You remember that series 'Lost'? The one about the plane crash and the island and all that funny stuff happening? If you don't, what I'm about to talk about might not make too much sense. But today felt very much like a particular episode of that.
There's this guy that Francis knows, his name is Blessing and he works as an accountant for one or both of the aforementioned Italian fuel companies. He also has a daughter, Nicole, who comes to our school.
First of all, Blessing has a car, a nice white 4x4 - a relatively new and clean one, which is rare around here - which has already proven useful. Blessing, his wife, Nicole, Francis, Sue and I drove about 5 kilometres down the only road to three solitary tables by the side of the road, these tables manned by 3 elderly women. There wasn't much else but lots of tomatoes in bowls on display, and that was lucky because it's what we'd come for: good quality tomatoes! Now, do bear in mind that when I say 'good quality', it's all relative - less yellow and pockmarked but slightly more red is probably more of an accurate description.
Anyway, on the way back Blessing said he'd take us to his house, to which we agreed. It's in a small complex of about 10 large concrete box houses, apparently built by the company for it's more senior employees. I wasn't aware of anything other than huts in village so a nice car and proper houses was a bit of a surprise.
So you know that episode of Lost where they find the hatch? The one where they go inside and find that countdown clock thing that they have to enter some numbers into every so often? Well if you don't, I'll explain. As well as this weird clock thing, inside the hatch it's like a huge time capsule from the 70's. There's the obvious 70's decor, a vinyl player, canned food and condiments, a projector of sorts (or maybe it's an old TV), old computers, as well as 70's furniture, running water and all the usual household items. All things you wouldn't expect to find on a desert island.
I'm not saying that Blessing's house is like a time capsule form the 70's, but it turns out Blessing's house isn't too far off. He's got all the proper furniture you'd expect in a proper house, a large music system, loads of toys for Nicole, air conditioning, fast internet and one massive plasma screen TV with all the channels; sports, films, news etc.
It felt very, very strange to have come all the way to Mozambique to be sitting on a comfy sofa with cushions, in front of a (very loud) TV with everything around me that I have at my own home. It felt even stranger when you consider the juxtaposition between Blessing and the people who live so very basically just outside of his house.
Dispute the obvious difference between Blessing and the majority of the village; both parties seem equally happy and content with the situation. Admittedly, one side doesn't have much of a choice, but whenever you go around the village, nobody looks unhappy, everyone just gets on with things. They have clothes, food, jobs and shelter, and with those few things, they seem to do just fine.
I'd maybe somewhat shortsightedly assumed that all I would find in this village would be quite a few unhappy people living in shacks and cooking on fires. Although they do live in shacks and cook on fires, I'm glad to find that rather than being starving and unhappy, they're doing very well on their own. So rather than even more clothes or more food handouts, all these people really could do with now is an education. And that's what this school is here help with.
