Hey everyone!

I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated this thing, but I have been waiting for something very important to happen before I do. However, at the rate things happen here, who really knows when anything is going to happen...so I write now... right now!

Many of you have been asking, ‘Jesse, what is it exactly you are doing there...what’s your job description? Are you working hard?’

I’ll answer these questions by way of a story (having never been one to get right to the point).

I had a hell of a time getting a hold of Handicap International Mozambique while I was in Canada. I had all sorts of questions for them...what’s my job going to be like, do I need to bring anything for it....reference books, work boots???? I really had no idea.

They didn’t respond. Finally, just after midnight the day before I flew out, (at this point I was already in Calgary with no chance to pack or repack); I got an email saying, ‘sorry Jesse, we are swamped here....but we know you exist and we will meet you at the airport.

They met me at the airport and a few days later flew me from Maputo to Inhambane....they met me at that airport too!

At the office I was given a quaint little work station – laptop and internet. However, one key piece of the puzzle that they did not give me....was work. I spent a few days adding suspected mine field data to google earth. This I was told was going to be used for a report they were writing for the National Institute of Demining here in Mozambique. I was later told that due to copy write restrictions, they wouldn’t be using it.

‘They have copy write in Mozambique’, I thought to myself??

‘I wonder if they guy I buy dvds from knows that.’

This was an informative task, however, insofar as it really put into focus the fact that, here in Moz, there are still mine fields everywhere....well.....not everywhere....but they very well could be....and if you remember from my last post, that is half the problem right? I have included some for your perusal.

Also, in at desperate attempt at legitimacy around the office here, I`m now spending my weekends doing manual demining.

Aaaaaaannnnd I'm kidding of course....this is from my visit to the mine field last month....

anyway

There are two people in my office that speak English. Aderito, who is my boss, the program director and an excellent dude, and Eric, a Belge, who doesn’t seems to notice me one way or another.

Immediately after my arrival, Aderito left for Maputo, as there was some political mishap that he had to take care of. This took close to a month. This left me with Eric. I have to file these reports to Canada every month, with my progress, what I am accomplishing, what my future tasks will be etc. Last month I asked Eric what I could expect to be doing the next month....as I had to let Canada know. He looked at me as though I had asked him what the meaning of life was. For a good chunk of my first month here, I had absolutely nothing to do. NOTHING. I have since learned that this is quite common with the CIDA internships.

I really struggled with this situation for a while. At first I felt really guilty.

‘What am I doing here?’

‘Is there something I am doing wrong?’

‘I likely make more money than anyone else in this office...and for what?’

I was told in my orientation in Canada that I would, to some extent, be required to find my own niche. However, being dumped in front of a computer in an office full of people that are extremely busy and with whom you cannot speak makes this exceedingly difficult.

It was well over a month into my placement that I learned the reason for my sitting around. The job for which they hired me (or rather put in a request for someone like me) was finished months before I got here. In a dramatic reversal of how things normally happen here (both in Africa and the international development world), the job was complete before they thought it would be.

My time here has not been wasted though. I am learning a lot, though about things I didn’t think I would be learning about.

I am learning about international politics – about international development bureaucracy, greed and competition.

It seems the main concern with all the companies working in the development sector is securing more funding to continue what they are doing. In this way, they are responsible to the people giving them money, not the people whose lives they are trying to improve. The donors seldom know what’s best for the people in the developing world, as they live perched high atop buildings in shiny Canadian, American, British and French cities – and are busy patting one another on the back for a job well done. The development sector seems to be as much about meetings and dinner and drinks in Geneva or Rome or (this year) Amman as it is about enacting any real change....and then following it up to see if it sticks and is sustainable.

From what I can ascertain from the limited perspective of my humble workstation in Inhambane, is that this is a broken system.

There are a few companies working Mozambique demining. Demining is really a noble thing, however, these companies do not get along with one another and the work often gets mired in competition, or politicking or complete and total bullshit. This is why Aderito was in Maputo for a month around when I arrived.

A shocking amount of time is spent by this organization not demining. Not really by any fault of their own, thats just how it goes.

So the thing that I have been waiting for before writing a new post was actually having something to do. And it’s happened! I get to conduct a small training seminar on GIS to the people in the field who collect the data on the suspected mine fields. Though, already I can see that it is going to be more a seminar on geography (ie. Area is not the same as perimeter! That sort of thing). I also get to complete and edit a report that they are turning over to their donors to let the them know whats up. Gotta keep those doners happy eh.

Oh....man.....I know this is getting long, but I want to say one more thing about funding. Handicap’s demining funding is getting cut right after I leave. They will have to shut down the whole operation. They are funded mostly by Canadians. The CAW (Canadian Auto Workers Union) has a social justice fund that they dole out to worthy causes. This is matched dollar for dollar by the Canadian Government. Or rather it was....The Feds pulled the plug on the funding.

It is generally thought around here that the money once slated for demining in Mozambique has been diverted to fund the killing of Afghans and Canadians in Afghanistan.

Wow...so there you have it....even at this length, it is only a part of what I wanted to say, but I know this is getting looooong. I’ll give you a quick view of my life outside of work.

I play the geet’r in a reggae band. It’s pretty fantastic. They lead singer is this skinny little dude, who can WAIL. He sings without a mike and is well heard over a full on electric band. He also dances around like a madman and wears fake dreadlocks for concerts. He is really well known in Inhambane and every Sunday, he puts on this thing which is almost a game show for kids – big spectacle. He invited me to it last week – I got there, went up on stage, rocked a guitar solo, and sat down. It was weird.

We play three times a week and we rock (or whatever ever the equivalent verb is for reggae.) Even got a couple of shows coming up. I’ve been bring up the rock factor there by a bit, and it’s always interesting to mix genres and see what you get. The Mozambique take on the White Stripes is pretty freaking weird.

I met a dude at the Dama Do Bling show who has a radio show every Sunday. He invited me on to talk about music, which was cool. I am going on next week to try and find some landmine survivors so I can meet them and hear their stories – take their photos, and learn about their lives.

I also just got back from a vacation in Malawi where I hung out with Danny Howard. It was intense, but definitely good to see that man. Holy mother does that guy know a lot.

I will post some photos soon from my time there. And I promise that one will be more pictures....less words.

Take care y’all.