(( Thunderstorms, witchcraft, baby goats and a sledge hammer ))

14 January 09 - 11:17

Well its been pretty busy here at the campsite as usual, though we have not had any visitors. Its been major maintenance this past week.

So far the new year has started brilliantly me and shy are the best of friends again, I think a bit of bonding over the operation father Christmas and some time away from work for the both of us has done some good and now we are getting along like a house on fire.

So we have been doing maintenance work in the guest house as we have someone who has booked a room in there for 6 months so everything’s got to be in good condition as we cant exactly do work whilst they are staying there. first thing we did was to put a new drainage system in the showers. This was interesting to say the least. I was in the container getting some equipment when I heard this load crash. Shy had already started putting a whole in the wall for the pipe. He had gone from the outside of the house and had just guessed where the pipe was going. ... (more)

(( some statistics from the donations ))

14 January 09 - 11:15

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(( operational father christmas - Day 4 ))

14 January 09 - 11:05

Day 4 – orphan care and the Father Christmas bandit

This is the big day

The last day

Everything is ready to go we were up early so we can catch the factory car going back to songani so we can catch a lift and take the food down to songani on it, shy went down with the car and the food and to organize bicycles to come with us to take the food to songani orphan care.

So everyone arrived and it was raining I put on my father Christmas outfit but I didn’t have a beard so I put a bandana round my face and made me look like a bandit cross with father Christmas. I think everyone was not going to let the rain put them off we were all really excited seeing as it’s the last day and everyone found it hilarious that I was dressed like father Christmas and it put everyone in a brilliant mood.

So we head off and 5 mins into the journey the rain stops and the sun comes out, someone’s on our side. ... (more)

(( operation father christmas Day 3 ))

14 January 09 - 11:02

Day 3 – one end of the scale to the other elderly and orphans

Tuesday 23rd December

Woke up and it was only some of the older scouts joining us today most of the distributing would happen at the campsite as there was a serious amount of food to be distributed in the morning we distributed half the elderlys food at the campsite and then walked around the various villages quite a long walk and distributed the rest another emotional event as the elderly don’t mind expressing there happiness and one started clapping and singing

 Scouting is great

Scouting is great

Scouting forever

Are they trying to make me cry?

After lunch we distributed to the orphans unfortunately around Makwawa there is no orphanage or care centre that is further away and scheduled for day 4

So the orphans came up to the campsite to collect there food awwwww

It was so cute some of them were tiny clutching there food parcels with huge smiles on there ... (more)

(( operation father christmas - day 2 ))

14 January 09 - 10:58

Day 2 - domasi hospital

Monday 22nd December

Woke up early as the car was supposed to be arriving at 6.30, so we had to get everyone ready, we had hired a car to transport the parcels to the hospital as it’s a long walk and we can’t carry them.

7:00 am luckily the cars a little late because we are not ready yet.

7:30 am we are all ready now but no car here yet? Trying to phone him but cant get through

8:00 am okay okay where is this car, we are 1hr 30 mins late now

8:30 am finally get through to the driver “WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU?”

Apparently the owner has decided to increase the price of the car hire he found out it was a white man hiring the car. I was pretty angry I mean we are doing a charity event everyone here is giving up the time to help out everyone has put in so much effort to get all this organized and all he cares about is making a little bit of extra money. And they didn’t even bother to tell us they just didn’t show up. Well I ... (more)

(( operation father christmas - Day 1 ))

14 January 09 - 10:55

Day 1 – preparing

Sunday 21st December

We were in Lilongwe as we had, had the AGM meeting the previous day which had finished quite late so we had to stay the night so we woke up early to leave for zomba. From the time we left Lilongwe we should have arrived in zomba at a fairly reasonable time, however, this was not the case it seems at the moment I’m having a bus journey curse or something like that I don’t know. But every time I’m using buses something always seems to go wrong to start with someone had parked there pickup in front of the bus at the bus stations now Lilongwe bus depot is insane I mean it makes absolutely no sense at all. So when someone parks a pick up in front of you, you just have to wait because there is absolutely no room to move at all. So anyway finally found the driver to the pickup and we were on our way. We managed to reach ntcheu about halfway through he journey when we stop at ntcheu bus depot to unload passengers etc. ... (more)

(( new years eve ))

02 January 09 - 09:07

well new years eve was pretty good

i want to kiboko camp and it was pretty chilled out sat with some friends that ive known for a while one was dave middle aged guy who is hilarious came out there as a vso 15 years ago and never went backi kept trying to buy drinks for him and his wife and he kept saying no sam im not letting you im treating you tonight so just sit down and let me shrinkj the size of my wallet.

so it was a pretty cheap night untill 12 and we saw the new year in.

during the night people kept asking mikey who was working the bar the best clubs to go to and he kept pointing me out to people and saying take that guy with you he knows all the best places and best times to go and prices.

so i think in the end i had a group of about 14 people to take out clubbing it dwindled considerably as the night wore on and by the time we left the last club at 5.30 am i think there was me and 4 other people but it was a really good night and i enjoyed it. ... (more)