Last week I traveled three hours south to help our senior business advisors administer the second payment scheme. It is a shame that I only got to get out to the field so late in my stay because this is really where it all takes place, where everything that one is doing in the office comes to life and ultimately what the entire project is about. The second payment was recently introduced by Technoserve to make sure greater premiums paid for washed coffees make their way back to the farmer. Farmers deliver their coffee cherry to the wet mill/cooperative and are paid an initial sum of money. The wet mill then processes the cherry and sells the processed bean. If the wet mill makes a profit for that quarter/year they then pay the farmers an additional ... read more

Last weekend there was a music festival here sponsored by one of the local breweris; Mutzig. There was live music, (actually one of my friends was playing in the band), brochettes (beef kebab - the staple out here) and of course unlimited amounts of beer. And all of this for only FR5,000 (c.6/7GBP) - bargain! The venue was about 30 mins drive from the city center and they arranged a free shuttle service. I was quite surprised at how well organised everything was and I must say it really was a great night out. I guess the pics speak for themselves...... ... read more

The past weekend was a religious holiday in Ethiopia. Meskel is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration commemorating the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Eleni (Saint Helena) in the fourth century. The day is spent preparing for the evening service where people gather firewood for their bonfires, buy daisies for decorative purposes and typically dress in white clothing. It is generally a peaceful and spiritual occurrence however the night swiftly turns into an excuse for a piss up and raucous fire dance....pretty scary stuff! The main event occurred in Meskel square where thousands of Ethiopians from all over the country gathered for a governmental ceremony and lighting of the bonfire. I have never seen so many people packed into a confined space; so much so that myself and the guy standing next to me had to ... read more

Yesterday I joined a local gym which is another great example of something that is seemingly insignificant to most of my readers but a fascinating experience in East Africa. Avoiding the usual expat trap, I decided to boycott the more expensive Novotel Hotel gym and opt for the real deal; local, cheap, smelly and certainly authentic..grrrr. My gym is part of the national football stadium (Amohoro) which is just up the road from my house and costs a grand total of 22 GBP per month. Entering the weights arena for the first time was pretty intimidating. After overcoming the usual stares of fascination at the intrusion of white skin into an otherwise totally local affare, I quickly came to realise that I was also by the far the skinniest whipet in the room. Others were either ... read more

The title is not an exact reflection of what this post is about but as it develops so will you begin to understand.....let us begin. This weekend was a spontaneous decision to fly to Uganda for the weekend and add some spice to the entree. Myself and three colleagues ducked off work an hour early on Friday to catch the 6:45 flight to Entebbe, Kampala. It was actually a fantastic flight, left on time, good service which are both nearly impossible to come by around here. Sat next to a very interesting lady on the plane who used to work for Clinton and Bush Senior and has now started her own consultancy which bridges the gap between Western Capital and African opportunities...fascinating business and definitely going to be staying in touch. We landed in Kampala late ... read more