken throat anyway – and this white pasty concoction that’s a real staple across Africa I think. It’s made out of flour and water, maybe maize too? I don’t know but I remember someone saying it’s the same stuff we use to paste up wall-paper at home if that gives some indication.
Have had a good week – more Portuguese basically and some interesting sessions (and some hopeless ones). One lecturer came from a local university to talk about the history of Mozambique. He made some enlightening comments about the relationship between the country’s demography and political allegiances. The 2 main (only) parties are Frelimo and Renamo. Frelimo started out as a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary group, supported by communist states. It originally won independence in ‘75 and has been in power since. Renamo was a reactionary guerrilla group who fought against them during the ‘civil’ war (were funded by pro-capitalist states – Zimbabwe, South Africa, US) then became the opposition party following the war’s end in ‘92. In light of the recent history, they are viewed as bandits (continually sabotaged Mozambiques’ infrastructure etc during the war, it was a mess) by some sections of the population, largely southern and northern regions, and supported in the central region, which was their stronghold. Their electoral support has declined in every election though. They don’t have a clear ideology/set of policies and are badly organised and Frelimo is really strong. Having such a weak opposition could prove destabilising for Moz, which has made a remarkably swift and stable transition since the end of the war to a reasonably functional democracy. Frelimo just had their annual party conference and some prominent members were sacked, so it’s looking a bit dodgy… Watch this space eh!
Found a new wonder-market. It’s half open, half little tunnel sections, with great produce – good quality, variety and very cheap – and people chat to you, so I was able to have some more staccato pidgin-Portuguese exchanges They are unduly rewarding! Imagine actual ‘conversations’!
Work-wise - am learning more about the realities of working within Mozambican systems, both from emerging problems with some people’s paper-work (I seem to be ok so far…) and tales from older volunteers. As you might expect, processes are often lengthy and haphazard. Lots of institutionalised corruption.
Oh, have met several people from VETAID (actually a British organisation and functional!) including both my immediate boss and the country boss. I will be working with the local partner organisations (the people who are supposed to implement VETAID’s strategy) in Portuguese, which currently seems like a bit of an impossible task. But, I’m told by people it’s been done before and I will learn quickly!
The staff in my office in Chokwe are Mozambican, apart from one Rwandan and my boss there who’s Kenyan. I met him yesterday as he was at the conference representing VETAID. He was really nice and jolly, and his being English-speaking will be v helpful. He said he was currently organising me my accommodation – according to the ‘stipulations’ which VSO must have made on my behalf, including. security considerations like burglar bars on the windows (although don’t picture a jail – most houses have them here and they’re actually quite quaint white lattice affairs!) being in the centre of town (not that Chokwe is very big by all accounts) and… 2 – 3 bedrooms?! Not sure why I need that but at least there’ll be room for people to stay. So come! It seems that flats/houses don’t actually come with just 1 bedroom here anyway, they just don’t really exist.
I’m writing this on my laptop in my room. The cultural centre next door are having one of their parties and are currently blasting out Haddaway’s ‘What is Love’. It’s reminding me of a family holiday to turkey when I as about 13. As usual, the dogs are barking along at top volume. The dogs are so noisy here. Loads of people have guard dogs, but next door have 9! Yap yap yap… how excessive! I was ready to shoot them in my first week but have now mellowed into resignation.
Oh, meeting the VETAID people clarified xmas a bit for me. Don’t actually have that long off - 23rd Dec - 2nd Jan, so am looking into joining some of the other volunteers on my scheme by Lake Malawi and maybe going to Vic Falls for New Year/full moon party. Nothing’s organised yet though as I need to clarify details with them and look into travel arrangements. On that note, think I’ll do that now otherwise it’ll be chicken-for-one in Chokers!
Have had a good week – more Portuguese basically and some interesting sessions (and some hopeless ones). One lecturer came from a local university to talk about the history of Mozambique. He made some enlightening comments about the relationship between the country’s demography and political allegiances. The 2 main (only) parties are Frelimo and Renamo. Frelimo started out as a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary group, supported by communist states. It originally won independence in ‘75 and has been in power since. Renamo was a reactionary guerrilla group who fought against them during the ‘civil’ war (were funded by pro-capitalist states – Zimbabwe, South Africa, US) then became the opposition party following the war’s end in ‘92. In light of the recent history, they are viewed as bandits (continually sabotaged Mozambiques’ infrastructure etc during the war, it was a mess) by some sections of the population, largely southern and northern regions, and supported in the central region, which was their stronghold. Their electoral support has declined in every election though. They don’t have a clear ideology/set of policies and are badly organised and Frelimo is really strong. Having such a weak opposition could prove destabilising for Moz, which has made a remarkably swift and stable transition since the end of the war to a reasonably functional democracy. Frelimo just had their annual party conference and some prominent members were sacked, so it’s looking a bit dodgy… Watch this space eh!
Found a new wonder-market. It’s half open, half little tunnel sections, with great produce – good quality, variety and very cheap – and people chat to you, so I was able to have some more staccato pidgin-Portuguese exchanges They are unduly rewarding! Imagine actual ‘conversations’!
Work-wise - am learning more about the realities of working within Mozambican systems, both from emerging problems with some people’s paper-work (I seem to be ok so far…) and tales from older volunteers. As you might expect, processes are often lengthy and haphazard. Lots of institutionalised corruption.
Oh, have met several people from VETAID (actually a British organisation and functional!) including both my immediate boss and the country boss. I will be working with the local partner organisations (the people who are supposed to implement VETAID’s strategy) in Portuguese, which currently seems like a bit of an impossible task. But, I’m told by people it’s been done before and I will learn quickly!
The staff in my office in Chokwe are Mozambican, apart from one Rwandan and my boss there who’s Kenyan. I met him yesterday as he was at the conference representing VETAID. He was really nice and jolly, and his being English-speaking will be v helpful. He said he was currently organising me my accommodation – according to the ‘stipulations’ which VSO must have made on my behalf, including. security considerations like burglar bars on the windows (although don’t picture a jail – most houses have them here and they’re actually quite quaint white lattice affairs!) being in the centre of town (not that Chokwe is very big by all accounts) and… 2 – 3 bedrooms?! Not sure why I need that but at least there’ll be room for people to stay. So come! It seems that flats/houses don’t actually come with just 1 bedroom here anyway, they just don’t really exist.
I’m writing this on my laptop in my room. The cultural centre next door are having one of their parties and are currently blasting out Haddaway’s ‘What is Love’. It’s reminding me of a family holiday to turkey when I as about 13. As usual, the dogs are barking along at top volume. The dogs are so noisy here. Loads of people have guard dogs, but next door have 9! Yap yap yap… how excessive! I was ready to shoot them in my first week but have now mellowed into resignation.
Oh, meeting the VETAID people clarified xmas a bit for me. Don’t actually have that long off - 23rd Dec - 2nd Jan, so am looking into joining some of the other volunteers on my scheme by Lake Malawi and maybe going to Vic Falls for New Year/full moon party. Nothing’s organised yet though as I need to clarify details with them and look into travel arrangements. On that note, think I’ll do that now otherwise it’ll be chicken-for-one in Chokers!
posted by Elizabeth Drew at 4:47 pm
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