Lunch, biltong & land

Well we're all sated now after a traditional African lunch of beans and rice with a piece of glass and a piece of rock in Rob's. Yours for 1.50USD. And if you ask 3 times you'll get your change back.

The news? We have signed and swapped contracts on Fathers Tom's land, yes, the volunteer/office block - 3acres with a house with electricity and piped water and an inside loo (the luxury - and it's not a drop tank!) aaaand with gorgeous thick, deep, dark topsoil for the crop fields. The soil is dark but not too dark. Apparently it's important to avoid the black cotton soil (did I say that in an earlier blog?) as it's dodge to build or crop on. Our soil however, would make Australian farmers weep, confirms Rob who informs us that his wife, Jen, has just completed some fancy-pants degree in soil studies. Every expert we need - at our finger tips! So much so, it's getting a bit spooky.

So, I made that land purchase sound easy. Let me take you thru the dramas JUST BRIEFLY, for really, i don't want to live the rollercoaster again. So Sunday (day of rest for many Africans - not those standing near me!) I round up Nolasco, and the village chief (20-minute drive up the road) and get them to sign the contracts stating that the village council is happy for the land purchase. On the way home, I tell Nolasco, it'd be great if we could take the next step and get an answer from Father Tom as to whether he will accept our original offer of 25,000USD and not his more recent counter offer of 27,000USD. Nolasco replies that he has sent an email to Father Tom (who resides in America) but has not heard back. I say "well, then, I think he will pay. After all, we are now giving him the money in one lump sum, whereas before, it was a deposit and then several payments over six months." Nolasco nods. I say "Well, then I think we should arrange for Father Tom's Power Of Attorney and his witness to come to the school to sign the contract my lawyer has drawn up stating a sale of 25,000USD". Nolasco nods and gets on the phone and starts yelling. This is the African way with mobiles. You don't really need the actual phone because you yell into the piece so loud that everyone within a 60km radius can hear you. The meeting is arranged to take place at 10am on Monday morning at the Christian Brothers school in Headmaster Brother Frank's office. Brother Frank doesn’t know this yet. I say goodbye to Nolasco and start frantically ringing brother frank to say despite the fact we have NO agreement from Father Tom that he will accept the 25,000USD, I have drawn up the contract (x 3 copies), had the village chief sign and stamp it (x3 copies) and have arranged a meeting in his office for 10am. Of course, I can't get onto Brother Frank and go to bed with an anxious heart and racing mind. After all, this little meeting could turn out to be a little bit embarassing if these 'minor' factors of agreement of price & agreement of signatures don't actually come off!

I wake in the morning, make my way to the school, arrive at 10am. Brother Frank is in a flap (well, he's a pretty calm dude, so a 'flap' might be an overstatement!) because 4 of his teachers have not yet shown up. I'm in a flap (an actual one, sans overstatement) because Nolasco & Power of Attorney and witnesses are nowhere in sight. I make the most of their absence by filling in Bro Frank about what's going down……. I fill him in. he copes (he's clearly seen bigger spakheads than me in his time). There is a little hitch in that Frank already has a meeting booked for 10.30am and this is now the time. I scadaddle out the door and wait a few more to find 3 neatly suited figures heading up the school's driveway. Feeling very spiffy in my mudcaked sneakers, shorts, tshirts and unwashed hair (showers not working - no water).






Eventually we hassle frank out of his original meeting and get him to welcome us into his office. We are 8. Daz, Rob, Me, Weenies, Frank, Paul Lyimo (power of attorney), Paul's wife, and Paul's witness, the bank manager at Twiga bank. We welcome each other and then sit down at which point Frank says "Okay Rebecka, lead". Oh right... I thought girls didn’t get the leading role in Tanzania - bugger! I explain that we have agreement from Father Tom to sell the land for US 25000 (looking at Nolasco to check - thankfully he nods - I later find out he got it that morning) and that we are here to sign contracts. There was a bit of translating happening and at some point the swahili translated to "yeh who cares about this piece of paper that you've duplicated 3 times, where's the money?" "in Australia," says Rebecka. "when can it be in Father Tom's bank account?"
"in two weeks," I say, thinking this is quite a quick little turn around in African terms. Just as I am puffing up my chest, I glimpse their chests falling, falling, crestfallen. I query. Brother Frank translates that apparently today is when the money needs to be handed over. Oh. Right. Brother Frank looks at me as he sees the deal is about to go sour......all I can say is that Frank uses his well honed negotiation skills to SAVE THE DAY ….the chests rise, the teeth gleam, the signatures are written with flourish... and the thank yous begin.




The biggest thank you goes to brother Frank. without his intervening, fws would not be able to say "we have a farm in Aaaaah-frika" but now we can! Anne, fws treasurer, is in the process of transferring funds as we speak. So one block down, and dream-block to go.........