Saturday, June 11, 2005
Friday, June 10, 2005
Well, the school closed today. Sort of. The O-level (grades 8-11) closed, but the higher grades will continue. But then, parts of grades 9 and 11 will also remain so they can prepare for their National Examinations in October. There was a “short” teacher’s meeting with the Headmaster to talk about the details of all this. It lasted from 10:00 until 2:00. At least it was in English this time, not Kiswahili.
The average score on my final exam was 29, although one bright kid got a 97 and another, an 89. In the past I would have felt very bad about such a low average score, but this time I’m pissed off enough to just let it ride. I told them what would be on the test, and I told them that my last several classes would be very important. So when they chose not to come to class or not to take notes or not to look at the notes they took --- they deserve what they got. The breakout is: A = 4, B = 12, C = 27, D = 34, and FAIL = 27. Not a nice bell-shaped curve.
Meanwhile, Prosper Rwegoshora arrived yesterday morning from the TechnoServe office in Dar es Salaam to see how things are going on the entrepreneurship courses. So yesterday and today I was sheparding him to our classes at the various schools, and tomorrow (Saturday) we will have a seminar to talk about how things are going and to hear his comments about what he has seen here. I think both TechnoServe and we are surprised and pleased at how our relationship has developed. TechnoServe certainly gave us lots more support than I had anticipated, and I think we have become a very significant part of their program, establishing it in the northwestern Lake Region where they had no presence at all, before.
Rwegoshora is a strange guy. Quite friendly, as long as you aren’t looking at him. We had some very interesting discussions as we traveled around. His appearance is totally ascetic, like a cold fish. He is older, very thin, wears a perpetual scowl, and he looks as if he just took a big bite from a fresh lime and now can’t find a glass of water to dilute it. It certainly gives him a strong presence. He spoke at length to the students at all the schools, and they gave him rapt attention. Wish I understood what he was saying, to know how he got such a response.
With Rwegoshora, I tried out the concept that has been developing in my head, that when our Indian guest speakers talk about the importance of HONESTY in business, that they are talking past our students. That there are basic cultural differences, so that “honesty” in a western culture has no parallel in the African culture. In Africa, contracts are negotiable, not immutable. Specifications are not expected to be fulfilled, and constant contract adjustments for cost “overruns” are taken for granted. This is true whether the job is a household plumbing repair or a major government road contract. It is no wonder that the Indian businessmen I talk to say that the cost of corruption in its various forms adds 20% to the cost of doing business here. Surprisingly, Rwegoshora agreed with my thesis, and commented that until this culture changes, somehow, it will be difficult to develop a strong, viable and growing economy.
Maybe that explains some of his perpetual scowl. It certainly explains my feeling that Tony Blair’s call for doubling aid to Africa is almost surely throwing good money after bad. Direct foreign aid already accounts for over 40% of Tanzania’s annual budget, and that isn’t enough? In my mind, what is needed is: Grass roots assistance in teaching basic business techniques, technology sharing, the total elimination of European and especially USA domestic agricultural subsidies, and permission for 3rd world countries to protect selected domestic industries for some period of time. And maybe some form of selected debt relief makes sense (?) I’m not enough of an economist to have an intelligent opinion. That should stop me?
But anyway....
*** !!! VOTE FOR ME for INTERNATIONAL TRADE CZAR !!! ***
Meanwhile, back here in the bush:
On Sunday I fly to Dar es Salaam for a few days. The Peace Corps asked me to assist in a program for PSDN Training, which I think stands for Peer Support and Diversity Network or something like that. I think it basically means lend a shoulder and be a friend to any volunteer who is having some trouble adapting to life here. Some four or five of us are supposed to present a skit on cultural problems, I think. OK, I can do that. And it will be good to see a bunch of other volunteers again. The Lake Region out here feels a bit isolated from most of the group we started with.
