The Detritus of my Existence

The Detritus of my Existence

15^th September 2006
I remember waiting for the mayor in the cool confines of the Municipal Town Hall in Dumangas. Emma - a fellow volunteer - was with me. She was frantically removing the mud from her legs in an effort to look respectable. A marked contrast to the formal business suit she was used to wearing back in England.

Like Emma, things have changed dramatically for me. Not only in my appearance - I prefer African shirts to business suits - but also in my existence. The comfy climes of my apartment in Roslyn are but a distant memory. Replaced instead by home-stays in the Philippines, guesthouses in Ghana and Uganda and the concreted floors of numerous village compounds.

It was while lying on such a concrete floor - desperately trying to find a position that didn't put pressure on my hips, knees or elbows - that I glanced around at the detritus that surrounded me.

Gone were the computers, cell-phones, project plans and scribbled object-hierarchies the characterised my life at Enabling Technologies.

Gone were the televisions, pizza boxes, microwaves, remote controls and oil-heaters that characterised my life in my old apartment.

The objects that I now considered necessities surrounded me on that concrete floor. They were:

A woven flax mat
Useful for removing the chill of a concrete floor.
A mosquito net
Useful for keeping snakes (they sometimes sneak into your room), cockroaches (sometimes), mice and mosquitoes.
A tattered backpack
A faithful companion originally purchased in the Philippines.
Jandals
Or flip-flops, sandals and slippers if you come from somewhere other than Aotearoa. Great for hot climates, although they can lead to some rather unusual patterns on your feet.
Sneakers
Great for longer walks where the ankle-grinding jandals are no longer comfortable.
Cell-phone
One of the few constants from my previous life. My cell-phone makes me contactable just about anywhere - even remote African villages.

Pick up any phone in the world, dial 00 256 774 28 1222, and a bedraggled, unshaven volunteer worker is likely to answer.
Digital Camera
I'd hate to be without my camera. I take so many photos. Forty per day in the Philippines, sixteen a day in Ghana and nineteen a day so far here in Uganda.

I like to think one or two of them are good.
i-POD
Another high tech gadget that I'd hate to be without. I would struggle to update this website without it (it can be used like a key-drive).

Also very useful in creating a "Me Space" when crammed inside African transport.
Reading Material
Not only do your living conditions and attire change, the types of books you read change as well. At the moment, I am traipsing my way through the following tomes:
- The End of Poverty by Jeffery Sachs
  A fantastic book that I have read more than once.
- Deglobalization - Walden Bello
  Tries to debunk - among other things - the ideas expressed in The End of Poverty and - for the most part - fails.
- Guns, Germs and Steel by Jarred Diamond
  Ever wondered why the aboriginal people of Australia were still trapped in the Stone Age when the met up with European travelers? Was it because they were dumb? Jarred Diamond says no.
  
  Guns, Germs and Steel is non-racist sideways view of human history.
- Darfur - a Short History of a Long War
  The history of the long war in Sudan - the country to the north of Uganda.
  
  Sudan has become very interesting to me ever since I learnt of the teaching positions there that provide free food and accommodation... Sustainable volunteerism. Hmm...
- Travel Writing - Don George
  A book I borrowed from Erina. While I am not interested in become a professional travel writer, it is still a good book to read as I enjoy writing so much.
A book to write in
An essential addition to my bag of tricks when power - and therefore my laptop - is not available. Great for writing down notes when interviewing ladies for the upcoming website, and getting down my "headfull of thoughts that are driving me insane^*".
Hand sanitiser
It is too easy to get too dirty in Africa. Smelly kids, dusty roads and dirty floors only add to the problem. Having a bottle of hand sanitiser handy is most useful. Just drop a dollop in your palm, wring your hands and you've killed 99.9% of the germs.
An orange bag full of toiletries
The bag was kindly supplied by the good folks at Enabling Technologies as a leaving gift. It contains tootpaste, toothbrushes, soap and the like.

^*Maggie's Farm - Bob Dylan (again).

Do you like the work that I am doing?

Wanna help in a real and tangible way?

Then visit GrassRootsUganda.com and purchase some crafts made by Ugandan ladies. 100% of the profits are returned to the ladies

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(c) 2005, 2006 and 2007 Malcolm Trevena.
All the stuff on this site is written by me, Malcolm Trevena. Feel free to link to this page. Heck, you can even copy stuff from here if you want. Just make sure you sight me as a reference.