Moving Mountains

"Experience is the greatest teacher," might be the best cliche ever invented. Arriving back in Uganda in mid-March, I set high goals and standards for my team to meet and follow for the roughly six weeks that I am working here in Kampala. As of right this second, Saturday, April 3, 2010, we will accomplish our goals before I leave, but not without a tremendous fight and a tiny bit of divine intervention. 

I'll be completely honest, the Ugandan culture has been a rude awakening for me. "This Is Kampala" (TIK) or "This Is Africa" (TIA) is not a funny expression to me any longer! In one of my earlier posts, I wrote regarding the expression, "As easy and clear as I can say it, basically take every notion of common sense and flip it on it's head." As I have become more accustomed to the culture, I have learned that TIK or TIA not only applies to the minutiae of everyday life (which can be funny), but also to business and government, two institutions that I am dealing with on a daily basis. I'm glad my guys and I are tough, because it takes moving mountains to accomplish any large tasks. 

In the book, "Three Cups of Tea," there is a reoccurring theme involving the main character, Greg Mortenson. Being raised by his missionary parents in Tanzania, Greg is naturally programmed to be on "African time." As described in the book, he is often unreachable - disappearing for days, weeks, and even months. He is never on time, missing deadlines and commitments. He drives his business associates up the wall, but his family and close friends seem to just accept that Greg is forever on African time. 

It's this "African time" that is driving me nuts! When I set goals, it's do it or die trying. When I give my word, shake someones hand, and look them in the eye, I am putting my honor on accomplishing whatever we agreed upon. Again, I am going to follow through or die trying. For someone who has had a life of coaches breathing down my neck, I pride myself on being punctual, following instructions, accomplishing goals, and being honest. I would say most of my closest friends are from a similar mold - it's the classic American work ethic, but in Uganda, all bets are off. 

So, what is "African time"? 

Here are some pretty awesome quotes:

From an anonymous lady in my apartment lobby this morning - "Our appointment was for 10 and it is now 12." Hangs up the phone angrily... "Only in Africa does a scheduled meeting time really mean two hours later from that scheduled time." 

And from the Indian at our equipment supply store after I became upset over a missed deadline that was not met from his end - "This is just how business in Uganda works. You can schedule an appointment for Tuesday, but you really never know what Tuesday of the month it's going to end up being on."

Here is a perfect example of how "African time" has effected our goals and timelines:

My 600L milk cooler was supposed to be here in Kampala two weeks ago, as promised (hand shake and all) by our supplier. Without our milk cooler, we have no business. The best part, our original goal was to launch Mary's Milk by this Monday, April 5th - no longer possible! So, what happened to our cooler? Answer: Mombassa, Kenya. Yep, it's stuck in another country. Uganda is a land locked country, so unless a good is flown in, it is shipped in via boat through the massive port of Mombassa. Next, it is transported via truck to it's intended address, but that's a gamble in itself. If Hell was a series of roads, it would be the roads moving from Mombassa to Kampala. I hope you are getting an idea for how slow things move. 

I mentioned that the cooler was stuck in Mombassa, but why? Because the authorities in Mombassa are corrupt (and smart). They will literally hold up the delivery of goods to the rightful owners through extortion, bribery, or whatever other mean necessary to pinch a few extra dollars for themselves. As our cooler supplier explained, he was forced to pay off the tricksters in Mombassa, delaying the delivery date of the goods. Beautiful!

Basically, "African time" means "at your leisure." It's also based on a snails pace. Commitments are open ended. Promises are taken with a grain of salt. Hand shakes are merely a friendly gesture. Corruption will no doubt find a way in and slow you down even more. These are cultural forces that are out of your control. 

It's not all elephants and palm trees in Uganda. But, there's no giving up in this group. We will overcome whatever cultural obstacles we face and fulfill our obligations to the mission. 

Happy Easter!!!