Letter from Mwanza - No 14

So what’s it like in Africa?

I think I have covered most of my economic and political thoughts about this patch of Africa – in somewhat of a superficial and subjective way, so unless something grabs my attention this will be my last blog. I will leave the description of the rest of time here in the very capable hands of Jane who is faster and better at it.

I have completed the Report on MSA. I say completed but I am struggling to get my memory stick to carry information from the MSA computer to any other one!! I therefore had a plan to print it off and then take and get it copied downtown. Unfortunately at this very moment the ink in the printer decided it had had enough, and thus the next project is to find the right cartridge for the printer. Essentially the hope is by opening up computer tuition classes enough income can be generated to keep the show on the road. This week is important as hopefully the report can also be used to persuade the landlord not to take any drastic action that could jeopardize the continued use of the building. MSA has been unable to pay anything this year. So I really hope the fellow will give Moshye time, and some income starts to come in from the new computer centre and education tuition classes, which should get going again in May. I also really hope the ventures we have agreed on take off, but the hard reality is it is up to him. He is a good person, who wants to help others. He deserves to succeed.

So what’s it like in Africa, or more to the point what are my impressions now? I should clarify that this question is more specifically related to this particular part of Tanzania, and I make no claim to it being the same or similar to other parts of Africa. I am just reading a book by Tim Butcher called ‘Blood River’ describing his journey through Congo in 2004, and I see no comparison between ‘peaceful’ Tanzania, and ‘chaotic and cruel’ Congo. Back to the question…………. It is a hard one, and whatever the answer it can’t be answered by making European / Western comparisons. If we were to ask ourselves what Britain was like we would probably talk about GNP per head, state of the health service, roads, education, and then compare them with say France, Germany or the USA. We would then say we are better or worse depending on our own personal experiences, or economic analysis. We may then talk about the effectiveness or otherwise of our politicians and their parties to improve things or make them worse.

If the same comparisons are done here every one would be hugely gloomy. Both national GNP and GNP per head are abysmally low, the health service by any European standard would be crisis/meltdown, the roads – well there are some, and education has all sorts of problems such as the one where pupils have to pay for the use of a desk and chair at many Secondary Schools. I could go on, but you get the drift! Ok so what is it like? I can’t make any objective and substantiated claims, only give some personal observations after my 6 or so weeks here.

In physical terms it can be seen there are some very smart and expensive buildings, and there are many many more that are no more than huts. There is electricity and water, but they don’t cover a large percentage of the population, and even where they do seem to be sporadic and unreliable. There are vehicles, some are swanky new 4x4s, but most are beaten up cast offs from the Middle or Far East. There are shops, hotels, cafes, banks, offices and all the names we can associate with. Few can be compared to their image we have of them at home, except perhaps the banks. What is it about banks that make them to be so annoyingly luxurious and uninviting? The 2 or 3 ‘supermarkets’ in Mwanza could all fit into a reasonably sized Spar or Co-op. Many of the shops are little changed from the 1930 to 1950s as the names of the owners and dates testify. Many were owned by Asian families, and many still are. As I have implied the roads cannot be described as good or even adequate. Yes there is a structure of tarmac roads, but it is limited and very soon you find yourself on different quality dust roads or tracks. The degree to which the road is rutted depends to a great extent on the rainfall. So a steep road often shares itself with a river for a short time, and then when the water has rushed away taking with it some of the surface it leave new crevices and canyons for future navigation.

So in man-made physical terms Mwanza could not be described as modern, luxurious, efficient, or anything we have learnt to expect living in Europe. Nature, however, has endowed this part of Africa with a special beauty. Its warm climate, vivid brick red earth, goliath rocks ‘thrown’ randomly onto the landscape in a spectacular fashion, and there is the blueness. Blue of the sky contrasting with the blue of the lake. A lake that seems more like a sea with its waves and size. Then there is the verdant green which together with the red and blue forms a jigsaw-like flag. In the middle of all this is humanity - a humanity that seems more noisy, colourful, smiling and interacts closely with itself. Forced together by walking at the side of roads, cycling, pushing all sorts of things, stuffed into Daladalas, huddled under trees talking, or even in front of loudspeakers proclaiming religion or something, and then perhaps just hanging around together waiting for something.

So you decide which is best?

I am now looking forward to seeing family and friends who are able to come and celebrate Jenny’s wedding. It will be a great week and hopefully set Jenny and Joey up for their exciting time together. They both did a remarkable job this weekend by putting on a charity event at the Tilapia Hotel to raise money for two very worthwhile causes. They did it with style and professionalism, and it is lovely to see two people working so well together.

So unless something really captivates me I will sign off and look forward to seeing you all back in the UK.
Donald