It has been a long time since I last wrote in English in this blog. I assume that, my English - speaking friends do not even bother anymore to check if there are any news, short stories or just a photo or indication about where I am.
So today, and before we cut the generator (so i have to cut de crap fast and go straight to the point), I am doing so. Giving an update, telling what I have been doing and what I am supposed to do next.
I am writing from Makanza, or Mankanza, a small village on the beach of the Congo River, in the DRC side. I have come here as part of a routine visit to all the bases where we have on - going projects. That might not mean a lot to you now but, this means 3 bases in the Equator, 1 in the Oriental Province, 2 bases in Sud Kivu and 1 Base in Katanga, plus de coordination bases in Bukavu and Kinshasa. Telling it this way, it sound a lot, and it is loads of kilometres in a huge country as DRC, where there is mostly no roads, and most of the communications must be done using the river/lake transport and the aleatory ECHO or UN flights.
So that's the place where I am. You know what I do. Logistics. So I am responsible to the logistics in this country for the organisation, trying to bring in goods and people, storing them (the goods) and taking them to the places where they are needed (the goods, and the people). Basic staff if I had not told you before about the transport complexities of this country.
When I say that I do it, it is not true. There is always somebody else who does it. I try to put all of them together, get them deliver good results, protect them from the frustrations of all expats who thinks that, if DHL can deliver with 24 hours from London to New York, it should not be so difficult to do the same within one country.
And they are so wrong. It hardly ever happens. When we, all logisticians, sit together around one table we share deceivement, anger and, definitely some beer. Because beer is the only thing is always there, on time, even cold. Price is other story. The prices raise as the difficulties with the transport, and believe me, to bring beer into some places of this country is really difficult.
So that what I do, and what I have been doing for nearly the last six months and. in one month I am finishing doing so. I will pack my bags, and fly back to Spain, get some real food, good sleep, clean my bike, and start getting ready for my skiing season.
What's next? Maybe is up to ICRC, or any other organisation who proposes me to go somewhere else.May be I find a job in Europe. May be you have some tip, a brilliant idea or you need a logistician, cost optimiser, project enable, or whatever you can call me these days.
The only sure thing is that, in one month, I will be back in Huesca. And that alone already sounds great :-)
So today, and before we cut the generator (so i have to cut de crap fast and go straight to the point), I am doing so. Giving an update, telling what I have been doing and what I am supposed to do next.
I am writing from Makanza, or Mankanza, a small village on the beach of the Congo River, in the DRC side. I have come here as part of a routine visit to all the bases where we have on - going projects. That might not mean a lot to you now but, this means 3 bases in the Equator, 1 in the Oriental Province, 2 bases in Sud Kivu and 1 Base in Katanga, plus de coordination bases in Bukavu and Kinshasa. Telling it this way, it sound a lot, and it is loads of kilometres in a huge country as DRC, where there is mostly no roads, and most of the communications must be done using the river/lake transport and the aleatory ECHO or UN flights.
So that's the place where I am. You know what I do. Logistics. So I am responsible to the logistics in this country for the organisation, trying to bring in goods and people, storing them (the goods) and taking them to the places where they are needed (the goods, and the people). Basic staff if I had not told you before about the transport complexities of this country.
When I say that I do it, it is not true. There is always somebody else who does it. I try to put all of them together, get them deliver good results, protect them from the frustrations of all expats who thinks that, if DHL can deliver with 24 hours from London to New York, it should not be so difficult to do the same within one country.
And they are so wrong. It hardly ever happens. When we, all logisticians, sit together around one table we share deceivement, anger and, definitely some beer. Because beer is the only thing is always there, on time, even cold. Price is other story. The prices raise as the difficulties with the transport, and believe me, to bring beer into some places of this country is really difficult.
So that what I do, and what I have been doing for nearly the last six months and. in one month I am finishing doing so. I will pack my bags, and fly back to Spain, get some real food, good sleep, clean my bike, and start getting ready for my skiing season.
What's next? Maybe is up to ICRC, or any other organisation who proposes me to go somewhere else.May be I find a job in Europe. May be you have some tip, a brilliant idea or you need a logistician, cost optimiser, project enable, or whatever you can call me these days.
The only sure thing is that, in one month, I will be back in Huesca. And that alone already sounds great :-)
