The last post sounded too positive. This one intends to give a more balanced picture of what goes on here.
Frustrations!
We work in a windowless office room eight hours a day. The doors do open to the front room and plenty of light. I go out to the patio, usually for lunch, sit under the tree and contemplate the city views. We can see half a tennis court below and watch one side of the game being played. (The players have skills!) I also wander around the patio and visit my favorite plants/flowers.
I have to do a lot of work on the computer making the online PEF demand. It is a complicated and tricky 16-step process. THEN there is another 7-step process involving sending the application back and forth several times between Salt Lake, South Africa, a church contact here, me and South Africa again...then, if all the roadblocks have been surmounted, the loan money is disbursed to the school the applicant wants to go to. By this time, school has often started, and the applicant has to go a month or so late and make up all the work he/she missed. I am not good at this kind of computer work and it is a struggle for me. Fortunately there is a very supportive contact in South Africa who helps me when he can.
The banks in Madagascar...this will take a long time to explain. Suffice it to say that half the time South Africa gets PEF repayments from recipients without knowing who made them. Then I am supposed to figure that out.
On a more positive side, Sister Florine is a huge help contacting Malagasy officials since many don't speak much French and obviously she communicates with them in Malagasy.
That's all for now...more pics and upbeat reports next time!
No comments:
Post a Comment