but seriously

While I am very aware that I am a visitor on the outside of the project here, I’m about to pull a Charlie Sheen and let you know the truth.

This project needs some serious help. There are management issues, housing issues, logistical issues, and personnel issues. This is Africa, so there is a certain amount of discrepancy between what is said and what is to done to be expected. However, Simon’s company is also based in Africa. Don Pedro, his in-country boss has lived here in Guinea for 23 years. He speaks the local language, understands the customs so much that he is almost more Guinean than Spanish at this point. Obviously, things happen at their own pace here. Knowing all of this, it baffles me is that the bosses continue to be surprised/angry over the delays. I feel like I can see better how things work having only been here for one month (happy anniversary to me)!

Here’s the scoop: After the initial company visit in late Nov/early Dec, housing was agreed to be ready Jan 1 2011. There were 3 buildings requisitioned; two independent houses and a HUGE building that contains 2 living units and the office, let’s call it the big one, that was only walls and a frame when they came in the winter. In Jan, someone else was renting one of the independent houses until the end of March. The other one needed was “not ready” and the big house was a disaster. No floors, no doors, no windows, just a pile of stuff. They said 2 weeks for the big one, and because that was soon enough nothing was rushed to fill the immediate need of the team.

2 months later they are still living with the nuns. Now it’s been 3 months and here’s the progress: the upper living unit is close to finished. There are still pipes poking out of the side of the house, the plumbing has not been installed which is good because the septic tanks are also only half finished. However, the inside has been beautifully painted a bright aqua green, actually my favorite color – to wear. 2 more weeks they say.

In the meantime, Simon and I have worn out our welcome with the lovely missionary and have moved in with the young Spaniard Tomás. The house is lovely, actually bigger and lighter than the first. But he has two kitties that are pretty mangy (don’t touch them, he told me). One has ringworm. The house smells like cat pee and poo. There are no screens on the windows. That was going to be my job for today, but because of project-cost miscommunications, again, we are out of money. (It’s a cash-only country). There is “running” water, but it comes out at a little more than a dribble. We’re still living out of suitcases. Simon says that he lived better as a Peace Corps volunteer.

I wouldn’t mind so much if anyone would recognize or take responsibility for the situation, but instead people just are getting stressed and angry about not having their own space and the 2 spanish guys have started a we-control-everything club. It’s not so friendly. The other issue is that the big company doesn’t want me here. Legally they couldn’t tell me not to come, but they won’t assume liability for me now that I am here. If anything serious happened to me, and there were cars available, not on serious-project missions into the big city(note sarcasm), I’m sure they would take me to Bata. If they answered the phone.

The newest best thing is that there is an addition to the team. A financier, logistician and HR guy all rolled into one. He is a middle aged Italian guy with a lot of experience in the field, a great sense of humor and tends to be able to read between the lines better than anyone else here.